He didn’t want this to be about him owing her, but it tied them together and he couldn’t deny her this. Her story about how she’d come out of her grief had moved him to tell her the truth. She’d been brave, and now she wanted to protect the world she’d built and he couldn’t deny her. She wouldn’t be Avery if she didn’t try. “I promise.” He turned to Knight. “Let me stay, and I’ll be a good soldier. Tell him, Ian. Please.”
That “please” made his stomach roll. He didn’t beg. He didn’t plead. He would rather die, but that was how much she’d come to mean to him. It struck him rather forcibly that he’d just gained a huge weakness. Avery could take him apart if she wanted to, and she just might want to.
“He’ll do a good job for you,” Ian said, no expression on his face. “He’ll protect her and get you what you need. And I want him back when you’re done, Damon. Don’t get him killed.”
It was practically a declaration of love from Ian Taggart.
Ian walked out, slamming the door behind him.
Alex patted Liam’s back as he stood up. “I’ll keep covering you, man. No matter what happens tomorrow, I’ll stay here and back you up. I think you did the right thing. I’m sure Adam and Jake will stay behind, too.”
“Great. I need a bunch of yanks hanging around.” Knight put a hand out. “Sorry. I’ll take all the help I can get, and it really would be optimum if everyone in Avery’s life stayed in place. Molina is listening in, and he’ll take note of anyone who leaves. The last thing we need is Molina deciding she’s on the wrong side. Look, Miss Charles, try to get those files. If Simon is right, they’re in some form of code. We’ll get you a clean phone with a camera. Don’t walk out with the files. Take pictures of them and send them to us. I suspect they’re likely in code. We can crack it. If you can do that, we can stop everything.”
Or Liam could take all the risks. He would rather he did it. Or Weston. They were trained. Avery wasn’t, but he wasn’t about to argue with the new boss when Knight had been so close to taking Liam out of the game altogether.
Avery nodded. “I’ll get it done. He’ll be out of the office tomorrow. If you get me a camera, I’ll find the files.”
“Excellent.” Knight stood up, straightening his shirt. “I know you won’t believe this, Miss Charles, but I quite admire you, and I wouldn’t see you hurt. My country will be very appreciative of your aid in this matter. If you need anything at all, I’ll make it happen.”
“Do I have to stay with him?” she asked.
Fuck. He couldn’t let her walk out. Not now. “It would look bad. Everything has to stay the same.”
Knight shrugged. “He’s right. And you do need a bodyguard. I know you’re perfectly angry right now, but I’m going to give you a little advice that you’re likely to ignore since I’ve got a cock and you probably hate all men right now. He didn’t have to tell you. It would have been far easier for him to have simply disappeared at the end of this operation and left you without an explanation. It’s what I would have done. So you ask yourself why that dumb bloke just risked everything for you. If he’d been on my team, I would have had him shot and disposed of. He’ll likely lose his job, and for people in our business, we only have our jobs. So you ask yourself why he would risk everything he has to make sure you knew his real name. Mind that man, Miss Charles. He would die to protect you. He’s a bit of an idiot that way.”
Liam felt his eyes slide away. What the hell was he supposed to do about that? He was torn between punching the bugger and hugging him. He’d never been as confused as he was right fucking now. The only thing he knew was he had to protect her, and he had to let her take a stand. And those two things were completely counter to each other.
“I understand.” Avery took a long breath and stood as well. “I would like to go home now. If I have to go home with Liam, I will do that.”
Not the sweetest words he’d ever heard, but he’d take them. He got up and nodded to Alex and Eve before opening the door for Avery. He was going home with her. He had to hope he had a little time to fix the wound he’d opened.
As for tomorrow, that was a fresh hell, and he’d face it when he had to.
Chapter Sixteen
Avery was still shaking as Liam got out of the cab. She almost never took cabs in the city, but Liam had insisted he didn’t want to be on the Tube this time. He’d probably thought she would run, but she’d meant what she said. She wasn’t going anywhere. She wasn’t going to allow all of her hard work to be for nothing because someone was trying to profit off the pain and misery of others.
Still, it would have been easier on the Tube. He’d spent the entire time sitting next to her not saying a damn word. For a man who had so much to say before, he was stubbornly silent now, and they were about to head up to her apartment where they couldn’t talk about anything because the whole place was bugged.