She threw up her hands. “This happens. I’ve got the cartel breathing down my neck, one team member dead, and a warrantless IG investigation.”
Sawyer settled back in his seat. “I’ll give you that.”
“So what’s the Agency’s plan to keep Layla safe from Mejía’s people?” Hunter asked.
Sawyer arched an eyebrow. “We’re working on it, along with the DEA.” Then he looked at her. “And what exactly is Hunter’s role here?”
She held back a laugh.
“What?” Hunter asked. “I don’t have my own file?”
Sawyer’s jaw twitched. “You’re not one of ours.” Then he paused. “Are you?”
“Most definitely not,” Hunter said.
“Hunter has multiple roles. He’s serving as my legal counsel, but he’s also a PI, and we’ve known each other for years.”
“That’s how he knows what you do?” Sawyer asked.
“Exactly.” These questions let Layla know an important fact—the file that Sawyer had on her omitted all information about her past with Hunter. “Let’s get back to the topic of the cartel.”
“We’ve got the new safe house set up. Ace and Dax will be leading your primary security detail, so you should be safe from the cartel threats for now. We’ve been briefed by the DEA and understand the threat matrix.”
Layla realized she hadn’t checked in on Zane and Cass yet. “Who have you spoken to at the DEA?”
“Mason,” Sawyer answered.
“Do you know if the rest of the team is okay?”
“They’re all right. Cass is accounted for at the DEA safe house.”
“What about Zane?”
“I think he’s staying with her.”
Layla still thought it odd that Zane was somehow in the clear in all this, but there had to be a reasonable explanation.
They rode the rest of the way to the safe house in silence. This house was closer to Langley, and she figured that was by design. The CIA wanted to keep her nearby. They might have their suspicions about her, but this ordeal had also shown her that the Agency saw her as a vital asset, and she planned to use that to her strategic advantage.
They pulled up to the two-story Cape Cod–style home and parked. “Wait here while we do a sweep,” Sawyer said.
The three men exited, leaving her with Hunter.
“Do you trust them?” he asked.
“Not exactly, but I do think they’ve been tasked with keeping me safe. Think about it, Hunter. The CIA needs me. Look at the great lengths they’ve gone to over the past few years to get me into the field. To groom me to take on big assignments. They can’t turn a blind eye to those photos, but I think they’re banking on me being clean and then pushing me as hard as they can to get into the field. Knowing them, it might even be a condition of an exoneration.”
He groaned. “That’s not what you want.”
“I’ll cross that bridge if and when we get to it, but I do have some confidence in their plan to protect me. It’s like an insurance policy. If I’m innocent and they do nothing, they could lose someone they’ve put a lot of time and energy into. And, of course, as you described, I’m unique. There aren’t many people with my skill set.”
Hunter smiled.
“What?”
“You’re more than unique, Layla.” He grabbed her hand. “You’re very special. Especially to me.”
Her breath caught as she looked into his ocean-blue eyes, and she wanted to block out the rest of the world and focus only on him. She remembered what it was like to kiss him, and she wondered if it would be different the second time around. She wanted nothing more than to lean into him and press her lips to his.
But the downside was too great. She didn’t want to be interrupted by Sawyer and the others. It was a nice moment, but it would just have to wait. She squeezed Hunter’s hand and hoped that he could still read her as well as he used to.
A knock on the window confirmed that she’d made the right move. The question was, What would her next move be?
CHAPTER
TWENTY
Izzy dreaded having this conversation, but it was one she had to have.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Aiden put the car in park.
“I think it’s important to talk to my former colleagues. We can’t talk to the detectives working the case at Arlington PD, but this is a concrete step we can take to look further into the sergeant’s history. Alicia Thatcher used to work there. So she knew the sergeant pretty well. When I called her, she seemed open to talking to me, but I have no idea whether her relationship with him was good, bad, or indifferent.”
Aiden nodded. “Do you know why she left Arlington PD?”
“No. But that’s one of the things I want to find out. It looks like her condo is up there on the right.” She pointed toward one of the buildings in the Alexandria neighborhood.
“Do you want me to come in with you?” Aiden asked.
“No. I don’t want to scare her off. She might think it’s weird if you’re there too.”
“I completely understand. Just take your time. I’m in no rush. I brought plenty of work with me, so stay as long as you need to.”
Izzy squeezed his arm. “Thank you again for everything.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek and hopped out of the car. Then she made her way to the second floor of Alicia’s building and rang the doorbell.
It was only a moment before Alicia answered. She was a tall, pretty blonde with green eyes, and she gave Izzy a big smile. “Izzy, it’s so great to see you. Come on in.”
“Thank you for having me.” Izzy took in Alicia’s stylish condo decorated in ivory and various blue hues.
“Come into the living room. I made us some coffee and tea. Which would you prefer?”
“Coffee would be amazing.”
“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.”
Izzy was already glad that she’d come to visit Alicia, if for nothing more than
