“No,” he cuts me off. This time, his tone brooks no argument. “You passed out. If the judge sees you now, right as rain, shemight think it was a stunt.”
“No buts, Ms. Winters.” He crosses his arms and stares me down, thunderous. “Either let me do what I do, or find yourselfsomeone else.”
For a second, I consider fighting back. But then I remember this is Eli’s life on the line, and I’ve already jeopardized thatenough. “Okay,” I whisper. “Thank you, Mr. Noskov. For everything.”
His features smooth over. “We’ll get you through this, Mia,” he says. “You have my word.”
Then he strides back in.
“I’ll go, too,” Kallie says quickly. “Be your eyes and ears.”
Once she’s gone, too, Nikita plops back down next to me. “I don’t like him,” she grumbles. “He’s a self-centered
