The lights of New York City glinted like shards of glass against the night sky as I stood in my apartment, my eyes scanning a series of classified files spread across my coffee table.
To anyone else, it looked like another case—a high-stakes espionage investigation involving suspected foreign operatives in the city. But to me, it was personal.
The case had landed on my desk by sheer chance, or at least, that’s what my boss had claimed.
Dmitri Sokolov, a Russian spy suspected of passing intelligence to the highest bidder, had resurfaced in Manhattan. His trail had gone cold years ago, but now, according to intelligence sources, he was here, in my city. The mere thought of him made my fingers tighten on the report in front of me.
I had only met him once, briefly, during an undercover operation that had gone south—a night filled with smoke, deception, and the intensity of a gaze that had lingered far too long.
For a moment, our worlds had collided, and though duty had pulled me back, a part of me had never really let go of that encounter. I hadn’t expected him to return, especially not here.
A message notification flashed on my phone, drawing me back to the present. The message was brief: **“He’s at The Silver Fox bar, Lower East Side. Alone.”**
Without a second thought, I grabbed my leather jacket and badge, stuffing my gun into the holster at my side.
I don’t have a plan, only an impulse that had somehow overridden my instincts. Tonight, I would see Dmitri again—not as an agent on a mission, but as a woman confronting a dangerous ghost from her past.
The neon sign flickered overhead as I pushed open the door of The Silver Fox, slipping into the dimly lit bar. The low hum of conversation blended with soft jazz music, the kind of place where people went to forget and to hide. I scanned the crowd, heart pounding, until my gaze landed on him.
Dmitri sat alone in a booth toward the back, nursing a glass of something dark. He looked just as I remembered—sharp, magnetic, and dangerous, with that effortless composure that had once unsettled me.
Tonight, he was out of place in the cozy, shadowy bar, like a wolf among sheep. But there was something else in his expression, a shadow I hadn’t seen before.
For a moment, I hesitated. Here I am , ready to confront the very man who could destroy my career with one wrong move. But I’d come too far to turn back now.
I crossed the room, my heels clicking softly on the worn wood floors, and stopped just short of his table. Dmitri’s eyes lifted to meet mine, an almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Special Agent Miller,” he said, his voice a low murmur, smooth as silk and twice as dangerous. “I was wondering how long it would take you to find me.”
I slid into the booth across from him, keeping my gaze steady. “What are you doing here, Dmitri?”
He raised an eyebrow, swirling his drink lazily. “Just enjoying the city. Is that a crime now?”
“You don’t get to play innocent,” I shot back, voice firm. “The last time we met, you left a trail of bodies from Moscow to Istanbul. And yet, here you are, right under our noses. You’re not just sightseeing.”
He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Maybe I wanted to see you again, Rose.”
A flash of heat coursed through me, but I forced myself to stay calm. “You’re a wanted man, Dmitri. The only reason I’m here is to remind you of that.”
Dmitri’s smile widened, but there was something else in his eyes now, something unreadable. “Then why are you here alone? No backup, no surveillance... Just you.”
I stiffened, realizing that he was right. I’d acted on instinct, letting my emotions override my training, and now I was in the lion’s den. But I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me falter.
“I came because I need answers,” I said, my voice firm. “You’ve resurfaced for a reason. Tell me what you want, Dmitri, or I’ll make sure you don’t leave this city.”
Dmitri leaned back, his gaze never leaving mine. “Maybe it’s not about what I want,” he said softly, his voice almost gentle. “Maybe it’s about what you need to know.”
Before I could respond, Dmitri rose from the booth, finishing his drink in one swift motion. He leaned down, close enough that I could feel his breath against my cheek. “Meet me at Battery Park tomorrow, midnight. And come alone if you want the truth.”
With that, he slipped past me, disappearing into the crowd before I could react. I sat there, pulse racing, torn between the thrill of finally getting answers and the gnawing sense of danger I couldn’t shake.
This was far from over—and I wasn’t sure I’d leave this city unscathed.
YOU ARE READING
SHADOWED ALLIANCE
Romance"They were trained to see each other as enemies-until their hearts became the only battlefield."
