Page 41 of Shadow Burn

“It’s even less entertaining than it sounds.”

“I believe it.”

She set down the biscuit and flexed her bandaged hand. “I need to decide whether to notify my supervisor about the attack. Technically, because I’m on assignment and the Vance papers are in my custody, any security incident involving me or the materials should be reported. The police report makes it worse. If I don’t notify my boss and she finds out through another channel, I could be accused of withholding information.”

“And if you notify the wrong person?”

She went still for a second. “Then I may be telling whoever sent that man exactly where I am.”

He didn’t soften the truth by arguing.

Her mouth tightened. “I hate that both of those things are true.”

“Truth is inconvenient that way.”

“That sounds like something you say when you don’t have a better answer.”

He took another sip of coffee. “It means I’m avoiding offering an answer you don’t want to hear.”

Some of the guardedness eased from her face. “Do you think I should report it?”

“I think you should decide who you trust inside the Agency before you send anything through official channels.”

“That sounds like a no.”

“It’s a voice, not a veto.”

Her eyes narrowed, but the expression lacked heat. “You’re enjoying that clause too much.”

He grinned slightly. “Maybe.”

She picked up the coffee and took a sip. Her eyes closed for the briefest moment, and something in his chest loosened because she liked it. He’d remembered how she took it. It was a small thing, but small things had become unreasonably important where Katherine Townsend was concerned.

“I don’t know who I trust inside the Agency,” she admitted. “That’s the problem. My direct supervisor either signed off on the reclassification or failed to notice it. The Chief of History Staff could have routed it away from me, but that would be unusual without a reason. An Associate Deputy Director could have done it without leaving much of a trail. If I report the attack, someone senior enough to bury a flag may learn that I survived last night. If they haven’t already.”

“I doubt the assassin reported his failure.”

Her eyes widened. “You think he’s keeping it underwraps?”

“Professionals don’t check in until they’ve completed the assignment. Failure makes him look incompetent. If he believes he still has a chance to complete the assignment, he’ll delay reporting in.”

She visibly swallowed. “Which means he’ll keep trying.”

“I’ll handle him. He won’t get to you.”

Her gaze stayed locked on his for a long moment. “Your confidence is reassuring.”

He raised a brow. “Yet you sound skeptical.”

She drew in a long, slow breath and released it even slower, as if thinking it through. “I barely know you, and I’ve never been shot at before.”

“And?”

“And I’m processing.”

He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. His gaze was unwavering as he met her eyes. “Fair enough, but I’m confident because I know how to hunt down and stop predators.”

Another of those probing gazes. Another deep breath. “The police won’t be able to find him, will they?”