“I don’t know that you should be holding on to a firearm right now. Let’s get you calmed down first. We have the Agency detail right outside the door, and I’m in here with you. You’ll be fine. I promise.”
As long as Scarlett didn’t have the gun either, Layla was in good shape. She could block Scarlett’s path if need be. It also occurred to her that there could be something in the tea. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she couldn’t risk it.
Layla placed the tea on the coffee table. “I think I’m in shock.”
“What did Bryce say?”
“He was the one who set me up with the IG investigation. He also sold me out to the cartel by providing information on the safe house location. Can you imagine what that type of betrayal feels like? He was one of my friends.” She purposely said that to gauge Scarlett’s reaction. But there was nothing to show that Scarlett was flustered by it.
“I knew he was bad news, but good grief. He served you up to the cartel. I hope he’s en route to a black site right now where he’ll rot for years.”
Layla shook her head. “No. They’re doing this by the book. Lawyers and all.” She paused. “I just didn’t realize someone’s thirst for revenge could be so great.”
Scarlett took her hand, and it took all her willpower not to yank it away. “I’ve told you before, Layla, it’s a harsh world out there. People you think are on your side can stab you in the back.”
She squeezed Scarlett’s hand before dropping it. “You’d know something about that, wouldn’t you?”
Scarlett raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
Layla jumped up and ran over to the table where the gun was. She picked it up and pointed it toward Scarlett. She wasn’t messing around.
“Layla, what are you doing?” Scarlett asked.
“You betrayed me, Scarlett. You betrayed the DEA team. I want to know why. I deserve answers. You owe me that, at least.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Put the gun down and let’s talk about this.” Scarlett took a step forward.
“Don’t move a single inch, or I will shoot.”
“No, you won’t. That’s not your style.”
“Oh, my style has changed greatly over the past twenty-four hours. Stinging betrayal has a way of putting things in a whole different light. So we’re going to do this again. How long have you been working for the cartel?”
Scarlett’s face reddened, and Layla knew, after looking into her eyes, that Hunter had been right. There was not going to be an innocent explanation.
“How did you find out?” Scarlett’s voice wavered.
“That doesn’t matter.” She wasn’t about to drag Hunter into this. “Talk to me. I need to know why.”
Scarlett averted her eyes. “It has absolutely nothing to do with you. I tried to protect you.”
“How is that possible?” Layla’s voice rose. “The bombing, all the attacks? That’s what you call protection?”
Scarlett looked back at her. “I had no choice but to give you up. It was my life or yours, and that was the only choice I could make. Diego saw you on the tape and demanded your name. I am responsible for making sure those tourists sat in your normal spot. I saved you, Layla. I did, whether you want to believe it or not.”
“And you purposely tried to frame Zane to take the fall for your actions.”
Scarlett nodded. “It was the most logical play I could make at the time.”
“And Keith Hammond? What about him?”
Scarlett blew out a breath. “Keith was collateral damage. You brought him into it, and once I knew you were going to talk to him, I had to out him to the cartel as an Agency operative because I knew the cartel would be watching, and if I didn’t give him up, then it would’ve come back on me. That was enough to get him killed, given how much of a warpath Diego is on.”
The burning question was still there. “You still haven’t told me why.”
“When I was a field agent for the DEA, I started working a cartel member named Mateo Lopez. I was convinced he was going to become a top asset.” She took a breath. “I thought I had him turned, but as we spent more and more time together, I ended up falling for him. And instead of me working him, he was working me.”
“So you’re not together?” She needed to get the facts.
“Not anymore. He played me. I thought it was real, but I was the stupid one. He might have cared about me at some point, but his aspirations got bigger than his feelings, and he had me locked in. I had no choice but to do their bidding, or they were going to expose the fact that I was once in a relationship with a top deputy in the cartel. My career would’ve been over. They had far too much leverage on me.”
“What happened with the Honduras op?”
“Once Roberto was killed, Diego was beyond furious. He came to me for names. I gave them Diaz, Cass, you, and Zane but explained that I needed to keep Zane in play. Diego seemed to be okay with that, at least for the short term, although his ultimate goal was to take him out too. He wasn’t messing around. His little brother had been killed, and he wanted revenge at any cost. I tried to help you as much as I could. Like I said, I saved you in the bombing. But at the end of the day, it was either you or me. I never wanted it to end up like this.” She took a step. “But you’re not going to kill me. You’re going to let me go. I have passports. I can run. I can hide and get out of the country to safety.”
“You know me well enough to realize I’d never let you go.”
“It’s because I know you so well that I think you will. I did my best to protect
