Erin’s name was stamped all over it.
Some sort of whistleblower report, alleging a corruption ring involving me, Ava, and Jack. Claimed we were using the clinic to shield criminal informants. Said Remi was the go-between. That we’d falsified evidence to protect her. That we’d targeted Erin when she uncovered it.
Thatshewas the victim.
“She just filed it,” Gray said, voice tight. “My contact confirmed it... Bureau’s already watching. She must’ve had this prepped and ready to launch the second we forced her hand.”
Jack cursed under his breath.
I leaned back in my chair, jaw locked, staring at the ceiling for a beat before muttering, “So that’s her play. If she can’t bury Remi quietly, she’s going to blow the whole damn place up.”
“And maybe not just with paperwork,” Gray added grimly. “This smells like a distraction. You put a match on the public side of the house… that’s when something real gets broken in the dark.”
The back of my neck prickled. Erin Voss didn’t bluff. She didn’t throw empty threats. If she’d opened this door, there was more behind it. Something deeper.
I stood, pacing the length of the room. “We’re not waiting for her next move. We get Remi out today. Quiet. No uniforms. No press. Just a sealed release order and a clean transfer vehicle.”
I hesitated.
Or something different.
Somethingabovethe law.
Beyondit.
Jack frowned, watching me carefully. “And if she resists? Remi’s not exactly cooperative lately. You think she’s just going to disappear on our word?”
“No,” I admitted. “But I think if she knows Ava’s in the crosshairs, she won’t stay still.”
That thought landed hard, and I froze mid-step.
Erin had gone to the clinic, seemingly looking for Ava. But… what if she hadn’t?
What if Ava was never the real target?
What if this was all about Remi?
Gray read my expression instantly. “You think Erin knew Remi would step in. That Ava wasn’t the point; she was just bait to pull Remi straight into the fire.”
“I think Erin doesn’t do anything without a reason,” I said, voice low, almost to myself. “And if that reason is revenge, humiliation, exposure… doesn’t matter. She’s holding something back. Something we haven’t seen yet.”
Jack dragged a hand through his hair, frustration bleeding into the room. “Then we move first.”
I nodded slowly. “Frame it as a release on medical reassignment. I’ll prep the narrative. Jack, get the paperwork ready for your client. Gray, your team does the extraction.”
They both looked at me like they wanted to argue, but neither did. Not yet.
“What do we tell Remi?” Jack asked finally, his voice quieter than before. “Because if she thinks this is about hiding her, about protectingher... You know she’ll fight it. That woman won’t back down.”
I exhaled, steadying myself.
“We tell her the truth,” I said. “That Erin’s not finished. That Ava could be in danger if Remi doesn’t cooperate. And that if she wants to protect anyone, she needs to let us move her out of the blast zone.”
Gray’s jaw tightened. “And if she says no?”
I paused at the door, hand on the handle, letting the silence sit heavy between us.
“Then we'd better be ready to lose more than a badge,” I said finally, voice low and certain.
