The pause was agonizing. Completely, entirely agonizing. And he could feel her eyes on him, he could sense the tension and the shock, while he couldn't see her expression, her emotions were radiating off of her. As if he wasn't already terrified enough, hearing the hesitation in Natasha was even worse. But what could he do? Refuse? End up in prison for the rest of his life? Or at least for the next ten years...
He hesitated, opened his mouth to speak but didn't. He needed some reassurances, he needed something. If his name got out, his occupation, anything ever left his file, he'd go from a SHIELD holding cell right to a Federal prison. If the FBI caught wind of this, if they have hard evidence, he'd end up back in Ryker's faster than Bart could go on a Chinese food run.
"Natasha...this can't get out. You know what will happen if this gets out?" He had almost a panic to his voice, not quite, but there was certainly and edge to it.