PARK
The engineon the small enclosed yacht purrs as we taxi away from the dock, leaving the glow of Seattle Christmas lights behind.
“Where did you get this boat?” I ask, glancing around.
“I rented it. I wasn’t sure how our escape was going to go. I figured this was better than another car chase.”
The spotlight on the bow shines in front of us, working with the moon to cast a glow across the water. Luckily, we’re inside the boat, safe from the frigid night air and falling snowflakes. Lacee sits in the captain’s chair, holding the steering wheel with one hand, leading us down the Puget Sound.
Getting out of Nicholas Lawrence’s lab was easier than I thought it would be. All we had to do was walk out. It’s Christmas night, so the place was empty besides his personal guards, and Lacee and I already took care of them—actually, Lacee did most of the work. I was just there for moral support.
“So that was gross.” I rest my arm on the back of my vinyl chair. “I’ve never accidentally killed someone with acid before.”
“Me neither.” Lacee flips her head to me. “Is it weird that we’re talking about killing someone as casually as someone else talks about what they got for Christmas?”
I look off into space, thinking about it for a second. “Probably.”
“Maybe we should talk about Christmasy things instead.”
“After all we went through today,” my jaw drops, “you want to talk about Christmas?”
“Yeah.” Her shoulders move up and down, showing her more feminine side. Soft blue eyes gaze at me. “I wanted to thank you for your gift. I loved it, and I can’t believe you went back to that store to get the dress.”
I smile, appreciating how Lacee looks with the distant city lights glowing behind her like a halo. “I’m glad you liked it.”
“Of course, my Christmas gift to you was saving your life.” She smirks.
“I think that’s the best gift I’ve ever received.”
“And you said I was bad at gift-giving.”
“What made you want to save me?”
“There were a lot of reasons.”
“Do I get to know those reasons?”
“Maybe.” She smiles. “But first, I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”
I suck in a deep breath and push it out with my words. “I do.”
“Hold on. I want to give you my full attention.” She turns off the boat’s engine, andSilent Nightsoftly plays on the radio in the background as if it was purposely in sync with the lull of the water. Lacee scoots her captain’s chair in front of me. “Okay, I’m ready. Fire away.” My lips twitch, and she realizes what she said. “Notfireaway.” Lacee’s eyes pop. “There’s no need to shoot. We’re on the same team here.”
“Are we?” My expression turns serious, prompting hers to do the same.
“I didn’t think so when I sent you that Amazon package.” Her blue eyes hold mine. “I thought you were the mole working with Nicholas to sell the weapons.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Two years ago, Todd pulled me off the Amsterdam case and called me into his office. He didn’t want me in field support anymore. Because of my background in electrochemistry, he needed me to assume my real identity to spy on a chemist in Boston that they believed was making weapons of mass destruction.”
“Assume your real identity? Weren’t you worried about your family's safety if anybody found out?”
“Yes, but no one was supposed to find out. The mission was top secret. Only Todd and the people above him knew about the assignment. Oh, and Derek. So as long as I did my job smart, no one would know I was undercover, and my family wasn’t in danger.”
“What was your job?
“To infiltrate Nicholas Lawrence’s life by working in his private lab. I was supposed to find out where the weapons were being made and stored, who he was selling them to, and most importantly, discover who the double agent in the CIA was. I was supposed to use any means necessary to get close to him and get him to trust me.” Her eyes drop, and I know this is the hard part for her to say out loud, so I finish her train of thought.
