Read Online Taking Sides (ARC Operatives Book 2) by Audrey Noire - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Audrey Noire
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senior agents, and her curiosity was piqued. She wanted to know more about what they’d found out. She was still shaken from the hairpin turn her heart had taken from the moment she’d thought Nicolai had betrayed him to when he’d been preliminarily cleared of immediate wrong-doing.
Luckily the story had been sorted out quickly enough for them to chase her and Russi back to New York. It was all rather hazy to her, but she’d put her questions on hold to focus on getting better and being able to look at things without her head feeling like it would split open.
“Griffin, we brought cinnamon buns, so get your buns down here,” Balfour called up the stairs cheerfully, and she couldn’t help the smile that threatened to crack her dry lips.
“I think I’m good to see them,” she said and then took Nicolai’s hand as he helped her out of bed. She wasn’t as steady on her feet as she would have liked to be.
A few minutes later she was ensconced on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket that Nico forced on her. Rykov was oddly casual, sitting on the floor by the coffee table, her red nails raking through her black hair, both stark against her pale skin. Balfour was tapping a file folder in his hands as he sat on one of Nico’s leather armchairs.
The man in question, Nicolai himself, was hovering right behind her, his hand on her shoulder like he was afraid to let her go. Things were… not repaired between them, but better. They hadn’t exactly had the time for an in-depth conversation about everything that had gone down. Now that she was awake though, she wanted to know exactly what had happened, and depending on what the three of them told her she’d make her decision as to whether she’d be returning to her studio apartment or staying at Nico’s.
Her heart clenched tight in her chest as indecision warred inside of her. She needed the full story, and would’t unbend until she had it.
“Someone promised me cinnamon buns,” Daria said weakly, drawing the blanket tighter around her. Without a word Nico was gone and then at her side again, a steaming cinnamon roll on a plate with a fork tucked in against it in his hand. She didn’t know what to say, other than a quiet thank you, and took the plate from him.
“So,” Balfour said, tapping the folder in his hand faster against his palm. He gave Daria a tight smile and then closed his eyes.
“Russi was a plant,” Rykov said, apparently running out of patience waiting for Balfour to talk. “We reviewed the surveillance, and while you were asleep he snuck off more than once to visit the camp, once he knew we were locked down and weren’t going to move.”
Daria thought on that. She was a heavy sleeper, she wouldn’t have noticed if he’d snuck out of their cabin, but it surprised her none the less. Nico sat beside her, his hand on her knee over the blanket. She glanced at him and his gaze met hers, challenging her to tell him that she didn’t want him touching her.
It would have been a lie if she’d said it, and they both knew it. She leaned into the warmth of it.
“That’s why he went after you, because he thought you’d kept a copy of the footage and would have been able to make him as a double agent,” Balfour added. Nico’s hand squeezed on her knee gently.
“That doesn’t… okay, well, that makes sense, but it doesn’t explain why Nico’s here with me, and not rotting in an ARC prison cell,” Daria licked her dry lips after she spoke and then sank her fork into the cinnamon bun, not wanting to let it go to waste. She wasn’t exactly hungry, but didn’t want to seem ungrateful.
“I did nothing wrong,” Nico said, he was on edge, and he was looking at her like he was simultaneously willing her to believe him and also daring her to challenge him. They hadn’t had a talk, but she was willing enough to listen with an open mind, make up her decision once she’d heard the full story.
“That’s not even a question now, Novik, so
Luckily the story had been sorted out quickly enough for them to chase her and Russi back to New York. It was all rather hazy to her, but she’d put her questions on hold to focus on getting better and being able to look at things without her head feeling like it would split open.
“Griffin, we brought cinnamon buns, so get your buns down here,” Balfour called up the stairs cheerfully, and she couldn’t help the smile that threatened to crack her dry lips.
“I think I’m good to see them,” she said and then took Nicolai’s hand as he helped her out of bed. She wasn’t as steady on her feet as she would have liked to be.
A few minutes later she was ensconced on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket that Nico forced on her. Rykov was oddly casual, sitting on the floor by the coffee table, her red nails raking through her black hair, both stark against her pale skin. Balfour was tapping a file folder in his hands as he sat on one of Nico’s leather armchairs.
The man in question, Nicolai himself, was hovering right behind her, his hand on her shoulder like he was afraid to let her go. Things were… not repaired between them, but better. They hadn’t exactly had the time for an in-depth conversation about everything that had gone down. Now that she was awake though, she wanted to know exactly what had happened, and depending on what the three of them told her she’d make her decision as to whether she’d be returning to her studio apartment or staying at Nico’s.
Her heart clenched tight in her chest as indecision warred inside of her. She needed the full story, and would’t unbend until she had it.
“Someone promised me cinnamon buns,” Daria said weakly, drawing the blanket tighter around her. Without a word Nico was gone and then at her side again, a steaming cinnamon roll on a plate with a fork tucked in against it in his hand. She didn’t know what to say, other than a quiet thank you, and took the plate from him.
“So,” Balfour said, tapping the folder in his hand faster against his palm. He gave Daria a tight smile and then closed his eyes.
“Russi was a plant,” Rykov said, apparently running out of patience waiting for Balfour to talk. “We reviewed the surveillance, and while you were asleep he snuck off more than once to visit the camp, once he knew we were locked down and weren’t going to move.”
Daria thought on that. She was a heavy sleeper, she wouldn’t have noticed if he’d snuck out of their cabin, but it surprised her none the less. Nico sat beside her, his hand on her knee over the blanket. She glanced at him and his gaze met hers, challenging her to tell him that she didn’t want him touching her.
It would have been a lie if she’d said it, and they both knew it. She leaned into the warmth of it.
“That’s why he went after you, because he thought you’d kept a copy of the footage and would have been able to make him as a double agent,” Balfour added. Nico’s hand squeezed on her knee gently.
“That doesn’t… okay, well, that makes sense, but it doesn’t explain why Nico’s here with me, and not rotting in an ARC prison cell,” Daria licked her dry lips after she spoke and then sank her fork into the cinnamon bun, not wanting to let it go to waste. She wasn’t exactly hungry, but didn’t want to seem ungrateful.
“I did nothing wrong,” Nico said, he was on edge, and he was looking at her like he was simultaneously willing her to believe him and also daring her to challenge him. They hadn’t had a talk, but she was willing enough to listen with an open mind, make up her decision once she’d heard the full story.
“That’s not even a question now, Novik, so
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