Page 89 of The FBI Agents Who Stole Me

“Be sure you are.”

The line goes dead.

That was the first time I lied to cover for her. Since then, it’s been a string of deception, covers, and attempts to figure out Project Vine and Fuller’s involvement. It’s when I knew I needed Julian, and I wasn’t going to be able to keep that from her, so I broke us apart.

And now I think I’ve fucked us up again.

Fuller’s ten minutes late. The longer I sit here, the more certain I am that something’s off. He’s not stupid. If he was, he would’ve been caught a long time ago.

I tap my phone again. Still nothing.

The office building is dead quiet around me. Dust hangs in the air, thick enough to taste when I breathe in. My gun presses heavy against my lower back as I pace the length of the empty room, the old floorboards creaking under my boots.

I pull up the cabin feeds and swipe through the cameras until I find her.

My blood boils as I remember the recording from earlier.

Julian stood over her while she slept. His hands shook when he brushed her hair back before he walked out. I watched it three times. Each time made me want to put my fist through something. She lay sleeping; he left clearly devastated.

I don’t know what the fuck he was thinking. But when I see him again, I’m going to knock out his teeth for leaving her alone at the cabin.

There are wolves there.

I zoom in. Lee is on the computer now. She laughs at something on the monitor. The way her dimple pops when she does that makes it hard to think. She’s so beautiful.

I send Julian another text. He’s clearly ignoring me. I don’t want to think about the alternative. That he might not be able to answer. What is he up to?

The minutes drag. Every second feels heavier than the last.

I check the camera again. Lee is lacing her boots now in the computer room. She looks determined. She is not staying put like I hoped.

She grabs a black hoodie off the back of the chair and pulls it over her head. Then she turns and looks straight at the camera. Like she knows I’m watching. Like she’s looking right at me.

My pulse kicks harder.

She rummages through the desk drawer then turns her back to the lens. When she faces the camera again, she’s holding up a torn piece of paper. Two words are written in bold letters.

I don’t need to zoom in to see what she’s written on it.

Fuck You.

“Well, I wouldn’t say no to that, kid.” I huff a laugh. I can’t help it. She's always so far ahead of everyone else, of course she knew I had a camera there.

She scribbles something else on the paper and holds it up again.

That wasn’t an actual invitation.

Flipping her middle finger over her head on her way out, she leaves the cabin.

I dial Fuller once more, and he sends me to voicemail. He tried to hide his location, but I’m better. So is Lee. My bet is she’s on her way to him now.

Fuller wants to fuck around and find out.

Fine.

My boots hit the concrete hard. I’m going to get to him first. Fucking cliché, going to the warehouse where they are making Vinculum.

I step outside into the dark and start moving toward the black site. The night air is cold and still. I keep my gun at my side, eyes scanning every shadow.