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Roman addressed the two with a nod. “The FBI has credible information that there’s going to be a black-market art auction at a mountain estate here in Colorado. They would like you to attend and verify that the pieces on sale are authentic. If they are, they want to be brought in so that they can recover the pieces and apprehend the sellers.”
Cygny nodded and smiled. “Great. I can do that no problem. When do I get the information? When do I leave?”
“Wait a minute.” Leo put a hand on her arm, and she stilled. “When do we leave? We’re partners, Cyg. We’re doing this together.”
He turned to look at her and she felt her heart kick against her ribs.
“Right?”
She smiled. “Right.”
He gave her arm a soft squeeze as he looked at Beck and Roman with narrowed eyes. “Why us?
Their art theft division has at least twenty agents. Are they all on assignment?”
Cygny felt a kernel of worry form in her gut when Beck and Roman shared a significant look. Roman spoke as he sat forward in his chair and leaned his forearms on the table. “Their undercover agents have all been… compromised. They need someone to step in who has experience with art and counterfeits.”
“I can do that.” Cygny felt more than a little measure of pride. She could do that. She’d been so worried that she’d have nothing to contribute to the team. Rather than heading out into a very physical assignment, she could focus on something that came as easy to her as breathing. “Do we have any idea of what pieces they’re offering? What time frame do we have to examine the pieces before the sale starts? I can’t wait to get started and-”
“Compromised? How?”
Cygny turned to Beck, knowing how to read her more than Roman.
Beck looked more than a little uncomfortable and that translated into her feelings.
Beck leveled a look at her but tried to lift her chin to appear confident. “Their identities were compromised due to a concentrated hack of their computer records.”
Leo’s hand tightened on her arm, but Cygny spoke. “Is everyone safe?”
Roman’s nod was short. “Yes. They were all moved into protective custody while they work out new assignments for them. The FBI is still trying to determine if there’s a threat to their safety, but at this point they are pulling them from investigating art thefts and sales.”
Leo shook his head. “Why aren’t they changing their identities?”
“They likely don’t think there’s any real danger to them or their families. They’ll be taken off of anything undercover regardless.” Beck’s face was calm, almost stoic. “I’m glad they have all of their agents taken care of.”
Cygny saw Leo turn to look at her and she turned her head to meet his eyes.
Leo blew out a breath. “I don’t know about this.”
Sitting up in her chair, Cygny looked back at him. “Why not? I can handle this. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m going to worry.” He leaned closer and searched her eyes with his own. “Didn’t you hear what they said? They’ve already had their own agents compromised.”
She pulled her arm free of his hand. “Of course I heard. I’m not deaf and I’m not dumb, Leo. This is what we’re here to do.”
“The danger-”
“Is minimal. This is white collar crime. The last thing they want to do is hurt someone physically. White collar will get them in a nice cushy Federal Prison. If they physically hurt someone, they’ll likely end up in a state prison and that’s the last place they want to be. State prisoners won’t have any reason not to pick on them. They’ll be… easy pickings to men like that.”
Roman stepped in. “Leo, if you don’t want to do the job, we can have one of the other men step in.”
It was Cygny’s turn to put a restraining hand on Leo. “I can do this. We can do this.”
Leo looked at her with his eyes full of concern. “I know you can do it. I’m concerned about the danger.”
“I’m not worried about it. I’m not used to working with a partner, but if I have to, you’re the one I’d want to work with.”
She saw the stoic set of his jaw and her hold on his arm loosened.
Before her fingers lost contact with his arm, he took her hand in his and from the way he held onto her, she knew she had his support.
And really, beyond everything else, that meant the world to her.
He nodded; his gaze fixed on hers. “I’ve got you.”
She smiled and for the first time in a long time she felt confident in what was ahead of her. “I’ve got you, too.”
