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"Does that mean you're going to get off my back about it?"

He laughed. "Hardly. Just because you went and created a weak spot for yourself doesn't mean the group should have to clean up after you. Having her here is a liability. We don't know her and we don't trust her."

"I trust her."

"Do you?" he asked, bitter amusement evident in his voice. "Perhaps that's the problem."

I took a step closer, feeling something animal flare in my chest. "What's that supposed to mean?"

But Ewan was not easily intimidated. "It means that something here doesn't add up," he said, staring me right in the eyes. "Nobody outside of Alpha should even know the council exists. Yet a month or two after you start swapping promise rings with Ally McBeal in there, suddenly our guys start dying."

"You're joking, right? Did you forget that they took her too?"

He gave a little shrug. "Maybe they were just finishing the job. Cleaning up loose ends."

It took every fibre of my being not to knock him to the floor. My hands twitched at my sides, both balled tightly into fists. But I was already walking on thin ice as it was. Hitting him would only make things worse.

"This is ridiculous," I said.

"Maybe. Maybe I'm way off. But either way, there's no excuse for breaking the rules."

I stared at him with gritted teeth. There was nothing I could say. He was right and we both knew it.

Not knowing what else to do, I moved to leave again. This time he didn't try to stop me. He'd gotten his message across. Sophia's presence here was more than an inconvenience, and it was only a matter of time before she was out on her own.

CHAPTER FIVE

Sophia

The second night was a little better than the first, but not much. More than once I woke flushed and sweating, the sharp tang of my latest nightmare still fresh on the back of my tongue. I wondered if this was post-traumatic stress. Based on what little I knew, it certainly seemed possible. I'd never understood how you couldn't just block that stuff out, but now I did.

Part of me expected Sebastian to magically appear once more and slip into my bed like a comforting ghost, but the door remained closed. I found myself disappointed about that. It seemed crazy to think about the prospect of 'us', in the context of everything that was happening, but no matter how terrified and out of my depth I felt, there was no denying the strength of my feelings for him. Not to mention my attraction. The energy that had sprung up between us when he'd visited earlier had nearly overwhelmed me. He had this way of looking at my body, like he was preparing to devour me, that ignited something deep in my stomach. I wanted to be angry — hell I was angry — but if, at that moment, he'd kissed me, I wasn't sure I'd have put up a fight.

I didn't know whether to be touched or offended at the 'holiday' he'd offered. It did feel a little like he was just taking the easy route and trying to sweep me under the rug, but at the same time, everything he said was valid. Things were uncomfortable here, and I knew it must be just as bad for him. I appreciated the predicament he was in, even if it was somewhat his fault. I just wished I wasn't in it as well.

More than once I considered agreeing to go. An all-expenses paid trip overseas was hardly the worst proposition in the world; but, truth be told, the idea of being out there all alone scared me. My life was here and it was under siege. I couldn't just run away while somebody else dealt with that.

After several hours of restless turning, I gave up trying to sleep and reached for my phone. Sebastian hadn't mentioned it, but when I woke up that morning, I found a few of my possessions waiting for me in the hallway outside. Apparently he'd sent someone to my house.

It was a good thing too, because there were already several texts from the girls waiting for me. Another day or two and they'd have started to worry.

Ruth: Hey Hon'. Hope the wallowing is going well. If you need another pick-me-up, I'm willing to take one for the team and suffer through a few more midday mojitos. Let me know.

I'd read them over and over today, relishing that tiny connection to my old life. It had been less than two days, but somehow that's what it felt like now: my old life. At a time where everything else was in ruins, it was nice to be reminded I still had someone waiting for me when this was all over. If it ever would be.

I'd already reassured them both I was fine, conjuring up some story about visiting my sister down in Melbourne for a little mental recharge, but as I stared at the screen now, I was nearly overcome with the desire to call them and tell them everything. It was a terrible idea, but curled up there, in the unfamiliar dark, surrounded by people I barely knew with agendas I couldn't even fathom, I felt so incredibly alone.

After staring for a few precarious seconds, my thumb poised over Ruth's number, I shoved the phone back into my bedside drawer and headed out in search of tea. What I really wanted was something a little more numbing — I figured a house like this had to have a wine cellar — but drinking away my problems probably wasn't the best option right now. I needed to stay alert. The world seemed to have turned into a much more dangerous place, virtually overnight, and in this dimension of secret societies and covert kidnappings, waking up with a killer hangover might have a different meaning entirely.

I had no idea how to process everything Sebastian had told me. Part of me wanted to laugh it off as an absurd joke, something dug out of a bad eighties espionage film, but taking into account everything that I'd seen, I believed it. I didn't know what it all meant yet, but I planned on remedying that situation. As unbelievable as it was, I was a part of this, now. I could either sit, awestruck on the sidelines, or I could try and work out exactly what the hell I'd gotten myself into.

The house was silent as I made my way to the kitchen. It wasn't until I put the kettle on and began hunting for a cup that I realised I wasn't the only person awake.

"Can't sleep?" said a voice behind me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Turning, I saw a familiar figure, cast in shadow, nursing a mug of his own at the breakfast table.

"Jesus, Joe. You scared the hell out of me."

He chuckled. "My apologies," he said, although he didn't sound particularly sorry. "Feel like some company?"

It seemed harmless enough. I wasn't exactly going to drift off anytime soon. I filled my cup and moved over to join him. "I take it you know what happened?" I asked.

He nodded. "I was there when Sebastian got the news."

"Then you know why I can't sleep."

He nodded again. "I don't blame you. I don't think anyone would rest easy after a thing like that."

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I appreciated that he didn't offer any advice. Just understanding.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. Despite the lack of conversation, I was enjoying the company. He might not have been Sebastian, but his presence seemed to hold back the darkness a little nonetheless.

Eventually though, he spoke. "He told you." It wasn't a question.

Fear seized my belly. I turned my gaze to him slowly. He didn't look angry, in fact a ghost of a smile touched his lips, but I knew what he meant nonetheless. It hadn't occurred to me that Joe might be an Alpha member. He just seemed like hired help. But clearly there was more to him than that.

I debated denying it, but the certainty in his eyes said there was no point. He knew. The question was, what would he do with that knowledge?

I let out a long sigh. "He did."

Joe chewed his lip thoughtfully. "Well then."

"You don't sound surprised."

He shrugged. "Everyone likes to think they can keep their mouth shut when necessary, but the truth is, every man has his breaking point. The way he talks about you, the only thing that surprises me is that it took this long."

The way he talks about you. My mind instantly went back to Sebastian's letter, to all those heartbreakingly sweet things he'd said. And then to that look he'd worn when he first pushed his way inside my prison, the rapture that had lit his face when his eyes found mine. I wasn't the only one struggling to switch off my feelings.

You always hear stories about the purity of love, about the way it swells inside you until nothing else even matters. I never cared much for that perspective before — that kind of love typically isn't compatible with the sort of future I saw for myself — but now I found myself longing for it to be that simple. Every decision had turned into a conflict, a titanic battle between heart and brain, between logic and emotion. I couldn't deny my feelings for him, but whenever they rose inside me, they brought with them anger and betrayal. I knew it wasn't intentional, but he'd exposed me to this world, a world that was currently trying to chew me up and spit me out again. It was hard to forgive that, with the terror of my kidnapping still blanketing everything like a thick fog.

And even if I could get past it, there were other elements to the equation. Was he still the same man I'd fallen for? In light of everything he'd told me this morning, I didn't know. It was almost easier to just write him and his friends off as corrupt, power hungry monsters; but, try as I might, I couldn't see him being a part of something like that. Not to mention guys like Thomas, or apparently Joe. If Sebastian said their intentions were noble, then I believed him.

"This is a mess," I said, after a pause, not sure if I was referring to my relationship with Sebastian or the forbidden knowledge he'd shared.

Joe let out a laugh. "That it is, girl. That it is."

"So you're a member too then?" I asked, stalling for time. I wasn't sure where the conversation was going exactly, but he'd obviously brought it up for a reason. Something in my gut told me I could trust him, but Sebastian's warning loomed large in my mind nonetheless.

"Indeed."

"Well, I don't mean any disrespect, but isn't it a little demeaning having you drive another member around?"

He shrugged. "It's not so bad. I give him hell, but Sebastian's a better sort than most. Besides, it's not like I always did this."

"Oh?"

He grinned. "Alpha's not exactly in the business of recruiting chauffeurs. Not much to be gained by that. No, before this I served thirty years in the British Army."

I nodded. That explained the war wound he'd mentioned the first day we met. "In what capacity?"

"Infantry first, but they quickly shuffled me to the officers' path instead." He leaned in conspiratorially. "Didn't seem to care for all the questions I asked." He let out a short laugh. "Nope, there's not a lot of space for curiosity on the battlefield. I think they figured that if I was going to be doing all that thinking, I might as well be the one answering the questions instead of asking."

"I think that's fair enough," I replied.

"That's actually where I met Sebastian."

"Sebastian was in the army?" That revelation reminded me exactly how little I knew about the man who had stolen my heart.

"Briefly." He gave a rueful shake of his head. "He was a terrible soldier, just like me. Too headstrong, too stubborn. I was his commanding officer, and it got to the point where I was forced to discharge him, but it seemed like such a waste. There was something special about him. I knew he was capable of doing great things, and the characteristics that made him unfit for duty made him perfect for Alpha. So I released him from service and nominated him for consideration to join the group. He was accepted, and now here we are."

"I see," I replied, trying to picture Sebastian in mud spattered combat fatigues. It was difficult. The suit and tie seemed almost like his second skin.

"What about you? Why'd you quit?" I continued.

"Well, obviously I had more important things to do here," he deadpanned, nodding in the direction of the bedrooms.

I laughed. "Obviously."

"Honestly though, I just kind of got tired. You'd think gaining rank would be a good thing, but by the last decade of my career, I dreaded it. Every promotion meant a little more time spent behind a desk, a little more paperwork. There was nothing to look forward to, anymore."

"And so your solution was to drive your protégée around, day in and day out?" I asked.

He shrugged. "It may not seem particularly exciting, but the truth is, there's rarely a dull moment around here."

Thinking back on everything that had happened in the last few days, I could see his point. If this sort of stuff was a regular occurrence, I wasn't sure my heart could keep up. Another point against Sebastian and I ever having a real relationship. Thinking about it gave me a newfound respect for military wives. The prospect of my partner constantly venturing into indescribable danger was daunting, to say the least. I didn't know how they coped.

"Is it always like this?" I asked. "Kidnappings and secret lairs?"

He smiled. "Sometimes, but not as often as you'd think. These are pretty dire circumstances. Most of the time it's more like being a politician; lots of paperwork and meetings."

"So Sebastian just has impeccable timing then."

Joe stared at me for several seconds. "Don't be too hard on him, Sophia. He didn't mean for any of this to happen."

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I let out a long breath and shook my head slightly. "I know, but it doesn't change the fact that it did."

"Not to downplay what you've been through at all, but to be honest, I think he's dealing with it as badly as you are. Like I said, I was there when he got the news. I've never seen anything like it before. He could barely speak. Everyone seemed to take it as anger, but I know him better than most. I knew it for what it really was. Fear.

"He wanted to throw everything we had at that house the moment they took you there, but that's not how the group works. You can't just use Alpha resources for personal situations, no matter how serious they may be." His lips compressed. "They argued for hours. Virtually the whole room was against him. Eventually, he realised they weren't going to budge, but rather than back down, he just stormed out and came for you anyway. Took an entire squad of our troops. To be honest, I'm kind of glad nobody physically stepped in to stop him. I have little doubt he'd have gone by himself, if he had to.

"For now, nobody is doing anything about it. We've got too much else to worry about. But if I know that group, he hasn't heard the last of it. Not by a long shot." His gaze bored into me. "I understand that this was hell for you, I really do, but Sebastian did everything in his power to make up for what happened. He put himself at risk to save you, so maybe cut him a little slack, hey?"

My mouth felt impossibly dry. I knew Sebastian had been distraught at my kidnapping, but this cast it in an entirely new light. He hadn't simply been cleaning up an Alpha group mess. If anything, he'd been doing the opposite. He'd actively put my safety above the interests of his brothers. He'd broken the rules for me. I didn't know what it meant — was it a temporary lapse or a permanent statement? — but it made me warm all over. My mind was suddenly racing with possibilities.

"I didn't know," I said eventually.

"Well, now you do," he said with a nod.

"Will he be in serious trouble?"

"I don't know. Time will tell. But, in the past, such actions have been... frowned upon, let's just say."

Something about the way he said gave me the impression it was more serious than he was letting on.

I weighed his words. Were Sebastian's actions enough to overcome all of the lies and the secrets? I didn't know. I still had so many questions.

"Liv's death," I said carefully.

His expression turned grim. "Now that was a hell of a thing."

"Sebastian said nobody really knows what happened. Is that true?"

Despite his age, he was still sharp. He saw my implication instantly. "You're wondering if he should have expected this?" He shook his head. "No, nobody could have seen this coming. He blames himself for Liv, but the reality is it was just a case of wrong place, wrong time."

"But if there was nothing to worry about, why did he leave someone outside my place?"

"Paranoia I suspect. You have to understand, Sebastian took that hard, harder than anything I've seen, until you disappeared. He feels like if he hadn't ended things with her, if he'd found some way to make the relationship work, perhaps things would have been different."

I blinked in surprise. "Ended things? He told me they were engaged."

"Ah," he said with a wince. "I'm sorry. I assumed he'd told you the whole story. Technically he didn't lie; they were engaged. Several of us tried to warn him of the dangers of such big secrets in a marriage, but it's hard to argue with love. Of course, it became progressively easier as she began to get suspicious. She was a bit of a computer guru, you see. Was being headhunted by all kinds of A-list companies, but they wanted her to move overseas and Sebastian couldn't, so she turned them down. Anyway, one day, Sebastian left his laptop open at an Alpha login portal. To most people that wouldn't mean much, but to a girl like her, it was a beacon. Soon, she was digging up all manner of strange info. It wasn't enough to tell her anything concrete, but it told her he was hiding something."

He took a long sip from his mug. "So, she confronted him. They argued and she gave him an ultimatum."

"And he chose the group," I finished.

He nodded slowly. "Although 'chose' might be a little generous. This isn't the sort of thing you can just walk away from. A few people have managed over the years, but it requires an immense amount of planning and a willingness to drop totally off the grid. Not exactly an appealing prospect for an up and coming IT whiz."

"I guess not." It was a lot to take in. I couldn't help but notice all the parallels. As well as the one big difference. Sebastian had initially chosen the group this time too but, when push came to shove, he'd picked me.

"Anyway," Joe said, dragging himself to his feet, "it's time to take these old bones to bed. It's been lovely chatting with you, Sophia."

"Goodnight."

He moved to leave, but paused in the doorway. "I hope that whatever comes of all this, you find some peace."

"Me too," I replied.

CHAPTER SIX

Sophia

I intended to head back to my room but, instead, I found myself walking right past the door and continuing up the hallway. Something told me that Sebastian would still be awake. I didn't know exactly why I wanted to see him, only that I did.

My instincts proved accurate. I found him sitting at a desk in his room, hunched over a laptop screen. The door was open, but he didn't appear to notice me, so for a while I simply stood and watched. He looked tired. No, that wasn't the right word. Haggard was more appropriate. A man with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Even now, just the sight of him sent a tingle curling through me. A surge of lust, but there was something deeper too, something comforting and strong that blossomed in my stomach like a sunrise. It made the prospect of seeing him again exciting, no matter how often it happened. I was beginning to think that feeling would never go away.

I tried to put myself in his shoes; impossible obligations pulling at me from all sides. Would I have reacted differently? Would I have continued our relationship, knowing the world I was exposing him to? I didn't know. It felt like a position where there were no right moves.

"I know what you did for me," I said eventually.

He flinched at the sound of my voice, his hand darting towards the desk drawer, although he stopped when he recognised me. "Christ, Sophia. Sneaking up on people at four o'clock in the morning in this particular house is a really, really bad idea."

"Sorry."

He studied me. I could tell that part of him simply wanted to send me away. Every conversation between us now was difficult, strangled by guilt and uncertainty. But eventually he spoke. "What do you mean, what I did for you?"

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"The way you stood up to your brothers when no one else wanted to help rescue me."

He waved dismissively. "Ah, that. It's not a big deal."

"That's not what Joe said. He said it was quite the argument."

I walked inside and sat on the surface of the desk. Sebastian was close enough to reach out and touch now, and I had to resist the urge to do just that. I was doing a good job of keeping my fear at bay, but that didn't mean it had fled. It still simmered inside me, waiting for another opportunity to boil over, and the prospect of facing that alone was almost too daunting to consider. Just being near him soothed my shredded nerves.

"You broke the rules for me," I continued. "In a pretty big way, from what I understand."

His gaze was hard, radiating intensity. I could almost feel the conflict playing out inside him. "What else could I have done, Sophia? I couldn't let them take you."

"I thought the group came first."

He hesitated, then shook his head slowly. "So did I."

We sat in silence for a few moments. I think we both knew what was coming. We couldn't avoid discussing our relationship forever. I was still afraid to do so, lest that wound tear open inside me again, but knowing what he'd done gave me a glimmer of hope. Maybe, somehow, there was a way through this.

"Sebastian, I—"

"Don't," he said, rising to his feet and putting some distance between us. "We can't do this, Sophia." His voice was sharp, almost pained.

"I have to know," I replied. "What does all of this mean for us?"

He stormed towards me and I jolted backwards. "There is no us. There can't be. You've seen the sort of life I lead. How can you even ask that?"

"I don't know," I said softly. "But I'm asking all the same."

He closed his eyes and swept a hand through his hair. "I nearly got you killed. I don't understand how you're even still talking to me."

A few days ago, I might have agreed with him. Logically I knew I still should. But logic had always taken a back seat where he was concerned. Yes he'd kept things from me, but I now appreciated the full weight of those secrets. Everything he'd done spoke of how much he cared for me, and I couldn't deny that my emotions burned just as strongly. I could hold the situation against him, or I could move on and try to build something to go back to, after it was over.

"I don't blame you, Sebastian. I did in the beginning, but I don't now. You couldn't have known. Yeah, if I hadn't met you, none of this would have happened, but then I'd never have met you and, the truth is, that thought terrifies me far more than any of this."

He stared at me with wide eyes, his expression hovering somewhere between anguish and awe. "How do you do that?" he asked. It was barely more than a whisper. "No matter what I do, no matter how sure I am, you say just the right thing to make me question myself."

A smile crept onto my face. "I'm just that talented, I guess."

His expression softened a fraction, but it didn't last long. "I can't keep making these mistakes, Sophia. It's too dangerous. Sure, I saved you this time, but what about next time? Or the time after? This life offers no guarantees. I won't give it another opportunity to claim you."

"So that's it, then? I don't even get a say?" Moisture rushed to my eyes. "Don't my feelings count for anything?"

"Of course they count," he lamented, although he didn't seem to know how to finish the sentence.

"So if we never had a chance, why tell me all those things then?" I asked. "Why bring me into your world? Why slip into my room at night and comfort me like nothing has changed?"

He shook his head desperately. "I don't know. I don't know."

For a few moments there was silence.

"Do you remember what you said to me over dinner, the first time we went out?" I asked eventually. "'Nothing worth having comes risk free.' Well, that's how I feel now." I got to my feet and moved over to him, taking his hands in mine. "I'm a big girl. I can make my own decisions. I understand the risks, and I'm telling you I'm okay with them. I love you, Sebastian, and if that's the price for being with you, then it's one I'm willing to pay. The question is, are you?"

The surge of emotion on his face mirrored my own. That was the first time I'd said the L word out loud to him. It hadn't been intentional, but the moment it left my lips I knew it was true. It was so perfectly right. I could feel it down to my bones.

He closed his eyes momentarily. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that. But not now. Not now!" Pulling his hands free, he turned away. "I don't know if I can keep fighting this, Sophia. It hurts too much. Seeing you every day, not being able to hold you or kiss you or love you. It's ruining me."

"So stop fighting."

For a few seconds, I thought I'd lost him again, but then he was spinning and his lips were crashing into mine.

I'd never been kissed like that, not even by him. In that gesture, I could feel every ounce of his guilt, his pain, his love, and I found myself kissing back just as ferociously, my own torrent of emotions thundering through my chest. The joy I felt was almost enough to make me weep.

In a few seconds, he'd worked my track pants free and lifted me back onto the desk. No words were necessary. Desperation and longing burned brighter than the sun in both of us. I needed that connection, that perfect affirmation that said more than words ever could.

I was dimly aware that the door was still open, but nothing in the world could have stopped us at that moment. We were utterly lost in one another. With raw hunger, he yanked his fly down, freeing his shaft, and then buried himself inside me. My skin burned with the suddenness of it, but I didn't care at all. I savoured the pain because it came from him, a stinging symbol of the bond between us.

He moved slowly, coaxing my body to life around him with gentle thrusts. I mewed softly against his mouth, feeling myself grow slick, but he didn't break the kiss. He devoured me, drawing my lips tenderly between his teeth and stroking them with his tongue. His hands found my legs, looping under my knees to lift them higher, allowing him to sheathe himself in me all the way to the root.

Finally he pulled away, only to bury his head against my neck. "Say it again," he whispered, teasing me with a slow rocking motion.

"I love you," I breathed.

"And I love you," he replied.

And then he was moving in me again, his mouth tracing fire across my collarbone, sending my capacity for speech spiralling away. His thrusts strengthened as the animal in him gradually broke free of its cage. He snarled against my chin, one hand slipping between my legs to find my clit, sending a new chord of ecstasy thrumming through me.

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His lovemaking was different now. Every time before, I'd seen a new side of him; sometimes dominant, sometimes soft, sometimes hungry, but this was all of those things together; fierce strength combined with loving tenderness. I felt like I was finally getting all of him, no more shields, no more secrets, he was finally letting it all go, and it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever experienced. In that moment I knew that I was his and he was mine.

As his rhythm reached its crescendo, the pressure building in my core began to swell. I wrapped my hands around his neck, fingers digging into his flesh, his body tightening in time with mine as we came together.

"God, I've missed you," he said, laying his forehead against mine as we caught our breath. Standing there above me, dishevelled and bathed in sweat, he looked absolutely radiant.

I nuzzled my nose against his. "Me too."

We moved over to the bed and lay, for a while, in each other's arms. The bliss I felt in that moment almost made it possible to forget everything that had happened; we were just an ordinary couple, snuggling together, after making love.

"I love you," I said again, turning to stare him in the eyes.

He smiled. "I'll never get sick of hearing that." His expression slipped a little, and I knew we were about to come hurtling back to reality. "I hate to break the moment, but we aren't done talking. If we're really going to do this, there's some things we need to think about."

"Okay," I replied cautiously, half afraid he was going to go off the deep end again.

He took his time choosing his words. "Even when we get through whatever is going on right now, I don't know exactly how we make this work." He raised his hand to cut off my objections. "I'm not saying we don't try. I can't deny this anymore, Sophia. I love you, and for some stupid reason you appear to return the feeling."

"I'm a slow learner, I guess," I replied.

He shot me a half smile. "The fact is, you're here and you're involved and you know things you shouldn't know. And my brothers... some of them are already worried about you. They're distracted now, but when things settle down, and we're still together, they're going to start asking questions of their own, and I don't think they're going to like the answers."

I'd been wondering about that. I may have been saved from immediate danger, but the longer I spent in the Alpha house, the more I realised that I wasn't as safe as I'd thought. I couldn't just forget everything I'd seen, and these people knew it. "So what do we do?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"You kind of make it sound like we're doomed, no matter what."

"No, no, that's not what I meant." He exhaled sharply. "I'll figure something out. For now, we just need to tread carefully. We both know a lot of people don't approve of your presence here, so let's not give them any reason to take it further."

Once again I felt an uneasy feeling settle in my stomach. "Are you sure about the people who kidnapped me?" I asked carefully. "Because if there's any chance it was someone here, we might wind up playing right into their hands."

"I'm sure," he said firmly. "These men are my brothers. Besides, whoever took you also killed Charlie and Simon. Nobody here would do that."

His certainty put my mind at ease; well, as at ease as was possible with some kind of rogue terror group trying to kidnap me. "You've used the word 'council' a few times," I said, spotting another chance to sate my curiosity, "is that like the Alpha board or something? I've been trying to work out how you make your decisions."

His jaw tightened a fraction. "I'm not sure I should talk about that."

"Oh come on. They're already going to be super angry if they find out what you've told me so far, right? So how much worse can it get?"

He hesitated, but eventually gave a resigned smile. "I guess you have a point. Yeah, in a nutshell, the council runs things in this area; it's in control of the Asia Pacific region. Other regions are run by different groups."

"And you're on it?"

He nodded. "Almost everyone here is, except the muscle, drivers, and house staff."

"So that makes you kind of a big deal, then?" I asked with a grin.

He laughed. "Kind of."

It made sense. I struggled to picture Sebastian anywhere but the top of the ladder, regardless of what he was doing.

"So it's like a democracy? You all just vote on everything?"

"Yes and no. For most decisions, the whole council has a say, but ultimately there still needs to be a figurehead, to settle disputes and keep the group operating smoothly. The official title is Archon."

"Archon?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "Blame the Greeks. We're stuck with it now."

I laughed. "And who is this Archon?"

His face took on a strange expression. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" I said slowly. "How can you not know?"

"It's a secret, even amongst the group. The heads of each cell have an immense amount of power. For example, they're the only people with access to the full list of Alpha personnel worldwide. If that sort of power fell into the wrong hands, the damage would be catastrophic. So they stay hidden, just in case."

I licked my lips as I tried to process this. "But how does that work?"

"Well, the council has sixteen members, one of whom is in charge. By all appearances, they are just a regular member of the group. Anything that requires their attention as the Archon is dealt with through the Alpha computer network. The commands come anonymously, so nobody but the Archon and their lieutenant know the source."

"Lieutenant?"

He nodded. "The Archon chooses a second in command, someone to take over if anything happens to them. They're like a backup. Otherwise, there would be no way to choose a new leader when the existing one dies. The lieutenant is the only other person that knows who runs the show. It's a little eccentric, I know, but it works."

"I was going to say paranoid, actually."

"Maybe that too. We didn't always do things this way, but about five hundred years ago, one of our enemies managed to infiltrate the group and, through the Archon, they learned everything. We lost hundreds of members and years of progress. So we devised a system to stop that happening again."

It all seemed incredibly mysterious, but then again, that was true of the entire situation. Besides, on some level, that just added to the coolness of it all. I was basically living in a conspiracy theory!

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I couldn't help but smile as the full implication of what he'd said sank in. "So, when you said you didn't know, was that you telling the truth, or you toeing the company line?"

"That was me telling you I didn't know," he replied, a twinkle in his eye.

"Right. But if you were in charge, I'm guessing you probably wouldn't tell me anyway, right?"

There was a twinkle in his eye when he replied. "Perhaps not. I need to keep some secrets, Sophia."

I sighed dramatically. "I suppose that's fair. Well then, mister councilman, what do we do now?"

I'd intended us to talk a little more about the problems we faced, but apparently he had something else in mind. In response he gently rolled me away from him, then pulling me close until we were spooning. Although I still wore my top, I was naked from the waist down, and the position pressed my bare ass against the growing hardness between his legs. I felt my body stir again.

"Now, we make up for lost time," he replied, his voice growing husky.

And despite the weight of the discussion we'd just had, he quickly convinced me that that was exactly what I wanted to do.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Sophia

The next few days were a mixture of frustration and joy. By night, I had Sebastian back. We ate together, we talked, and we spent a great deal of time reacquainting ourselves with each other's bodies. Although it hadn't been that long since we'd been intimate, it felt like I was discovering him for the first time all over again.

However, while the sun was up, things were different. As much as we both wanted to just shut ourselves away and ignore everything, the fact was, Sebastian still had a job to do. The threat — whatever it was — wouldn't disappear on its own. If we wanted any hope for some kind of normality in the future, we had to take action.

Or should I say, he had to take action. Although he tried to keep me in the loop, my involvement was strictly second hand. There was no way for me to attend their meetings without putting us both at risk. He'd return to his room, which was now our room, and brief me on what had happened that day. They had a few leads, but so far they'd hit nothing but brick walls. Aside from that they apparently spent most of the time fighting about what the next step was.

I tried to amuse myself while he was gone, but it was hard. I wasn't used to being left to my own devices. I hadn't had more than a few days to myself since high school. It didn't help that I was confined to quarters. Until things were safe, Sebastian insisted I did not leave the building. I read a lot and watched more TV than I had in my entire life, but within a few days I felt dangerously close to breaking point. I began having visions of myself as one of those creepy old ladies in Victorian period dramas, who can be seen haunting the windows of ancient manor houses, but never venture out into open air.

Then there was the tension with the group members. Ewan and his cronies continued to make sure I was aware how unwelcome I was. It wasn't outright aggression, but the dark looks and biting remarks told me exactly how they felt.

"Have they said anything about us?" I asked Sebastian, after a particularly bad day.

He frowned and shook his head. "No, actually, they've been strangely silent."

"So that's good, right?"

"I guess," he replied, although he didn't sound convinced.

Most of the others didn't seem to know how to react to me, so they simply ignored my presence. And Joe, the only one I assumed might have talked to me, had gone overseas to attend to some family problem. I felt a little like a ghost, floating unseen and unacknowledged, around that buzzing house.

After several days, my boredom got the better of me and I went in search of a computer. I figured that if I had to kill time, I could at least do it laughing at cats with hilarious facial expressions. Sebastian had a laptop, but he carried it with him during the day. I'd seen a few desktops scattered around the building, and nobody ever seemed to be using them, so I didn't think anyone would mind.

Unfortunately, it wasn't as simple as just sitting down and turning the system on. The PC lit up when I hit the power button, but the screen only got as far as displaying a blinking cursor on a black background, and no amount of resetting or playing with the cables would fix it.

I'd seen Sebastian power up his laptop before, and at some point during the process he always swiped his thumb across the little biometric scanner that hung off the side. This PC had one too, sitting on the desk next to the keyboard. Perhaps the system wouldn't start without the right person in the chair.

Part of me wanted to swipe it myself just to see what would happen. I even got as far as poising my thumb over the pad, but then a voice from the doorway interrupted me.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

I jolted back in my chair. It was Trey. I hadn't seen him since the night I arrived. Apparently he wasn't part of the inner council, so he wasn't holed up here with the rest of them.

"Sorry," I said.

"It's alright. No harm done. You're just lucky I found you when I did. A word of warning, though. Anything that needs a thumbprint you should probably stay away from."

In spite of my embarrassment, my curiosity was now peaked. "Why?"

He smiled. "If you don't have the right authentication, the whole system will shut down until someone comes and checks it out. I figure you could probably do without that attention."

Well, that answered that question. "Right. Thanks for the warning."

He stared at me for a few seconds, and I felt my skin begin to prickle. It was another of those awkward moments where we were both aware I knew something I shouldn't, but we weren't discussing it. He didn't look concerned at all, but it still made me uncomfortable.

"So, what brings you here anyway? I didn't expect to see you around these parts," I said, trying desperately to fill the silence.

He shrugged and gave a conspiratorial eye roll. "Thomas needed something. You know how it is; the bosses call and we come a-running. Any idea where he is?"

"Actually yeah, I think I saw him chatting to Marcus in the kitchen, before."

Trey's expression darkened a little. Perhaps he and Marcus weren't on the best terms. "Alright, thanks." His smile returned. "Stay out of trouble, hey?"

I gave a little laugh. "I'll do my best."

In spite of how awkward I'd felt, it was nice to have an interaction with Sebastian's colleague that didn't involve any death stares. It made me feel like perhaps there was hope yet on that front.

But, the next day, Sebastian came to me with some news, and that theory promptly went to ****.

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"We're leaving," he said.

I rocked back in surprise. "We are? Does that mean it's all over?"

He grimaced. "Unfortunately, no. Several of the council members simply feel like it would be better if you stayed elsewhere until we finish sorting this out." The words came out through gritted teeth. I got the sense it had been another long and bitter argument.

So, I was being exiled. On one hand, it was actually a bit of a relief. I was sick of being trapped here, constantly feeling like the awkward relative nobody actually wants around. But, on the other hand, the danger outside these walls was very real.

"I thought it wasn't safe out there," I said carefully.

He sighed. "It's not. But don't worry, they're not sending you home. I talked them into a compromise. This isn't the only secure facility Alpha owns. We've got several other places, scattered around the city, so we're going to move to one of the empty ones. It won't be as heavily guarded as this place, but it has all the same security measures. We'll be just as safe as we are now."

"Okay," I said, although there was a slight tremble in my voice. What other response could I give? There didn't seem to be any point arguing.

He gazed at me for a few seconds before lowering himself onto the bed next to me and taking my hand in his. "Hey, it'll be okay. Trust me. I'm coming too, and I'd die before I let anything happen to you."

I nodded. "I know. I just hate feeling so damn powerless, you know? I'm just a pawn, being shuffled around the board; only it's not a game, it's my bloody life."

"I know," he replied, offering me a sad little smile. "I know."

The next day, we left. There was no fanfare. Nobody even said goodbye. I guess that was to be expected.

We were met outside by two hulking rent-a-suits, who Sebastian introduced as Tony and Aaron. They were apparently going to be our daytime security team.

He was coming with me now to help me settle in, but he'd have to commute back to the main house every day to continue working on the crisis.

After about thirty minutes, we pulled up in front of a small but modern looking house on a quiet, leafy street. At first glance it appeared utterly normal, but the biometric scanner on the front door and the bars over the windows hinted that this was something more than an average residence.

"They're bulletproof," he said, following my gaze. "The doors too." Reaching out, he thumbed the touch pad by the front door, and the lock clicked open. "Nobody is getting in here without the proper authorisation. And to even try, they have to deal with Tony and Aaron first. The whole house will be under round the clock surveillance."

Some of the tension I'd been carrying around inside me dissipated. The place certainly seemed as secure as he'd claimed.

The two guards stationed themselves outside, leaving the entire house to Sebastian and I. It was nice to finally feel like we had our own space again. Despite its size, the main house had, at times, felt cramped, and the pervasive air of concern and hostility had made it a less than pleasant living environment.

Sebastian produced some takeaway food from somewhere and we ate it sprawled out in front of the television, mocking the terribleness of the reality shows that seemed to dominate every network. It wasn't a particularly interesting evening by most standards, but I found myself laughing harder than I had in weeks. Leaving the Alpha headquarters had lifted a weight from my shoulders that I hadn't even realised I was carrying.

After dinner, Sebastian disappeared into the back of the house for a minute and returned carrying a box.

"I have something for you," he said, his tone once again serious.

"Oh?"

He opened the container to reveal a petite silver gun. My breath caught in my throat. "I want you to have this," he said, removing it and holding it out to me.

"Sebastian, I don't know the first thing about guns." Just the idea of having something so deadly in my hands filled me with an uneasy energy.

"I know. I'm not expecting you to go take out our enemies all by yourself. In truth, I doubt that you'll ever have to use it. I meant what I said about this place being secure. This is just a precaution, nothing more." He reached out with his free hand and cupped my chin, his thumb grazing my cheek with the utmost tenderness. "I can't be with you all the time, and the thought of not being here to protect you myself... please, it would make me feel better."

The concern in his eyes was enough to allay my hesitation. Gingerly, I reached out and took the weapon from him. It's cliché, but it was surprisingly heavy. The metal felt cold against my skin.

"This is the safety," he said, indicating near the trigger. "Don't switch that off unless you mean it. The gun carries thirteen rounds and is already loaded."

Closing my hands more tightly around the grip, I raised it slowly in front of me. I didn't have any illusions about my ability to actually hit anything, but I did feel a certain sense of comfort with that weight between my fingers.

"Okay." Holding death in my hand, I suddenly felt the need to make a joke. "You know, I'm pretty sure none of my friend's partners have ever given them a lethal weapon before. I'm surely the luckiest girl in the whole world."

The tension eased on his face. "I'm glad I could be your first."

"So, what else is there to do around this place?" I asked, setting the weapon aside. "You know, besides play with my new firearm."

"Not a whole lot." He grinned wickedly and slid closer, looping his hands under my legs and lifting them over his lap until I lay cradled in his arms. "Although I have a few ideas about how we can take advantage of our newfound privacy."

"Oh? And what might those be?" I replied as sweetly as possible.

He leaned in to brush a soft kiss across my cheek. "Well, I thought perhaps I'd see how many different rooms I could **** you in."

"I think I'd like that very much," I replied, already feeling my pulse quicken.

Suffice it to say that there were no rooms left unchristened by the time we finally collapsed into bed.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Sophia

For a little while, the novelty of being somewhere fresh buoyed my mood. I explored the new house, and spent many hours pottering around with a glass of wine and a book. But soon enough, my frustration returned. Each morning, Sebastian would kiss me on the head and then disappear through the bedroom door, not returning until well after sundown. In many ways, he had little more freedom than me, but at least he had a mission. I, on the other hand, was left to simply float around, entirely without purpose.

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I tried engaging the security guards in a little banter, but it quickly became apparently that all of the steroids must have burned their fun glands into oblivion. They were about as friendly as a pair of rocks, and even less interesting; I quickly abandoned all hope of alleviating my boredom through conversation.

At my request, Sebastian had brought me a laptop, so I turned *****rfing job hunting websites online. I knew it was masochistic to taunt myself like that, but I couldn't help it. After a decade of thinking about nothing but my career, I couldn't just switch off that part of my brain. To be honest, I wasn't sure there were many other parts anymore. It turned out there were several positions going at top tier firms, including one at Little Bell's biggest rival. Any one of them would have been perfect for me, and I knew I stood a good chance if I decided to apply.

I stared at the screen for a while, before closing the laptop and setting it purposefully aside. Well, there you go. Who knows, maybe they'll still be available in a few weeks and all this will have blown over.

But as I lay in bed that night, I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd found. Getting back to work was exactly what I needed. With all day to myself, I couldn't help but dwell on my situation. Being unemployed and trapped in a house, with mysterious forces plotting God knows what all around me, was hardly a recipe for inner peace.

"You know, I'm going a little crazy here," I said the next day, when we were sitting in the lounge room after dinner.

He shot me a sympathetic look. "I know it's rough. Hopefully we'll have something soon. In the meantime, try to relax and enjoy the time off."

"Have you seen me try to relax?" I replied. "It's a train wreck. Yesterday I actually rearranged every book in the study by author name, just to feel like I'd actually achieved something for the day."

He laughed.

"Incidentally, you have an awful lot of cook books from the fifties in there. Anyway, relaxation isn't my M.O," I continued. "I need to be out there, getting my life back on track. The longer I wait to find another job, the harder it's going to be. I get that the situation is dangerous, but I want something to come back to when it's all over."

He stared at me for several seconds, a strange smile playing on his lips.

"What?" I asked, realising that something wasn't right. He shouldn't have been smiling.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, before standing up and walking over to his desk. "I was going to wait until after all of this was sorted out, but I guess there's no harm in showing you now."

"Showing me what?" I asked, feeling a rush of excitement.

He returned holding a small stack of paper.

"This," he said. "I know you have a thing about people helping you, but hopefully you can make an exception in this case."

With some trepidation I began to read, but before I'd made it more than half a page I found myself grinning like an idiot. "Oh my God," I said. "Where did you get these?"

"A friend of a friend," he replied nonchalantly.

"Well your friend struck gold," I said, flipping through several more pages. "My God, the partners are going to flip when they see this."

In my hands, I held a printout of a chain of emails that stretched back over several years. Sebastian and I were no strangers to a bit of written flirtation, but these took the idea of ***ting to a whole new level. We're talking bad eighties porno script, and judging by the phrasing, it was just a prelude to what the couple were actually doing in the bedroom.

The email addresses weren't instantly familiar — they looked like personal accounts — but the signatures were.

Alan Beatie and Jennifer Smart.

"I thought you'd be pleased," Sebastian replied.

That was the understatement of the century. A long term relationship between an associate and her superior was already enough to land them in serious trouble, but this went a step further. Interspersed between the racier messages were numerous requests for favours and plenty of signs of preferential treatment. Judging by the dates, their arrangement had started before Jennifer was even promoted. It didn't take a genius to see how the other partners would view that. It felt like Christmas come early.

And then I spotted the coup de grace. "Holy ****." I held up one specific line for him to read. "Did you see this?"

He grinned and nodded.

Thank you for finally dealing with that little bitch Sophia. I'm sure I can think of a few creative ways to reward you

It was morbidly gratifying to finally see her talk about me the way I always suspected she did. The prim, sweet girl that roamed our office building was nowhere in sight, here. These emails were Jennifer unfiltered, and it showed exactly what a nasty piece of work she really was. Although my name came up most frequently, she seemed to have a grudge against almost everyone who posed even a vague threat to her advancement up the ladder. For a brief moment, I actually felt bad for her, for being so insecure, but that was quickly crushed under a torrent of glorious satisfaction at knowing she was finally going to get what she deserved.

"I knew they couldn't have had a decent reason for firing you."

I nodded, still mesmerised by the words in front of me. "You think it'll be enough to get my job back?"

"Definitely. These make it pretty clear that there was more to your dismissal than the quality of your work."

I realised I was grinning like an idiot. "I'll go first thing tomorrow," I said, already playing the confrontation through in my head.

His expression dropped a fraction. "I'd rather you wait until we've dealt with our other problem. It's still dangerous out there."

For a second, I thought I'd misheard. "You seriously expect me to sit on this? Why give it to me at all?"

He shrugged uncomfortably. "You seemed upset. I thought it might make you feel better knowing you can wander back into Little Bell when this is all over."

"And what am I meant to do in the meantime? Keep twiddling my thumbs around here? Look, I'm not downplaying the risk. I know it's not safe, but the truth is, we have no idea how long this is going to take. Sure, it could be a week, but it could be a month, or two, or six. Who's to say they're even going to show their faces again, without an opportunity?" I closed my eyes briefly, trying to rein in my emotions. I felt like a hormonal teenage girl again, flitting from jubilant to angry to upset in the blink of an eye. "I need something Sebastian. Being stuck here is killing me — pardon the pun. Surely we can find a way to make it work? You go to and from work every day and you're still in one piece."

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His jaw tightened and he glanced away. "That's true." He pondered for a while. "I'm sorry." Sliding closer, he pulled me against him and leaned down to kiss my hair. "I just find the idea of leaving you exposed terrifying. But you're right, this isn't fair on you. How about this: you go in there tomorrow and kick some ass, and once you have your job back, Aaron and Tony will take you to and from the office every day. As long as you don't leave the building, you'll be fine. Several thousand witnesses should be enough to deter anyone from trying anything."

I found myself grinning once more. "Not to mention building security. You, sir, have a deal." Snuggling in against his chest, I began reading over the emails again. "God, I can't wait to see her smarmy little face."

* * * * *

"Hello, Jennifer," I said in my sweetest voice, as I peeked my head around her door.

For a brief second, shock registered on her face, although it was gone in an instant. "Sophia. What a pleasant surprise. I thought you were still on leave."

"I was. I just dropped in to deliver something to Mr Bell."

Her brow furrowed. I think she could tell by my demeanour that something wasn't quite right, but she didn't know what. "That seems... unorthodox."

"Oh, I know. I wouldn't have bothered him, except I recently came into possession of some information that I knew he'd want to see."

"Oh?" She sounded uncomfortable, which only made my smile grow. I knew it was petty and childish, but it felt indescribably satisfying to finally be able to toy with her as she had so many times with me.

"Yeah. It's a bit of a scandal, actually." I leaned in close, as though sharing a secret with a friend. "Apparently, one of the partners has been fooling around with a senior associate. I got a look at the emails they've been sending each other. Some of the things they've been writing... well, graphic doesn't even began to describe them. But the worst part? He's been doing her all kinds of favours around the office. He even gave her a promotion after a weekend away together. Pretty shocking, right? You think your work is what's important, and then you hear about something like this. It's enough to make you sick."

The expression on her face was priceless. Her eyes were open so wide I thought they might pop out of her head, and her mouth worked soundlessly, as though she might somehow still be able to argue her way out of the situation. She looked like one of those rotating carnival clowns.

For a few seconds I simply stood and enjoyed. "Anyway, as you can imagine, Mr Bell is taking the matter very seriously. The partner is in with him right now I believe, and he should be calling the associate any moment. I can't imagine either of them have much longer with the company."

In a piece of spectacularly fortunate timing, at that exact moment, Jennifer's phone began to ring.

"Oh, you have a call," I said. "I'll let you go, then. Just wanted to share the news. Have a nice day."

I don't know how I did it, but I managed to turn around and leave without letting out a cheer, although internally I was giving myself a million high fives. Even Jennifer herself would have been proud of that performance. It had been as chirpy and fake as any act of hers.

I could have been the bigger woman and let that be the end of it, but after years of torture, the moral high ground was the last thing on my mind. This was my moment and I was going to enjoy the hell out of it. After a brief visit to see what had become of my office, I hunted Elle down and dragged her out into the main foyer to wait with me.

"Oh. My. God," she said, when I relayed what had happened. "You're my ****ing hero. What did she say when you told her?"

"Nothing. She just sat there growing redder and redder, like someone was pumping her full of hot air."

She laughed. "Christ, I wish I'd been there to see it. That must have been the most satisfying thing in the world."

"It was pretty amazing," I replied.

"How the hell did you get access to her email, anyway?"

I shrugged. "I didn't. Some mysterious little bird forwarded them to me."

"You're kidding, right?"

I shook my head. It was a pretty flimsy lie, but ironically it was more believable than the truth. Oh, yeah, my boyfriend is part of a secret society that hacked Jennifer's email. That would go down a treat. "They just showed up in my inbox the other day."

She shook her head in disbelief. "Well, apparently you have a fairy godmother looking out for you."

I couldn't help but grin at the Cinderella reference. "You know, maybe I do."

At that moment, Jennifer appeared around the corner, escorted by building security. She was the picture of a sudden firing; eyes blank, skin deathly white, possessions clutched listlessly in a cardboard box against her chest. There had been no dancing around the issue with her, no feints involving temporary leave to ease the blow. She'd been summarily let go, and company policy dictated that she had to leave immediately. There was too much sensitive information at stake to allow ex-employees to linger.

She did her best to maintain the veneer of superiority, although the smeared mascara running below her eyes certainly detracted from the effect, and the moment she saw me her expression crumpled. I'd positioned myself perfectly, exactly where she'd stood during my walk of shame. There was nothing sweet about my smile this time. I let loose with everything I had. I even threw in my most sarcastic wave for good measure.

Elle was a little more direct. "Seeya, bitch," she said, as they swept past and into the lift. Jennifer flinched as if struck.

As the doors closed, Elle drew a deep breath and smiled. "Is it just me, or does the air smell a little sweeter in here all of a sudden?"

I sniffed pointedly. "You know, I think it does. Must be the lack of bull****."

She laughed. "So, please tell me this means you're coming back? This place is a bore without you."

"It will likely be a bore either way. But yeah, I'm back. Apparently they were getting ready to make my leave more permanent this week, so the timing is perfect. I'm still on the books, so we don't even have to do any paperwork."

Elle clapped. "Awesome. Surely this calls for a celebration?"

I winced, remembering Sebastian's rules. As appealing as an old-school office bender sounded, it wasn't safe. "Let me settle back in and then we'll talk. Okay?"

She looked a little disappointed, but didn't question. "Sure. Well, thanks for inviting me to the show, but I should get back to it. Wrights won't prosecute itself."

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"No problem. Seeya round."

Once she'd disappeared around the corner, I took a moment just soaking in my surroundings. That might seem like a strange thing to do — I mean, for all its prestige, it was really just an office — but after having given the bulk of the last six years to Little Bell, sometimes it felt more like home than my own house. When Sebastian had handed me those pages, I'd been fairly confident it would be enough to get me back in the door, but I hadn't been certain until now. I was back. At least one part of the nightmare was over.

It didn't take me long to find my feet again. After letting everyone know I was available again, work quickly began to flow in. In just a few hours, I was once again neck deep in case files. Ordinarily that might have had me slightly frazzled, but today, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

Surprisingly, Sebastian was waiting for me when we got back. Most days he didn't return until well after dinner.

"I wanted to be here when you got back from your first day," he said when I asked. He held a bottle of champagne in his hands, and there were two glasses laid out on the bench in front of him.

"Aww, that's very sweet of you," I said, leaning in for a lingering kiss. "But you didn't have to go to all this trouble. It's not like I got a new job. It's the same one I always had."

"That doesn't make it any less worth celebrating." He gave a wolfish grin. "Besides, I felt like champagne."

I laughed. "Ah, now the truth comes out."

He poured and then we settled into the couch.

"So, how was it? Everything went well?"

"You could say that. Evil was vanquished, order restored and all that good stuff."

"I'm glad to hear it. It must feel nice to be back."

I nodded. "Hell yes it does. I can honestly say, I don't think I've ever been so happy to be so busy in my life."

"I'm glad."

"Ernest also dropped a few not so subtle hints about 'recently vacated positions' that might need to be filled."

His face lit up and he pulled me in for a hug. "Congratulations! That's wonderful."

"It is, isn't it?"

"I bet you'd have been promoted years ago if not for those two," he said. "You'll be running that place one day, mark my words."

"Yeah, then maybe I'll have the credentials to join Alpha myself."

He gave a wry shake of his head. "You'd seriously want to do that, having seen what you've seen?"

"I don't know. It's not like it hasn't entered my mind. If you ignore all the guns and kidnappings and such, it is pretty cool." I took a sip of champagne. "Besides, it would certainly solve one of our current predicaments."

"I suppose it would."

"How exactly does one join anyway? Joe said he kind of just plucked you out of the army."

His smile gained a hint of nostalgia. "He told you about that, hey? Yeah, I'm not sure what I would have done if he hadn't found me. I was pretty lost, up until that point. Now I've actually got a purpose.

"As for recruitment, there's no one way. You get people like Thomas, who just work ridiculously hard in their chosen field until we can't help but notice them. He made an absolute killing working for one of the big oil companies, before we found him. And then you've got the guys like Trey, who just get in on their family name."

"Ooh, trust fund baby, is he? I had no idea. He doesn't seem like that much of a dick."

Sebastian laughed. "He's fine, most of the time, although to be honest, a bunch of us didn't want to accept his application. We like to recruit people on their merits, not their bloodline, but his dad was a member before him, and he desperately wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. I think it was one of those old money tra***ion things. Anyway, he pulled some strings and had enough friends that eventually he got his way. Keep that to yourself, though."

"Yeah, sure. I guess since my family has all the eminence of a McNugget Happy Meal, I'll have to go the hard working route."

His expression lost a little of its playfulness. "Let's cross that bridge if we get there, hey?"

I wasn't really sure if I was being serious, but the idea seemed to distress him, so I decided to drop it.

The next few days took on a strangely comfortable quality. If you ignored the nightmarish backdrop, Sebastian and I almost looked like an ordinary, wholesome, professional couple. Each day we'd race through a quick breakfast together before heading to our respective offices. We'd slave away for ten hours or so, occasionally calling each other to whisper sweet nothings, before returning home and spending a few hours in front of the TV or making love, and then collapsing into bed and doing it all again. I'd never really pictured myself being in a long term relationship, but if I had, that was basically how it would have gone. Only the occasional harried expression on Sebastian's face and the presence of our little security team managed to shatter the illusion of normality.

Of course, things were far from fixed. Work was a welcome distraction, but it didn't quite temper the edginess that I seemed to carry around with me permanently, now. In fact, if anything, it made it worse. Logically, I knew that nothing was likely to happen. My building was swarming with people until well past dinner time every night, and my bodyguards met me just feet from the front door. Someone would have to be incredibly bold or incredibly stupid to try anything there. But, nonetheless, I couldn't shake the sensation that I was constantly being watched. It made me jumpy and agitated.

Sebastian seemed to recognise that I was struggling, because he was really putting in a ton of effort. Between the ***y texts and cute little gifts he had delivered to my office — I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a sucker for a bunch of red roses — I was actually feeling rather spoilt. And then he delivered the coup de grace.

On Saturday, I arrived at home to find a note on the kitchen counter. Despite the fact that there was nobody else living there, he'd addressed it like all the others. Sophia. Unlike his last letter, this one sent a wave of excitement shooting though me. He was back to his old tricks.

With eager fingers, I unfolded it.

Dear Sophia.

I may be a little later than normal tonight. Hopefully you can excuse me. I know things have been a little difficult lately, so I've decided we need a nice romantic night together. I'd like you to set up a few things for me before I get home.

In the freezer you'll find a bag of ice. Take it into the bedroom and fill the bucket that's on the dresser. There's a bottle of champagne next to it which I'd like you to chill.