Bound to You
By Bindy417
Summary: AU. Felicity Smoak has always wanted to make a difference in the world. Working as an analyst for a secret government agency like A.R.G.U.S. to defeat the world's deadliest criminals has given her life purpose. It's also the only way to uncover what really happened to her long lost love, Oliver Queen. When a risky mission puts Felicity in the field, she makes the ultimate discovery that will reveal the truth of her painful past and alter the course of her life forever.
Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow or any of its characters. They belong to The CW and DC Comics.
A/N: Hey guys, so I'm super excited to be posting my new story! A special thank you to my friend Ashly these last few months for listening to all of my intense plotting and demanding more chapters from me. I hope you guys will enjoy this fic, as well. Here is the first chapter. Please read and tell me what you think!
PART 1
Chapter 1: More Than a Feeling
January 19, 2012
The silence was the worst part. It was empty, awkward and, most of all, it was neither a yes nor a no. Felicity Smoak shifted in place as she awaited an answer. It had taken her months to build up the nerve to approach the director about working in the field. It had taken even longer (three years) to be seen as more than just a young, quirky, genius cyber-intelligence analyst.
Of course, Felicity was young, quirky, and a genius. She'd graduated from MIT at the age of nineteen with her master's degree in Cyber Security and Computer Science. As one of the top students in her class, she'd immediately been recruited by the government after graduation— A.R.G.U.S. (Advanced Research Group United Support) to be exact. A.R.G.U.S. was a secret agency formed to deal with major threats to national security. Terror threats, organized crime, and cyber espionage were just a few of the issues they dealt with on a daily basis.
Felicity couldn't accept her position at A.R.G.U.S. fast enough. She'd always wanted to do something big and meaningful with her life. Using her advanced intellect and tech skills to help protect her country and save innocent lives seemed like the perfect job. The opportunity to work with the best technology in the world was also another perk that her inner computer geek couldn't ignore.
The first couple of years had been amazing. Felicity had been placed with a great team of people, all with a unique set of skills. They'd become more like family than friends. It was sort of inevitable with the long hours, constant traveling, and secrecy that came with the job. There were also the high-stakes, life-and-death situations they were constantly faced with. Knowing that they had each other's backs no matter what was the root of their success and what led them to become the most elite team in A.R.G.U.S. Felicity was proud of the work she'd accomplished with the team and, for a while, sitting behind a computer screen was all she ever wanted. It was where she felt safest. The most in control. The most useful.
Sometime within the last year, however, Felicity had begun to feel restless. With every mission, that nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach increased. Suddenly, it wasn't enough to just sit behind a desk and view the world through a computer screen. She wanted to leave A.R.G.U.S. headquarters or whatever base they were stationed in that month and go out and experience life. She wanted to be in the action instead of always on the sidelines looking up locations and digitally defacing criminals. Felicity knew that her physical ability could use some work, but she'd been training hard these last five months to make up for it. She just hoped it would be enough.
Felicity rolled her shoulders back and tried to stand tall as Amanda Waller, the director of A.R.G.U.S., scrutinized her. She was attractive with her sharp cheekbones, full lips, and flawless bronze skin. It was the last thing anyone would notice, though, when she exhibited her usual cold, calculating stare. It could send chills up even the most experienced agent's spine, and it's why most within their organization jumped to fall in line when she barked out an order. Waller was only in her thirties, and yet she'd risen quickly to a position of esteem and power. Felicity figured it was because she was known for getting results—most often by any means necessary. She also had no objections to cutting loose agents she deemed "too weak" in her eyes.
Waller didn't like Felicity, of that the blonde was certain. The director was all about control and discipline. She wore the same dark skirt and blazer with her hair pulled back in a bun every day. She only spoke when necessary and often in sharp, clipped sentences. Whatever she was feeling, it was often concealed by the stern expression on her face. If so much as a pencil was out of line on her desk, she would have to straighten it.
Felicity was the polar opposite. She was a big proponent of organized chaos. She always had a plan but also allowed herself room to change course or do what she felt was right at the time. Although Felicity usually wore her black-rimmed glasses and had her long blond hair pulled back in a conservative ponytail, she loved to dress up in bright colors and lipstick—pink especially. When she spoke, Felicity's mouth always moved too fast—though not fast enough for her mind—and the words just spilled out of her. Felicity tended to wear her heart on her sleeve and said too much when she got caught in her typical babble. Her workstation also had a tendency to be messy, since she was constantly rifling through files, tinkering with new tech, and looking for a pen.
It was surprising that Waller had even sought her out for recruitment considering that the woman seemed to just barely tolerate her. Even so, Felicity would never get her chance to do field work if she didn't at least ask. As the silence stretched on, Felicity looked over at her team leader and friend, Agent Lyla Michaels. Lyla wasn't much older than Waller. She had a natural beauty with her fair complexion, short brown hair, and pretty face.
Despite her often kind eyes, Lyla was not to be underestimated. She could be downright lethal when she needed to be. Lyla had served multiple tours in Afghanistan as part of the Special Forces division of the army. In addition to her skills in combat and battle strategy, Lyla was an expert marksman. She'd led the majority of their missions over the years and was never too high-ranking not to hear other people's ideas. She was tough but approachable, which Felicity had always appreciated. The same could not be said for Waller.
"Sir," Lyla said, using Waller's preferred moniker, after a couple more silent minutes.
"You are an analyst, Ms. Smoak," Waller finally stated. "You are not an agent. Therefore, there is no reason to put you in the field. Your skills can be put to better use elsewhere. Cyber security, intelligence, applied sciences...that is where you belong."
Felicity internally deflated. It was a long shot that Waller would say yes, but it was still disappointing all the same.
"Sir, if I may, we need Felicity on this mission," Lyla spoke up. "The group we'll be infiltrating is dangerous. And yes, it would normally make more sense to send a fully trained agent in. However, these criminals are also highly intelligent and I believe they will be able to sniff out one of our guys pretty quickly."
"I thought you would have more confidence in your team."
"I am confident in them," Lyla declared, "but we need someone who isn't as polished. Someone who appears genuinely innocent but knows enough to get the job done and protect herself. Plus, Felicity is the only one who can accurately count cards."
"You'd be willing to take responsibility for her performance?" Waller challenged.
"I've been training her myself these last several months. I have full confidence in her abilities," Lyla replied. "She is part of my team, and I always take responsibility for our performance—which you know has yet to be matched by anyone else in this agency. This instance is no different."
Lyla's faith in her touched Felicity—although she knew better than to start smiling like a sappy idiot in front of Waller. Felicity's face remained stoic, confident. She could do this.
After scrutinizing her further, Waller finally said, "All right. You get one chance, Ms. Smoak. Don't make me regret my decision."
"Thank you, Sir," Felicity replied, just barely able to keep the excitement out of her voice.
"Your team leaves for Moscow in first thing in the morning."
"Yes, Sir," Lyla acknowledged before they were dismissed.
"Thank you, Lyla, for what you said in there," Felicity said after they'd left Waller's office.
"You've been working hard, Felicity. And I'm a firm believer that everyone deserves to be given a chance," the brunette replied, touching her shoulder and smiling. "Now go home and get some rest before we leave at that God-awful hour."
Felicity laughed and nodded. "Will do." The women parted ways, and Felicity walked back to her desk. The others were already there waiting for her. Mei, Barry, Caitlin, and Curtis hovered around her desk trying to seem nonchalant but failing miserably. You'd never know they were some of the best agents in A.R.G.U.S.
"So, what'd Waller say?" Curtis was the first to ask. His six-foot-four frame—which most people would find intimidating—towered over her. Having worked closely with him the last couple of years, Felicity knew that Curtis was a gentle soul in a giant's body. He also happened to be a total nerd like her. It was why they worked so well together.
Felicity shushed him to keep his voice down, and he muttered a "sorry." Curtis worked in the Design Innovation division of the agency. He was assigned to their group to develop tech that would help them on missions. Similar to Felicity, Curtis rarely went in the field. He preferred to stay in the lab. His engineering skills complemented Felicity's technical skills well, and he'd been dubbed "Mr. Terrific" by the team. It was Curtis's favorite word to use when he got excited about a new gadget.
"But seriously, what happened?" Caitlin quietly pressed. She swiped her long brown hair out of her face and looked eagerly at Felicity. Caitlin Snow was one of the sweetest people Felicity had ever met. She was also brilliant, which sometimes people mistook for coldness. Caitlin had a structured way of approaching things and tended to keep her emotions hidden. Before moving to Starling City—where A.R.G.U.S. headquarters was located—and becoming an agent, Caitlin was a doctor and bio-engineer at S.T.A.R. Labs in Central City. Now she worked in the field alongside the others, most often providing medical assistance when things got rough.
"Waller's going to let me do it," Felicity revealed. They all silently cheered.
Barry gave her a pat on the back. "That's awesome. We should do drinks and a karaoke night to celebrate your first mission—well, first field mission," he amended. His youthful smile and positive attitude could always be counted on to light up a room. He was also tall but was much thinner and more wiry than Curtis. Barry Allen hailed from Central City, as well. He'd been a crime scene investigator, specializing in criminal forensics, with the Central City Police Department. Now he put those skills to good use when investigating federal crime scenes.
"Drinks will have to wait, unfortunately, since we're leaving early in the morning," Mei cut in. She held up her phone to show them the message from Lyla. Mei Yao was primarily a field agent like Lyla. Her father had been a general in the People's Liberation Army of China, and so she'd learned to fight at a young age. Her long black hair accentuated her fair, delicate features, which most of their enemies underestimated. Mei's knowledge and skill in martial arts was unparalleled, and she'd disarmed countless men who never saw it coming. Originally, Mei had come to the U.S. to go to school. She was studying pre-law before she decided to join A.R.G.U.S. That background and her continued interest in the law, both domestic and international, came in handy when the team went on missions and had brushes with local authorities.
"I hope I can actually sleep tonight," Felicity muttered. "I know I should be nervous since it's my first field mission and all, but I'm not. I'm actually really excited. I still can't believe she said yes!"
"You better get some rest. You'll need it," Caitlin advised.
"I know, I know. I'll try." Felicity, at twenty two, was the youngest of the group. They all treated her like an equal, but that also didn't stop them from looking out for her. Felicity liked to think of them as the siblings she never had—at least when she was young. Her stepbrother had made up for that desire several years ago.
"Well, I better head out. The hubby starts to get worried when I am home too late," Curtis declared. "I doubt he's going to like that I'll be leaving so soon on top of that."
"Night," Felicity called after him. Caitlin and Barry followed. It didn't escape Felicity how closely they were standing next to each other as they walked. The two would never admit it, but there was something developing between them over these last few months. Waller's wrath was probably why they'd never act on it.
Mei hung back and pointed to a file on Felicity's desk. "That's all I was able to dig up. It's not much," she added before Felicity could get her hopes up.
"Anything you're able to find helps. You know that," the blonde replied.
"Are you sure you want to keep looking?"
Felicity challenged, not unkindly, "Have you stopped your search?"
"No, but my situation is different. My family was taken from me," Mei pointed out. "Yours it...it was a tragedy, but it was an accident. Nature taking its course. It's most likely that—"
"I know," Felicity interjected, not wanting to hear the logic behind it. Logic she was already well aware of and yet still refused to believe. "But that doesn't mean I can stop."
Mei nodded in understanding. Almost everyone on their team had lost someone they loved. But it was only Felicity and Mei who didn't have the answers they needed—or the closure. It's why Felicity had eventually confided in her after keeping her intentions a secret for so long. "You do hate mysteries."
"They need to be solved," Felicity acknowledged.
"Well, I'll leave you to it then. See you in the morning, Felicity. Congratulations again."
Felicity smiled back. "Thanks, Mei. Night." The blonde stared at the file in her hands but left it unopened. This was neither the time nor the place to look at it. It would have to wait until she got home. Felicity stayed another half hour to make sure everything was set up on her end for tomorrow. She tried to make it as simple as possible for Curtis to take over while she was in the field.
Eventually, Felicity shut off the light at her desk and grabbed her coat. Caitlin was right that she'd need rest, but Felicity knew she wouldn't be able to go straight to bed. Not when she had a file with new information to read.
Felicity had barely gotten inside her apartment when her doorbell rang. She frowned, not expecting any visitors tonight. Checking the small peek hole, she smiled at the sight of her best friend and opened the door.
"Sara, hey," Felicity greeted and let her in.
"Sorry to stop by so late. I tried texting you, but you never answered. My patrol wasn't too far from here, so I thought I'd make a quick visit." Sara was dressed in her Starling City Police uniform, and her cruiser was most likely parked outside. No doubt Felicity's neighbors were wondering if something was wrong and already had started gossiping.
"Oh, sorry," Felicity apologized and checked her phone. Sure enough, she had missed messages. "Work was crazy tonight, and I had to stay late. Would you like some tea?"
"That'd be great."
Felicity's eyes momentarily went to her purse. The file was practically burning a hole through it from the inside. But that would have to wait. She walked into the kitchen to get the tea started. "So, what's up?"
"I should be asking you," Sara replied. When Felicity stared at her blankly, she elaborated, "How did your date go the other night?"
"Oh, that," Felicity muttered and turned around to place the tea kettle on the stove.
"Don't tell me you didn't like this one either." Her best friend was already getting that tone of disbelief in her voice. "He was totally cute, and he had, like, the best job ever. I thought you tech junkies would for sure hit it off."
Felicity shuffled around the kitchen. "Just because we're both computer whizzes doesn't mean we're a match made in heaven. The guy was a complete narcissist. All he kept talking about was his job and all of his accomplishments. He barely let me speak and only asked me questions that could lead back to him talking for another ten minutes straight."
Sara sighed and folded her arms. "Okay. Fair enough, I guess. The next time—"
"Oh no," Felicity interjected. "There will be no next time. Not for a while."
"Felicity."
"Sara," she said while grabbing them mugs. "I appreciate your help in trying to revive my dating life, but I just can't deal with it right now." Felicity put the teabags in their mugs as she waited for the kettle to finally start whistling.
Sara was quiet for a moment before gently saying, "You've been saying that for five years, Felicity. I'm worried about you."
As annoying as Felicity found Sara's meddling in her love life, she knew that it came from a place of love. "Don't be. If I was curled up in a ball doing nothing with my life, then you could be worried. I've got great friends, family, and a job I love. I've been going on dates—maybe not as often as you and my mother would like—but I'm doing fine."
"Felicity, it's not the number of dates that concerns me. It's the fact that you haven't moved forward with any of them. Oliver wouldn't have wanted—"
"Don't, Sara," Felicity sharply interrupted her. "Just don't." It took a moment for the pain to pass. A pain that had lessened over the years but never fully disappeared. Felicity continued more calmly, "If I was truly interested in these men, I would move forward. But I can't fake it if I'm not feeling it, and I don't want to. It's not who I am." She poured the steaming water into their mugs and joined Sara at the table.
Sara placed her hand over Felicity's and gave it a squeeze. "I just want you to be happy."
"Most days, I am," Felicity answered honestly and meant it. There were a lot of things in her life she was grateful for. When the pain and loss did threaten to consume her, like a moment ago, she would think of them to gain strength. "What about you?"
Sara looked away. "That's different."
"Not really," Felicity said gently. "What happened, it's still—"
"I'm handling it."
"So basically you're going against orders and still digging," she surmised. "If you get caught—"
"That's my business."
"So you can worry about me, but I can't worry about you. That doesn't seem fair." Felicity leveled her with a look.
Sara sighed in acceptance. "Okay, I get it. You made your point."
"Just be careful," Felicity warned. She knew full well that there was nothing she could say to Sara to dissuade her from her vendetta. "Please."
"I will," she promised just as a call sounded on her radio. She was needed for a meeting at the precinct.
"Duty calls," Sara declared and stood up. She started tying her blond hair back in a ponytail. "I better go before the captain has my ass."
"Your father loves you," Felicity reminded her.
"Oh, he's great as a father. As a boss, he's one tough bastard. But then again, I appreciate him not going easy on me just because I'm his daughter."
Felicity walked her to the door. "Well, there you go. Now you're looking on the bright side."
"By the way, call your brother. Tommy's been trying to reach you, too. He's going to pick us up tomorrow night in the limo."
"Oh, shoot. I forgot that it's the grand opening of Verdant," she muttered. That was the name of the nightclub he'd worked to build over the last year. "I can't go. I'm leaving early tomorrow morning for a business trip."
"Ugh, seriously? You know Tommy is going to be disappointed if you're not there. Can't you get out of it?"
"No. My boss is counting on me."
"Where are you going?"
"London. There is an international tech conference I need to attend." Felicity hated lying, especially to her best friend, but it was a necessary part of her job. She couldn't tell Sara where she was really going or what she would be doing there. All of her loved ones thought she worked for a high-profile tech company. It was for their safety as much as it was for Felicity's.
"Sounds boring."
"Not for a computer geek like me."
"Well, the fact that it's in London is cool. You should do a pub crawl while you're there," Sara joked as she stepped out on the front stoop. "You'll probably meet a hunky Brit."
Felicity placed her hand on her hip. The other was on the door. "I thought you were done matchmaking?"
"Overseas doesn't count. At the very least you owe yourself a weekend to meet a hot guy with an accent and engage in some crazy, no-strings-attached sex. I mean, it has been a while and—"
"Goodnight, Sara," Felicity exclaimed and slammed the door. They were so not having that conversation. She could hear her friend laughing on the other side before she left.
Shaking her head, Felicity smiled to herself. Sara had always been the wild one of the two of them. Instead of it being an issue, their differences actually provided a nice complement to their friendship. After putting away their mugs and tidying the kitchen, Felicity went to her bag to retrieve the file Mei had given her. She read it over and felt her heart sink. Despite Mei's warning that it wasn't much, Felicity had still been hoping that what appeared like useless facts to Mei would mean something more to her. It was, instead, yet another dead end.
Sighing, Felicity stood and walked into her bedroom. She pushed aside the clothes in her closet to reveal the safe in the back. Felicity punched in the code and added the file to the rest of the secret pile stored inside. Before closing it, she grabbed her gun. She'd gotten it around the time Lyla started training her. Felicity had never liked guns but learning to use one had been necessary if she wanted to do more field work. She placed the gun in her suitcase with the rest of her things before getting ready for bed.
Slipping under the covers, Felicity looked up at the ceiling and thought about tomorrow. She knew that the situation they were heading into was no walk in the park. This time Felicity wouldn't be standing outside the glass house, looking in on everyone. She would be inside and actively taking part in the mission. She just hoped she didn't shatter it all to pieces. Not that her role in this mission was more dangerous than anything else they'd faced. In fact, it was probably one of the easier jobs they would be doing. Felicity had to start somewhere, and this role was perfect for her.
It was more than the mere excitement she'd expressed to Lyla. It was a feeling she'd had ever since Waller had assigned them this mission. Felicity couldn't exactly put her finger on it, but she'd had this strange feeling for weeks that this was the right time to move forward. That she had to be on the inside of this mission, even if it was just this once. With a little shake of her head, Felicity tried to clear her jumbled thoughts and get a hold over her emotions. Caitlin was right; she needed her rest. Felicity leaned over to turn off her bedside lamp and snuggled back into bed. Whatever she faced tomorrow, she could handle it. Felicity was ready.
"Are you ready?"
Felicity nodded and smoothed her hands down her gown. "I think so."
"Tell me the plan again," Lyla requested.
Felicity, fidgeting while Curtis fitted the earpiece, recited, "The plan is for me to get caught counting cards in an underground Russian casino filled with hardened criminals. When I get my 'friendly' warning from Anatoly Knyazev—the leader of the Russian mafia, a.k.a. the Bratva—I am to place a bug on his office computer that will hopefully give me access to hack in and gain intelligence on the illegal weapons he's been selling on the Black Market."
"Right," Lyla confirmed.
Felicity added as a nervous afterthought, "That is assuming I get the friendly warning and not a bullet." Despite her anticipation leading up to this mission, she'd be crazy not to worry about the consequences of it going seriously wrong.
"Hey, you don't have to do this," Lyla said, offering her a way out.
"Yes, I do. I want to," Felicity assured her and took a deep breath to release some tension. She was perfectly capable of doing this, and Felicity was determined not to let the team down.
"Okay. Knyazev is known for his weakness for beautiful women. If I thought that would be the end result, you wouldn't be going in at all. Just in case, Mei, Barry, and Caitlin will be stationed throughout the casino. They've been instructed to keep their distance so no one gets suspicious, but they will be nearby to help if you run into trouble. They've already integrated themselves at the casino."
"Got it."
"I'll give you a couple of minutes to yourself before you head out." Lyla gave her a small, encouraging smile as she handed her the gun to put in the hidden holster attached to her thigh. "Good luck, Felicity."
"Knock 'em dead," Curtis added. "Well, not dead dead. I'm really hoping you don't have to shoot anyone. That would suck but—"
"I know what you mean," Felicity interrupted. He would keep babbling if she didn't stop him. Felicity had the exact same problem when she got nervous—except her babbles usually included an unintended sexual innuendo. "Thanks."
When she was finally alone, Felicity looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her long blonde hair was curled and swept to the side with sparkly pins. It was an elegant look but mostly served as a way to hide her earpiece. She wore a long, sleeveless pink gown with an open back and slit that ended a little bit above her knee. For makeup, she did a smoky eye to accentuate her blue eyes—sans glasses—and bright pink lipstick. Thankfully, she'd gotten more sleep on the ridiculously long flight over so she didn't look as affected by the time difference. The entire look was beautiful, and Felicity wished she had other occasions to dress like this aside from trying to stop a mafia boss from arms dealing.
"You can do this, Smoak," she said to her reflection. After making sure her gun was secure, she left the hotel room and went down to meet the driver they'd hired for her. He held the door open for Felicity, and she sat in the back. The casino was only ten minutes away.
Felicity had to walk down a dark alley, which was as creepy as it was always portrayed in TV shows and movies, and came to the front entrance. Two burly-looking Russian guards greeted her with stern expressions. Felicity didn't speak Russian but had learned enough to get her by in preparation for the mission. She recognized the Russian word for "password" and answered in their native tongue. They let her pass but not without exchanging a look to each other. They must've known she was American, since her accent wasn't authentic.
Once inside, Felicity took in her surroundings. The others had already explained to them the setup and security present when they'd first entered. Felicity saw the various card tables, bar, and lounge area. It was much more crowded than she'd expected, but it was a Friday night. Barry and Caitlin, ironically pretending to be a married couple, sat at the bar and ate dinner. Felicity couldn't see Mei but knew she was at one of the card tables not far from the lounge.
"Felicity, can you hear me?" Curtis said in her ear.
"Yes."
"We'll be with you the whole time."
"Thanks. It feels really good having you inside me." She stopped short and mentally kicked herself. "And by 'you' I mean your voice. And by 'me' I mean my ear. I am going to stop talking right now." Felicity could see Caitlin and Barry chuckling at the bar and wanted to die of embarrassment.
Curtis was also laughing. "If I wasn't gay, I'd almost think you were coming on to me."
"Go towards the back of the casino," Lyla cut in, getting them all back on track. "Pick a Black Jack table that looks sparse."
"Okay," Felicity muttered and did as instructed. As much as she hated the stale, smoky smell of the casino, Felicity took a few deep breaths as she got into character. There were only a couple of people sitting down. They were speaking in Russian to each other but then switched to English when addressing the dealer. There were lots of patrons from different countries, and English was used as a universal language that everyone could understand.
Felicity opened her clutch purse and pulled out a stack of rubles. "One stack of high society please." The dealer paused for a moment as the others whispered next to her. Felicity stared confidently back at him. "Perhaps I should go to another table," she said impatiently when he still hadn't moved.
The man seemed to come out of his stupor and took the money in exchange for the stack of chips. A minute later, Felicity was placing her bet as she began keeping track of the deck. She eased into her winnings, not wanting to move too fast. It would look even more suspicious if she was caught too early and too easily. Slowly but surely, her winnings increased. A small crowd had even started to gather.
Felicity was vaguely aware of the people parting off to the side as she placed her next bet on the table. Someone was moving through the crowd and, for a second, she thought she'd finally been made.
"That's a rather bold bet," said a deep, husky voice. "You must be feeling lucky."
It sounded both foreign and intensely familiar, sending a shiver up Felicity's spine. She was getting a weird sense of déjà vu. That voice...she hadn't heard it in years, except for in her dreams. It had to be her imagination running wild now. The adrenaline pumping through her veins was messing with her.
"Mr. Knyazev," the dealer acknowledged. His voice sounded reverent, and he nodded his head in submission.
Felicity's mind must've been playing tricks on her. It was the leader of the Russian mafia behind her and not a ghost from her past. She hadn't expected him to come to her in this situation, but she would play along and adapt. Taking a deep breath, Felicity centered herself and twisted in her seat to look over at him. Seconds later, the air whooshed right out of her and she gasped.
"Oliver?" This wasn't right. It was impossible. Unthinkable. Inconceivable. There was no way the young man in front of her could possibly be the Russian mob boss she'd been sent there to deceive. There was no way he could have the same handsome face as the boy she'd once loved. That boy was dead. He'd been lost to her five years ago. No one—not even Felicity after years of constant digging—had been able to find him.
And yet, there he was, standing right in front of her and looking better than ever. Felicity felt like she might faint.