The Midnight Hour - Brenda Jackson [8]
After a few moments, Tori turned and faced Hawk. "I know I disobeyed orders, Hawk, and maybe now is a good time for me to resign. I did something a good agent shouldn't do, which is to let my emotions dictate my actions. All it took was for me to hear Drake had been critically injured to kick me into action; especially when I heard he was dying."
Hawk's mouth tightened momentarily. He agreed that Tori needed time away from the Agency but he wasn't sure quitting was the answer. She had skills the Agency needed and was considered one of the best female agents they had. But still, with his retirement coming up in three months, he wouldn't be around to look out for her as he'd done in the past. In order to keep her alive he would have to tell his successor her history and he wasn't sure he could do that, especially if they brought in Ronald Casey to replace him. Casey had a reputation of being an opportunist, someone with his eye on the brass ring. Bringing in Cross would be at the top of Casey's agenda and if Hawk wasn't certain that Tori could do it, he wouldn't use her to accomplish his goal. So he had made the decision that if Casey was his replacement, he would not share Tori's history with the man, which meant after Hawk retired, there was a chance that, if Drake returned to work, Tori and Drake could be teamed up together on an assignment.
"What about that agent that I heard you were seeing in Chisholm's operations? Didn't things work out?"
Tori shook her head when she thought of Tom Crowley. They had dated a couple of times then wished they hadn't. The man had had an ego a mile long, and when on their second date he had hinted he was ready to move things to another level, namely the bedroom, she had quickly sent him packing.
"No, things didn't work out with me and Tom," she said with no regrets.
"And what about Daniel Horton? He's a nice enough guy and I understand the two of you were seeing each other last year."
Tori glanced away from him, wondering how she could explain that the reason things didn't work out between her and Daniel was because he was a nice guy. Knowing the danger her life would be in, always having to look over her shoulder, she had decided to remove herself from the relationship before it got too serious. "At the time I wasn't ready to get serious with anyone, Hawk."
For a long moment Hawk didn't say anything, then he asked, "Have you given thought to transferring to another operation within the Agency, Tori? Although I agree you should take some time off, I don't think leaving the Agency is the answer. Now that you know that Drake's condition has significantly improved, I want you to take the next six months off before making a decision about anything. Go somewhere on vacation and enjoy yourself."
And since he knew she didn't have any family, he added, "To be quite honest, I wasn't all that impressed when I heard you were seeing Crowley, considering what I've heard regarding his high level of arrogance, but I'm sure there are other men out there somewhere who're much more suited. Maybe now is the time you should seriously try to get out and meet someone and move your life forward."
Tori stared into her superior's cool dark eyes. "And if I refuse to voluntarily take the time off?" she asked, her jaw squared and her tone anything but respectful at the moment.
"You have no choice. I'm ordering you to take a six-month leave of absence from the Agency, and if after that time you feel you still want to resign, then I'm sure the person who'll replace me will have no trouble giving you what you want. However, if you resign now, I'll have no choice but to document your file that your resignation would be due to dishonorable conduct as an agent. I'm sure you don't want to leave the Agency with that on your record."
Tori tightened her fists at her sides. For the past five years the Agency had been her life. In a way it still was. Hawk was right. She needed time away to make decisions. She had