Chapter 81 My Fears
Anna's POV
For a moment, I couldn't breathe. "What?"
Serena nodded slowly. "You heard me."
I stared at her. The words didn't make sense.
They couldn't. Zack wasn't supposed to know. Nobody was supposed to know.
That was the entire point of an undercover operation. "How?" I finally asked.
Serena folded her arms. "That's what we're trying to figure out."
I swallowed. A cold feeling settled in my stomach. "Are you sure?"
Serena gave me a look. "The agency doesn't deal in guesses, Anna."
I sat down slowly on the edge of the bed. My head suddenly felt heavy.
First Eve, then Lucas. Now this. Everything was falling apart. "If Zack knows who I am..." I began.
"He'll try to kill you." Serena finished the sentence for me. "Or worse, sell you out to other cartels who would gladly do the job."
Silence filled the room. I looked away. Trying to process everything.
Then something occurred to me. "Does Xavier know?"
Serena shook her head immediately. "No."
I released a breath. At least there was that, for now.
Serena continued. "As far as we know, your cover is still intact with Xavier."
I nodded slowly. "But if Zack knows..."
"Then someone leaked information." I finished.
Serena's expression darkened. "Exactly."
My mind immediately went to Eve. But Eve was dead. Then Lucas, but he didn't know I was a spy.
At least I didn't think he did. Then who?
The question kept repeating itself inside my head. Who?
A knock interrupted us. Both Serena and I looked toward the door.
The knock came again. "Anna?" Xavier's voice.
My heart jumped. Serena was already moving. She stood up immediately. "I'll leave."
I nodded. She walked toward the window instead of the door.
As usual. Always disappearing like a ghost.
Before leaving she paused. "Anna."
I looked at her. "Stay alive." Then she climbed out and vanished.
Seconds later I opened the door. Xavier stood outside. His face looked calm.
But something about his eyes told me otherwise. "Everything alright?" I asked.
He looked past me into the room. "Who were you talking to?"
My pulse quickened. "No one."
His eyes narrowed slightly. Then he entered anyway. I stepped aside.
He looked around the room, the bathroom, the balcony, the corners.
Finally he turned back to me. "You looked busy."
I forced a smile. "I was talking to myself."
Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Should I be concerned?"
"No."
"Good." He walked toward the chair near the window and sat down.
I remained standing. Watching him.
Eventually I spoke. "Any news?"
Xavier leaned back. "About Lucas?"
I nodded. His expression hardened immediately. "No."
That answer surprised me.
For Xavier not to find someone usually meant that person didn't want to be found. And Lucas knew Xavier better than anyone.
"He'll show up," I said.
Xavier laughed softly. "You sound confident."
"He has nowhere else to go."
"That's where you're wrong." His voice became colder. "Lucas has many places to go."
I swallowed. The way Xavier said it made me nervous.
He wasn't angry anymore. He was thinking. Which was often worse.
Then he suddenly asked, "Do you miss him?"
I blinked. "What?"
"Lucas."
I stared at him. Why would he ask that?
Xavier remained silent.
I shook my head. "I don't know."
His gaze remained fixed on me. "You don't know?"
"I care about him." The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
Xavier smiled. But there was no humor in it. "Of course you do."
Then Xavier stood. He adjusted his sleeves. "I have work to do."
I frowned. "What kind of work?"
"Finding my brother." The way he said brother made me uncomfortable. He sounded betrayed.
He started walking toward the door. Then paused. Without turning around he said, "If Lucas contacts you..."
My heart stopped.
Slowly, Xavier looked back at me. "Tell me."
I didn't answer.
Xavier smiled,a very small smile. Then he left.
The door closed behind him. I stood there motionless. My thoughts racing.
The day rolled by painfully slowly. I couldn't sit still. I couldn't focus. I couldn't even bring myself to eat.
Every time a maid brought food into my room, I sent it back untouched.
My thoughts kept circling back to the same thing.
Zack. What if he reached out to Xavier? What if he told him everything?
The more I thought about it, the more terrified I became.
Lucas had betrayed Xavier. Eve had betrayed Xavier. Two people he trusted had already stabbed him in the back.
If Zack suddenly told him I was an assassin, what reason would Xavier have not to believe it? None. Absolutely none.
I paced around my room until my legs hurt. Then I sat down. Then I got up again.
Hours passed. The sun disappeared. The moon rose high into the night sky. Still, I couldn't sleep.
Every sound outside my room made my heart jump.
Every footstep made me think someone was coming for me. Coming to expose me.
Coming to drag me before Xavier. At some point, exhaustion finally won. I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes.
Sleep came eventually, but it wasn't peaceful.
I dreamed of Eve, Lucas and of Zack smiling while Xavier pointed a gun at my head.
When I finally woke up, I was drenched in sweat.
I heard a knock on the door. My eyes flew open.
For a second, I didn't know where I was.
Then the knocking came again. Louder this time.
I quickly got out of bed and walked to the door.
When I opened it, two of Xavier's men were standing outside. Both armed and serious.
One of them looked at me and said, "Get dressed quickly. Boss wants you downstairs now."
My heart skipped a beat. "Now?" I asked.
The man nodded. "Immediately."
A chill ran down my spine.
Something about the way he said it made my stomach tighten.
I swallowed hard and slowly nodded. "Give me a minute."
They stepped aside while I shut the door.
The moment it closed, I leaned against it and took a shaky breath.