She smacked her teacup back into its saucer as anger rose up fast and hard inside her. “It isn’t nonsense.”
“It is.” He stood up abruptly and started to pace in front of her. “It’s dangerous, foolish nonsense.”
She leapt up in front of him. “Because I’m a woman?”
“No.” He towered over her, hands on his hips. “Because you haven’t been trained properly. Men like Avery Russell have spent years learning the art of espionage. You haven’t.”
“I have been trained by Avery Russell. If he thinks I am ready, then who are you to argue?”
“Because you could get yourself killed!”
Her eyes burned with tears. She wasn’t ready, was she? In that moment she hated him, hated him for being right and hated him for crushing her dreams. No, worse, crushing her belief in herself.
“You don’t care about me, so
