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The APO agents were back at the safe house with their new capture.

“That was too close,” Ryu said taking off his ninja mask. He helped Aundrea and Mia tie Dreadlocks to a chair to restrain him.

“I agree,” Ken said, glancing at Mia.

Mia seemed to ignore everyone’s stares and concentrated on the knots on Dreadlocks’ rope.

“I should go back. I’m sure they are already wondering where I am,” she said, despite Ken shaking his head in disagreement.

“No! It is too risky. You almost blew our cover back there. This cannot happen again.”

Mia sighed exasperatedly. “I had everything under control,” she insisted.

“If we hadn’t come in time you would have revealed your identity and exposed us and this agency,” Ken almost snarled.

“How dare you!” Mia spat. “You know I would never betray this agency like that, despite how I feel about Nick!”

“That is just it, Mia!” Ken matched Mia’s tone. “You are getting too emotionally attached to your assignment, which I let slide for too long apparently. We wouldn’t be in this position if you hadn’t let your feelings impair your judgment.”

Ryu and Aundrea watched their superiors go at it. All the while, Dreadlocks seemed amused at the clash between the two APO agents.

“I’m not letting my feelings impair my judgment in any way!” Mia argued. “You know me better than that!”

“I don’t know anymore, Mia,” Ken said, his tone serious.

Ryu and Aundrea exchanged uneasy looks, half-expecting Ken and Mia to break out into a furious brawl.

“Then you don’t fucking know me,” Mia growled through clenched teeth. With that, she turned on her heel and left the safe house slamming the door behind her.

“Mia—“ Aundrea called out but Mia had already went out the door.

“That went well,” Ryu said sarcastically. He was immediately silenced by a look from Ken.

“They can do this mission without me for all I care!” Mia muttered under her breath as she rode her motorbike back to the hotel.

When she got to the hotel, Mia realized she needed an alibi for her disappearance. After hiding her bike in the parking garage and changing out of her ninja attire, she headed up to her suite.

Mia opened the door to her suite and was immediately held by Nick.

“Oh my God, Mia! I’ve been trying to call you for hours! What the hell happened to you?” Nick said, holding onto Mia as if he never wanted to let her go. He held her so tight she thought she would suffocate. He finally let her go after a minute.

“Nick, I’m fine,” Mia replied and offered him a smile to reassure him.

“Where the hell have you been? You have no idea what I thought had happened to you!” Nick said.

“I’m sorry,” Mia began trying her best to sound apologetic, “I got a surprise visit from my sister who’s staying with her boyfriend here in New York, and I went to see them. I’m really sorry. I totally forgot to call you.” She was almost impressed with herself for coming up with an alibi, but her guilt stung her.

He breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought…you were…” Nick trailed off, as if he was embarrassed to continue.

Mia tilted her head waiting for him to continue. “What?” she urged gently.

“I thought you were kidnapped,” Nick finally said, looking away from her.

“Who would kidnap me?” she asked with a laugh, though she knew what he would say.

Nick shifted uncomfortably. “You won’t believe me.”

“Try me.”

“Ninjas,” he mumbled.

“Ninjas?” Mia repeated. Maybe he hadn’t suspected her to be White Tiger after all.

“Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but these ninjas broke in here, well, they were after this assassin with dreads...I don’t really know why he would be here in the first place...but then…now that I think about it, I’m glad you weren’t here. I can’t even imagine what could have happened…”

Yeah me too. Mia thought. What could have happened if she had been there? How could she have saved Nick from Dreadlocks without blowing her cover? Maybe Ken had been right about almost revealing her identity and exposing APO.

“Seriously?” she said, feigning complete shock. “Sounds like a crazy night for you. Are you alright?” Mia asked, impressed at how well he was taking it all in.

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” he said, cupping her face with his hand.

Mia smiled. It was endearing that Nick had been worried about her.

“I’m glad you’re okay too. It must have been crazy to have some assassin break into the suite. I’ll have to thank your ninja saviors for saving you,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

“Yeah, I know. You should have seen this ninja chick! She had the guy against the wall with her leg, and even though she was short, she still kicked his ass but he was taller than her but it didn’t matter…”

Nick continued describing what had happened. She noticed his face began to glow as he started describing White Tiger. Mia strangely felt a pang of jealousy. It was the fact that Nick seemed to be attracted to White Tiger who, as far as he knew, was another woman.

“…I just wish I could have seen her whole face though. I’m sure she’s really beautiful,” Nick finished. He noticed the look on Mia’s face and suddenly felt guilty. He wasn’t sure why he had become smitten with White Tiger when he already had someone like Mia.

You see her whole face every day, you just don’t know it’s her. Mia wanted badly to say out loud, but instead she bit her lip.