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The only way to pull that off was to walk away.
And Talia had. The cover story was already in her lap, and she knew it wouldn’t be questioned. Even though it sounded twisted even to her own ears, she was doing this for them. For all of them. For people she didn’t even know.
Once it was done and over, and the bad guys were behind bars, the world truly would be a safer place. She was counting on Tucker being able to understand that.
He was a reasonable man…most days.
“Good thing I took notes,” Marley King, her new partner and lead on the case said as everyone rose from their chairs.
“Sorry, I spaced,” Talia apologized with a half-hearted smile and turned off her phone without sending a reply.
As they filed out with the rest of the FBI task force, Marley nodded at Talia’s phone, her silky brown, blunt-cut bangs falling over one equally brown eye. “He still hanging on?”
“Tight as ever. I hope,” she amended with a frown. They were so close to closing this case. All she needed was a little more time and then she could go home and try to repair the damage her leaving had undoubtedly caused.
As the assembly broke out into the hall, Marley and Talia turned left and made their way toward their private office.
“I know it sucks having to lie to him,” Marley commiserated, “but you’ll be able to go home soon and put this all behind you.”
“I really hope you’re right. Right now, he’s miserable, and he thinks it’s all his fault that I left. When he finds out the truth, he might never forgive me.”
Unlocking the office door, Marley stepped in first and flipped on the overhead lights. The two desks that pressed back to back were covered in so many files and paperwork, the tan metal was barely visible, and the trashcan beside them was beyond overflowing with various takeout containers and empty coffee cups. All evidence of their late nights and hard work. But what really stood out was the giant whiteboard covered in a combination of both women’s handwriting, with arrows and lines crisscrossing paths around photos of perps and persons of interest, all forming a network that pointed directly at the Cruiz Cartel, recently overtaken by one Manuel Contreras. Foul play was assumed, as those kinds of exchanges rarely happened peaceably, but no body had yet to be recovered. Luciana might as well have been abducted by aliens because it was as if she’d simply vanished.
“I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Marley said as she seated herself behind her desk and tried to make sense of the pile of papers in front of her. “He’s still texting and calling every day and night. That’s a good sign.”
“Again, I hope you’re right.” Talia sighed and sat down opposite her partner. As much as she wanted to wallow in her self-imposed misery, there was work to do, and the only way to go home again was to get it done. The sooner, the better. “Where did we leave off?”
Marley cut her a cunning smile. “I believe it was something to do with undercover operations and hitting Contreras when and where he least expects it.”
Ah, right. There. Talia flipped her shoulder-length blonde hair back over one shoulder and picked up her trusted black sharpie. “Let’s get started, shall we?”
six
“Where did you go last night?”
Rena looked up from a bowl of Cheerios she was munching on while propped against the edge of Angel’s gold faux stone Formica counter. She looked rough as if she’d been out running all night.
Or having sex.
Angel would bet on the latter. She’d never known her sister to be one to go without. She was wild, untamed, and had a touch of a sweet and softer side, and that’s what drew the opposite sex like bees to honey.
The problem was, those bees usually turned out to be wasps and almost always stung.
“You’re up late.”
Angel arched an eyebrow. “I work late; therefore, I sleep late. So…what’s your excuse?”
“I had a few drinks,” Rena said around a mouthful of food.
Angel looked her over once more as she moved past her to retrieve a bowl from the cabinet for her own cereal. “Have fun?”
“Mmhmm. Sure did.”
Pouring some chocolate frosted flakes into the bowl, Angel asked over her shoulder, “With anyone I might know?”
“Gee, Mom,” Rena snarked, “I don’t know. What’s with the third degree?” She huffed and dropped her empty bowl into the sink.
Angel gave her a sidelong look as she opened the refrigerator to get the milk. “What’s with the attitude?” she shot back.
