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What transpired from there was a shock to us all.
“Agent Bonds and I entered the mansion.” I recline in the metal chair. “Flanking an FBI unit, we followed the agents into the foyer, where we were met with resistance.”
“Resistance?” Agent Proctor questions.
Sadie nods assuredly. “The suspects were told to lower their weapons. They opened fire. The agents responded with gunfire and eliminated the threat, allowing the rest of our team to move through the house.”
“Agent Bonds and I broke away from the main unit at the go-ahead from Agent Rollins. I forcefully opened a locked door and immediately saw Agent Bell and Doctor Johnson locked in a brawl.”
“Brawl?”
“Yes,” I continue, exasperated. “For the thirtieth time, Agent Bell was on top of Doctor Johnson. I made myself known, and approached with caution. I noticed a switchblade in Agent Bell’s hand and kicked it aside, and that’s when I also noticed that Doctor Johnson wasn’t responding.”
Proctor looks at Sadie, dark eyebrows raised.
“Agent Bell was also unresponsive. So after Detective Quinn removed Agent Bell from Doctor Johnson, I set to work checking Doctor Johnson’s vitals. She was in shock, sir.”
The agent makes a note on his paper. “The drug administered to Agent Bell—” he looks over his notes “—was reported by Doctor Johnson to be already at the location. She claims Agent Bell was attempting to inject her before the scuffle broke out, and Johnson injected Agent Bell in defense.”
Sadie and I don’t look at each other. I answer calmly. Bored. “Agent, we’ve now told you everything we know.”
He eyes me warily. “I want a full report from the both of you. Documented and signed by your captain.”
I nod once. “Just as soon as I can make that happen.”
Proctor straightens his paperwork and stands. “This isn’t over.” He leaves the room.
I glance at Sadie. “Food?”
She shrugs. “Sleep, shower, then food.”
“Agreed. You are a little ripe, Bonds.”
She gives me a good punch in the arm before I walk her into the hallway. The precinct is swarming with agents and officers and DC officials. DC has taken over the ACPD after—somehow—a leaked news report aired that a Federal Agent was in connection to the Alpha Killer murders and the sex trafficking scandal that rocked the east coast.
I figure with the Feds taking it up the ass from the DC interrogators, we’ll probably be left alone for a while. The task force and all operations associated with the Alpha Omega criminal network will be combed through and investigated further, I’m sure. But right now, it’s the FBI’s heads on the chopping block.
I don’t feel any sense of relief until I spot Avery across the hall. She’s being led out of the hotbox by Rollins. She looks exhausted and worn, but she’s a beacon of strength as she weaves a path toward me.
Sadie takes Avery’s hand in a comforting gesture. “Okay?”
Avery nods. “I’m all right.” Just as quickly, her features draw together. “I should call Aubrey.”
“Carson’s at the hospital,” I say, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. “I’m taking you home to rest first, then we’ll check in on him.”
This doesn’t ease all of her worry, but she concedes.
“We’ll talk later,” I tell Sadie.
Her eyes meet mine in understanding. As far as the case is concerned, it’s done. Closed. I’m tempted to set every file I have ablaze and never think about Wells or Bell again.
We have one more thing to wrap up, though, Sadie and I. But it can wait.
We leave the precinct and the chaos behind. Avery’s quiet on the ride to her house. The silence is a living force, bearing down on us. If we don’t talk about it soon, it will fester. It’s already threatening to consume the air between us.
As soon as we’re parked in her driveway, Avery turns to me. She only gets a syllable out before I grab her and kiss her hard, shutting down whatever she was going to say. I caress her lips open, sweep my tongue inside, releasing all the fear I’ve felt over losing her. Not for just the past twenty-four hours—since the first time I saw her in that hospital bed.
She breaks away, breath heavy, and tries again. I press my finger to her lips. “I’ll kiss you every time,” I warn. “Every single time. An eternity of kissing you silent if that’s what it takes.”
