“And I’m guessing this fieldwork took you to the Middle East?”
“Actually, not the initial assignment, no. It was in Europe, but it involved a lot of moving pieces and contacts from many different regions.” She took a moment to gather her thoughts and make sure she wasn’t revealing too much. “Anyway, I performed well, and even though I told them I didn’t want to make the transition from analyst to operations officer, they have subsequently come to me on other special projects. The woman you met in the hospital, Scarlett, works at State and is my interagency mentor. She agrees with the Agency’s plan for my career and has pushed me to take any and every field opportunity I can. She believes I’m thinking too small by staying at Langley behind a desk.”
“And this cartel op was a month ago? You were actually with them in Honduras, right?”
She nodded. “I was. It was a DEA-driven mission. I was the only non-DEA person on the team.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Layla, if the high-ups in the cartel have put out a hit on you, do you realize the kind of trouble you’re in?”
Unfortunately, she did. “I know. And then place on top of that the internal investigation, and things become even more dicey.”
“Have you considered that you’ve formed some enemies at the CIA?”
She’d certainly considered it. “As much as I try to get along with everyone, we all have people we don’t see eye to eye with. I’ve got a couple of people like that. Although I’d hate to think they’d actually try to kill me over our petty squabbles.”
“Layla, this is a complete mess.”
“Believe me, I know.”
“Okay, let’s take one thing at a time. You’re sure there’s nothing your boss said that could tip his hand on what the IG investigation is about?”
She thought for a moment. “No. He was very vague because he wasn’t fully read into the details either.”
“It’s really unjust that they can accuse you, put you on leave, and not even tell you what the accusations are.”
It wasn’t surprising to her. “Welcome to life at the Agency.”
“This is serious.”
“I get that.”
“You seem almost resigned to the outcome.”
“Honestly, the IG investigation is probably the least of my worries. If the cartel is after me, that’s my biggest concern, because we all know how they operate. A bureaucratic investigation isn’t good for my career, but I have to be alive for that even to be an issue.”
“Or the IG investigation could be a ruse to get you out of the protection of the Agency. The cartel could be setting you up.”
That seemed less likely, but she wasn’t ruling anything out. “I know.”
His blue eyes narrowed. “If someone is specifically targeting you, whether it’s the cartel or not, once they realize you survived the bombing, they’re probably going to make another run at you.”
She lifted her chin. “Are you sure you want to work this DEA job, given all this other baggage that comes along with it?”
“Yes,” he said with zero hesitation. “I assume you have a firearm?”
“Several, actually.”
He moved closer to her. “Good. You should let me check out the security you have here.”
She didn’t know what she was more afraid of—the threat against her life or spending time with Hunter. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Why the hesitation?” he asked.
“I’m not hesitating.”
“C’mon, Layla. I know you better than that.”
But did he really know the woman she’d become over the past five years? She was still trying to put her feelings into words when he spoke again.
“If this is about the trust factor, I get it. I really do. You didn’t ask to see me, much less work with me in any capacity, and yet here I am.” He sighed.
She weighed her options. He said he had security expertise, so while he was at her place, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to accept the help. “You know what they say. Desperate times and all.”
He gave her a slight smile that showed the dimple in his left cheek. She couldn’t afford to let down any walls with this man. Not after what he’d done to her.
“I can tell that smart brain of yours is going into overdrive,” he said.
“I just hate being in the dark. There could be something I’m completely missing.”
“We’ll figure it out. Together.”
Together. That was exactly the problem.
On Monday evening, Layla sat in Viv’s living room with Bailey. She hated excluding Izzy, but it was for her own good. She refused to put someone else in danger.
“Thanks for gathering, and to Viv for feeding us.” Layla smiled warmly at her friend.
“Of course,” Viv responded. “Now that dinner’s over, you have to tell us what’s going on.”
Layla looked at Viv and then Bailey. Both women knew something was up. “I trust the two of you with my life. You know that.”
“I don’t like the sound of this,” Bailey said.
“You both already know that my work at the Agency has expanded. Bailey, Viv told me that she filled you in on my last operation.”
“Joint op, right?” Bailey asked.
“Yes. With the DEA.”
“Go on,” Viv said.
“We all know what happened with the bombing, and I’ve gotten sad news. One of my team members was brutally murdered in his home. His throat was slit.”
“Whoa.” Bailey stood up and started pacing. “That means someone is trying to take your team out. They’re coming after you one by one.”
“That’s our main working theory, yes. That it’s the Mejía cartel as an act of retaliation.” Layla explained Roberto’s death supercharging any cartel motivation for revenge.
“There’s four of you, right?” Bailey asked.
“Yes, and something has happened to three of us.” Layla paused. “So far. And to make matters worse, now that I’ve been put on leave, I have
