“I wasshot,” I remind them, lifting my gauze-wrapped arm like a tragic show-and-tell.
“We’re fine,” Cybil answers. “What about Sebastian?”
Athena steps forward, thumbs hooking into the tactical vest she’s wearing. “Stable. The bullet missed anything vital, and he’s already on his way to the hospital. Edmond’s following with federal agents.”
“They’re both willing to testify. Edmond knows the layout of the Aurelite-X deal better than anyone, and Sebastian has access to the crypto shell corporations being used to launder money. Between that and the laptop”—she nods toward me—“we’ve got enough to bury Ramirez under a mountain of federal charges.”
Ruby snorts. “Oh, and in case anyone’s wondering, Pawson was found curled up in a porta-john behind the crane. Terrible bout of food poisoning.”
I shrug. “Some people have to learn the hard way not to mess with another man’s food.”
The tension in my shoulders eases, and for the first time, Cybil looks relieved.
“You both played your roles perfectly,” Athena adds. “You fed Edmond just enough false intel about Craig Miller to put pressure on Ramirez—forcing him to move the auction and keep you close to that laptop.”
“Speaking of”—Katherine turns to me—“how’s our evidence?”
“Safe.” I reach for my tie, now wrinkled and bloody, and hold it up. The silver tie tack gleams in the light. I glance sideways, unable to stop the smirk. “Good thing I know how to take a bullet.”
Cybil meets my smirk with one of her own. “Good thing I have great aim.”
“And smart enough to keep Ramirez talking,” Athena said, giving Cybil a nod that, frankly, felt a little too much like approval of hershootingme. “It took our team a little longer to clone the data from the laptop.”
“Might be time to upgrade your system,” I mutter, shifting on the bumper. “Or at least program it to move a little faster before someone else has to take a bullet.”
Cybil’s lips twitch like she’s trying not to smile.
I grin, despite the throb and the possibility I’m concussed. Which explains the mix of emotions rushing through me. I shouldn’t be disappointed this is over. I should be relieved. And I am. Maybe it’s the painkillers, or maybe it’s just her—dust on her cheek, blood on her knuckles, and fire in her eyes—but a part of me would do it all over again.
With her.
For her.
Because these last few weeks have made me feel something I hadn’t in a long time. Not adrenaline. Not duty. Hope.
“It bought us time,” Athena says, cutting into my thoughts.
“I don’t understand why Ramirez didn’t just run,” Cybil says. “He had the laptop.”
“Because he couldn’t,” Athena replies. “His laptop was the auction’s central node—tied to an encrypted satellite uplink, bouncing through servers in Croatia. Once the auction went live, pulling the laptop would’ve killed the connection and taken the whole operation offline. No bids. No money. No buyers.”
Cybil’s eyes drift to Ramirez now being loaded into a police vehicle. “And the buyers?”
“Still in the virtual auction room,” Athena says. “Blissfully unaware that their last bids are being logged directly into an FBI database.”
Ruby grins. “A digital takedown. Less blood. More felony.”
“We’ll be sorting through the ledger for weeks,” Athena says, brushing a strand of windblown hair from her face. “Buyers, shell companies, sovereign entities—enough evidence to get sanctions approved on Aurelite-X.”
“And put Ramirez away for the rest of his life,” Katherine adds. “The district attorney is very happy.”
Athena checks her watch. “I hate to break up the fun, but I’ve got to get back to the airport for a debrief in DC.”
I tilt my head toward her. “Do you have it?”
She smiles. The kind thatalmostmakes me believe she feels bad about my gunshot wound. “The info’s already on your phone.” She reaches into her pocket and hands it over. It’s my personal phone, the one I tossed in the trash can when Rook came to collect me.
Cybil’s eyes flick between us, curiosity drawing a fine crease between her brows.
