“The man with you in your living room…”
My head snapped up, my hand going to my mouth. Ash spun me around. “What? What is it?” he whispered, everything about him alert.
“What about the man in my living room?” I rasped, holding his dark eyes.
His brows snapped together, and immediately, he pulled out his phone. “Jake,” he barked into the device, moving away from me, searching. “Angel’s house is bugged.”
“I assume his team at Red Snake will be dismantling our surveillance,” she drawled, sounding amused. “Which is fine. The case with Benson is now closed, and you are no longer protected by the CSIS.”
I—what?“Excuse me, Agent Masters. I do believe you told me I was no longer under protection when I left it nearly two years ago.”
She cleared her throat. “Yes, well, I just told you what I was told to tell you. The FBI decided it was safe for you to return, but my boss was adamant about keeping an eye on you. Though Benson and his circle had gone underground, he was still a threat to you.”
“I’m so confused,” I muttered, watching Ash stomp through my living room and down the hall. He was screaming at Jake now. “What else do you know about Ash Doss?”
“Just that he is a decorated and highly honored retired Navy SEAL who’s done a lot for your country.” She paused. “And mine, on some occasions.”
“Can I tell him?” I asked, rubbing my chest.
“Joseph Grayson has already contacted us, asking for your file.”
I stared at the wall.Damn, they work fast.“And will you give it to him?”
“Depends on if you want me to.”
“Yes.”
“Great. I’ll send it over. Best of luck.”
“Wait!” I called just as the back door opened and slammed. Thunder clapped outside, rain pelting against the window.
“Yes?”
“You told me that you were sending backup to get Ash that day,” I said, my voice cracking. “You told me he would be safe.”
She was quiet for a moment. “By the time my partner arrived at Benson’s mansion, there were five bodies on the ground. Obviously, none of them were Ash Doss, since he is there with you now.”
There was a part of the story missing.
“He wasn’t all right,” I rasped, remembering. “He’d been shot. He couldn’t carry me. He needed medical attention.”
“I was alone. You were my target, and we were under fire. My priority was to get you out of there. Doss was on a different job. Benson was a client of Red Snake Investigation. You were not his main objective. He just found you before I could. I did what I had to do. A year later, my contacts in the United States told me they spotted Doss at a military awards ceremony.”
“You didn’t say anything,” I said, hurt.Went all the way into hell for you.
“You never asked.” Another round of thunder boomed, practically shaking the house. “Now, my team is disabling our tech and we kindly ask that…uh, what is his name? Oh, yes, Jake Murphy.” I blinked, going back to staring at the wall again. “Please ask him to not destroy our tech.”
Knowing Jake and how touchy he was with his laptop, I couldn’t ask him that. Especially given how murderous Ash looked before he’d gone into the backyard. “No promises, Agent Masters.” I padded down the hall, my eyes on the back door. Lightning flashed, but Ash was still outside. I sank my teeth into my lip.
Even though I wanted to be angry at her, I couldn’t be. She was just doing her job in the end.
“Thank you for the update,” I said, swallowing. “Is there anything else I need to do?”
“No. I hope you can breathe a bit easier, knowing this nightmare is over.”
Tears blurred my vision. “Thank you,” I rasped.
“Good night, Angel. I wish you nothing but the best.”
