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But this wasn’t real. They were both pretending—pretending that they weren’t going to screw each other over if push came to shove. Because that’s what he would do—he was ambitious, she could see that in his eyes. He wanted to win, and if it came down to it, he would sacrifice her. She knew how this worked, because she would do the same.
The smile fell from her lips and she squared her shoulders. “I want Olivia’s body returned to me. There’s no deal without that,” Anna said.
Jackson’s eyes softened. He nodded. “She’s in the morgue, under another name so there’s no security risk. I promise, as soon as we’re done, she will be released to you.”
Anna looked at him a long moment. “What doesdonemean? When Diaz is behind bars?”
“Yes,” Jackson said. “When he’s no longer a free man unable to ruin any more lives.” His eyes darted to the door again. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I promise, I’ll return her to you,” he said.
She nodded, her heart in her throat. The realization that they were going to do this finally hit her.
She was now an informant.
JACKSON
Jackson studied her, realizing he didn’t have a clue what was going through her mind. Nor had he since she’d walked into the office. He gathered she’d been surprised to hear about Dominic, but other than that, her expression was practiced, rehearsed. He supposed she’d been doing it so long that she did it without thinking now. That was the thing about going undercover for too long—it stole parts of you, like a slowly invading cancer, and by the time you were done, you realized you were a shell of the person who had agreed to sign up for the work.
Just a little longer, Anna,he thought, searching her eyes for any doubt, any hint she might be playing him. But the longer he looked at her, the less he could think straight. He fought every instinct to trace her sharp jaw line with his fingers, to brush his thumb over her lips, and not for the first time he wondered how they would feel against his.
But he knew he could not blur the boundaries here. It would be unethical and compromise his case, it would violate his personal morals, and he needed to be completely focused to keep them both alive.
He forced himself to take a step back while he prayed silently for the strength to resist temptation.
Her eyes dropped to the gift basket. “Did you at least get me some good things?”
Jackson couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped through his lips. “Define good,” he said, grinning.
She rolled her eyes playfully. “The expensive stuff.”
Jackson laughed again. He was amazed she could make him laugh even in the midst of the seriousness of their conversation. “To be honest, I didn’t pack it, but surely there’s something in there worth keeping.”
“Any tracking devices, listening devices... anything I should be aware of?” she asked, her playfulness gone. Her hard eyes pinned him.
“No,” he answered without hesitation. “At this stage, I think it’s safer not to, given Diaz already has men following you.”
She nodded. “And if I need to call you?”
His grin returned. “Call the dealership. Your code word isAventador. If anything goes wrong, if you’re walking into a situation you don’t think you’ll walk out of, message it to me and I’ll come. That’s part of the deal. That’s a promise, Anna,” he said.
Their eyes locked, and he felt like she saw right through him—saw his soul.
But she quickly looked away.
“Did you make Alex the same deal? Did you give him a code word?” she asked with narrowed eyes as she looked back to him.
He didn’t look away. “I didn’t make the deal with Alex; he wasn’t my informant. I took over the case a few days before the raid. Your story doesn’t end like that,” he said, promising himself he wouldn’t let that happen to her.
She pressed her lips together. “My story might end like that regardless of your involvement.” Her eyes dropped to her watch. “I need to go. Thank you for the basket,” she said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, and for the first time he thought he saw a glimpse of the emotions she kept hidden—a hint of nerves, of fear. But it was gone as fast as it came.
He reached behind her, opening the door wide. He inhaled the scent of her perfume, wishing this was a date rather than a recruitment meeting for an informant, then stepped aside.
“Be careful,” he said, their eyes locking once more.
She nodded, then turned and left without another glance. He closed the door and walked toward the computer monitor, entering the password he’d been given. The dealership cameras were already on the screen and he sat, his eyes following her through the fields as she left. A minute later, two men walked out of the dealership. Jackson couldn’t see their faces, but something about the way they moved led him to believe they weren’t customers.
He enlarged the footage of the parking area. She drove away, followed closely by another car. Diaz would have men already on the street as well, Jackson thought.
Though... when had Diaz recruited these men? The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that Diaz wouldn’t bring in a new security company right now—men he couldn’t trust.
