“How’s it going?” He figured that was a safe enough question to ask.
Cass stopped typing and looked at him. “Honestly, I’m just trying to finish some reports to keep my mind off the bigger issues. There’s nothing like bureaucratic paper work for that.” She gave him a slight smile. “What about you? You’re the one just sitting there, staring off into space. Is it about being questioned today?”
He’d let Cass know what was going on because he needed someone he could trust on his side. “I have a lot on my mind. I know you do too. Today’s questioning felt like a fishing expedition. If they really had the goods on me, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you right now. It turned out those intercepts weren’t fully vetted, and there’s nothing concrete for them to bring against me. They weren’t able to point to any other evidence either, other than the fact that I’m the only team member who hasn’t been directly targeted by the cartel.”
Cass frowned. “I’m so sorry they’re putting you through this charade. They must be desperate if they have to point the finger at you.”
“It’s really nagging at me that someone would choose me as the person to finger as the traitor. Maybe it’s because of my military history, but it hurts even worse because of that.”
Cass nodded. “Zane, anyone who has ever dealt with you knows you operate with the highest level of integrity. You’re completely loyal, honest, and though sometimes it drives me crazy, you always play by the book. I have no doubt that your name will be cleared, and they will find out who the real mole is.” She looked up at him with her big brown eyes. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but we still don’t know one hundred percent that Mason is clean.”
“I don’t know, Cass. He seems about as unlikely a suspect as me. We have to dig deeper and assume there are darker forces at work here that don’t follow the rules.” Zane had found out the hard way that sometimes being a rule follower could get you in more trouble. But he also wanted to be able to sleep at night and know in his mind, in his heart, and in his soul that he’d done the right thing. That was the way he lived his life.
Cass put her laptop aside and turned to face him as she moved in a little closer. “I’ve been totally consumed with my own issues. I’m sorry I haven’t been more in tune with what you’ve been facing.”
“Don’t give it a second thought. We’re partners, right? That’s what we do. We look out for each other no matter what problem or danger we’re facing. I’m really glad you decided to come to the safe house. I sleep better at night knowing you’re here.”
“Yeah, about that.” She paused. “I think I would sleep better if you were here. There’s tons of extra rooms. And not just for my safety, although I selfishly have to admit that is top of my mind. We still don’t know if the cartel has you in their sights. But if you stay here, we know you’ll be safe.”
Zane didn’t know how to take Cass’s comments. She’d been acting a bit strange lately. As far as their relationship went, what was once completely platonic, with not a dash of romance, had started to become a bit of something else. And while Zane had to admit that he was attracted to her, he wasn’t sure that getting involved with his partner was the best idea. Especially given the dangerous circumstances they found themselves in.
But the last thing he wanted to do was push her away, so he was trying to walk a fine line. And her idea did have some merit. He just had to make sure he kept strict boundaries in place. “Sure, if it makes you feel better. Like you said, this place has four bedrooms, so I’m sure we can stay out of each other’s way. I want to make sure you have your privacy.”
Cass laughed. “Since when do you care about that? This coming from the man who made me change outfits in the back of an SUV in Costa Rica.”
Zane had completely forgotten about that. “That was out of necessity. And you know I wasn’t watching.”
“Of course you weren’t. That’s my Boy Scout.” She placed her hand on top of his. “All joking aside, you really have been there for me, and that’s something I’ll never forget.”
He tried not to think about how it felt to have her hand touching his, and instead tried to focus on coloring within the lines. He gave her fingers a pat with his other hand and then broke away from her. “Like I said, Cass, we’re in this together.” Anxious to change the subject to something more work-related, he said, “We’ve done a second run on everything. Everyone on our team, even the support guys, has come up clean. No connection to the cartel or to any organized crime. All background checks are clear.”
“You didn’t really think it was someone on our team anyway, did you?” she asked.
“No. But we had to check.”
“We have to start looking at people working at headquarters. That’s why I mentioned Mason. But there are other higher-ups we could consider. They could be playing both sides. It pains me to say it, but you know it’s true. The more powerful these guys get, the more likely that they could be turned for a lot of reasons.”
“Aren’t you the cynical one?”
“I always am. It’s one of my best qualities, right?” She smiled.
Zane wasn’t born yesterday. Cass was definitely flirting with him. But what did he do about it? He hated facing that topic right now and would rather just keep shifting the conversation. “Have you talked to Layla?”
“Yeah. She’s at an Agency safe house, but we’ve decided to
