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The whole truth.
And all this happening right under the FBI’s watchful eye as part of my ‘investigation’ into Alessa’s affairs.
If the truth about Alessa’s secret network ever got out, it would mean torture and death for Alessa, and miserable slavery for countless innocents as well. Young women like Sienna, who deserve a chance to escape their exploitation.
And I swore to Alessa that I would protect her secret, even knowing it obstructs the very mission that brought me here. A mission I once pursued with single-minded focus, so certain of the righteousness of my task…
But now, a web of emotional and ethical complications has ensnared my heart. I’m tangled in feelings I never anticipated, breaking agency rules I never imagined I—
“Miller!”
Sam Wright’s voice cuts through the maelstrom in my mind. I turn, astonished, to see him striding toward me, his face tight with anger and concern.
He followed me?
“What the hell were you doing in there?” he demands as he reaches me. He grabs me by the shoulders and I stare at him, speechless for a moment. But I bristle at his tone. Handler or not, he has no right to bully me this way.
“You can’t just follow me around 24/7, Wright,” I snap back. “I’m not some lost little lamb. I’m on amission.” My voice comes out like steel even as my insides are churning.
“Answer the question, Nat,” he snaps, his eyes burning into mine. “What were you doing in there with Alessa de Luca?”
I’ve never been great at confrontation. But I’ll be damned if I let him talk down to me. “First up, take your damn hands off me.” He does. “And second, I don’t answer to you.”
“The hell you don’t,” he fires back, eyes blazing. “I’m your handler on this op. It’s my job to keep you safe.”
I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “I was gathering information, alright?” I snap back, my cheeks flushing despite myself. “Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?”
“Information? You expect me to believe that?” He scoffs, shaking his head. “You were in there for hours, Natalie.Hours!”
I amsofucking glad I had a shower before I left her.
But I’m still figuring things out in my own mind. And I’m not going to let Sam Wright railroad me. “Last time I checked, being an FBI agent didn’t come with a curfew.” My voice is ice cold now. “It’s not likeyou’venever gone off the grid before.”
“Off the grid?” He barks out a laugh. “This isn’t some undercover drug sting, Natalie. This is the goddamn Mafia! You think you can just waltz in there and play nice with that bitch?”
Hearing him call her that stings like a slap in the face, but I take a breath before I tell him to mind his manners. I can’t do anything—say anything—that might reveal what, exactly, Ihavebeen doing.
Not just because of the huge ethical issues around an undercover operative sleeping with a target, but because of Sienna.
Because of Alessa’s secret, which I promised to keep.
“Maybe if you had any faith in me—” I begin.
“Faith? Faith has nothing to do with it!” His voice cracks. “I’m trying toprotectyou, Natalie. But I can’t do that if you keep shutting me out.”
“Protect me?” I scoff. “I knew the risks when I took on the job, Wright.”
“Protect you from making a mistake,” he says quietly. “One that could cost you everything.”
I stare at him for a moment, taking in his words. But there’s something else there, apart from concern—something I can’t quite put my finger on.
“Do you have any idea,” he goes on in a low voice, “what kind of danger you’re in? The things that could happen if you let your guard down around that woman?”
I’m already starting to feel angry with myself. How could I have let myself lose my head so much as to actually sleep with the target? But this aggressive, patronizing approach from Wright only makes me angrier. I lift my chin and stare him down. “I’m not some untested rookie straight out of Quantico. I’ve been undercover before. I know what the hell I’m doing.”
His eyes narrow, still seeking answers. “Doesn’t seem that way from where I’m standing. Whatdidde Luca want with you in there?”
The question raises my hackles even further. The urge to slap that arrogant expression off his face is so visceral I have to clench my hidden fist to restrain myself. Instead I fix him with an icy stare. “You’ll find out when you read my report, like everyone else.”
