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What if I’d had that all wrong?
What if he hadn’t been trying to help? What if he had offered to help so that he could control what I saw—and keep me from seeing what he didn’t want me to see?
And I had very nearly allowed him to do it. If I had handled this investigation the way I’d meant to, I would have missed this.
I was suddenly glad for what I’d found, even though I knew it would cause problems. My career came first, even ahead of the great sex Brian had been giving me. And besides, I cared about government integrity, and if Jack was responsible for stealing from American citizens, I did want to stop it.
At least, this means Brian wasn’t involved. He didn’t even react to seeing me with this folder, and if he’d known what was in there, he definitely would have had some reaction.
My thoughts were interrupted by a rattling sound that made me spin toward the door. It had been so long since I’d heard any sound that wasn’t made by one of the two of us that it spooked me a little.
A moment later, the door opened, and Jack stepped in, holding a brass key.
“Jack!” Brian walked toward him, laughing buoyantly. “Damn, kid, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”
“Am I?” Jack was looking at me and at the folder in my hands. I quickly tipped it toward my chest, not wanting him to see what I was holding.
“Ms. Barrett and I have been locked in since Saturday,” Brian explained. “When you left, the door locked behind you. And then the power went out—”
“It’s a downed wire,” Jack said. “The power’s out on the whole block. There are a ton of electric company trucks out there trying to get it back on. Why didn’t you call someone to let you out? I would have come back.”
“My phone died,” Brian explained. “And Ms. Barrett didn’t have hers.”
“I should probably be going, actually,” I chipped in. “This being Monday morning, I’m due at work.”
“Right,” Brian said.
There was a moment of awkwardness between us. The circumstances seemed to call for more of a goodbye than possible with Jack standing there. I definitely couldn’t touch him, nor could we tell the other that we’d keep in touch.
But maybe the awkwardness could work in my favor. “I need to grab my briefcase,” I told him. “I left it at the desk where I was working.”
He stood back out of my way, and I hurried over.
Both men were watching me. I knew that.
But I didn’t think either of them was watching meclosely. And I could use that.
I picked up my briefcase, put it on the desk, and popped it open. Then I slid theautomotivefolder inside. I was not, strictly speaking, supposed to take this with me. But I wanted a little more time with it, away from prying eyes, to ensure I was right about what I had.
I went back to the door, briefcase in hand, and nobody tried to stop me. They hadn’t noticed what I’d done. They didn’t know I was leaving with one of their files.
Guilt stabbed at me.
This was going to be complicated. This whole thing was going to be hard.
But what else could I do? I couldn’t risk the career I’d dreamed of all my life out of a desire to avoid upsetting Brian. I liked him—well, I was coming to like him—and he’d fucked me better than any guy, and I wanted more of that. But that wasn’t more important than my career. It just wasn’t.
He would understand in the end. His career meant the world to him too.
“Thanks,” I said to him. “You know, for the food and everything.”
I hoped he understood what I meant byeverything.
And maybe he did because he smiled at me. “Anytime,” he replied, and I thought I knew what he meant too.
I hope he’s still saying that after I break this.
I hurried out of the building and toward my car, which was still right where I’d left it on Saturday afternoon. That felt like something out of another life now. So much had happened since I’d decided to come in and try to get my investigation done on the weekend.
