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We sit without speaking for several moments. Finally Juno breaks the silence.
“I suppose you’re waiting for me to lay into you. Scold you for allowing an outsider past your defenses.” She shakes her head, almost sadly. “But you’re doing that well enough on your own.”
I look into my glass, watching the caramel liquid swirl. She’s right. I left myself wide open for the attack. The thought makes shame creep hotly up my neck.
“Alessa,” Juno says, her voice softer than I’ve ever heard it, “I’m sorry. Truly.”
I take that in, nod my thanks.
“But what’s done is done.” Juno’s voice hardens into its usual commanding tone. “Now we control the damage. First priority is determining how much she knew, and what she could have told to the Feds.”
I nod, latching onto the tactical talk like a lifeline. “Agreed.”
“And you know what else must be done,” Juno says.
“Oh, yes,” I sigh. “I know.”
CHAPTER25
NATALIE
The heavy door of the Ruby Realm slams closed behind me with finality. I let out a shaky breath as I take a few steps, but then my knees threaten to buckle, and I have to steady myself against the cold brick wall as I try to process everything that just happened.
My mind is reeling.
I got made. By Juno Bianchi, no less.
My cover is blown.
Alessa knows I’m FBI.
Our precarious relationship, built on a foundation of lies and desire, has come crumbling down around me—and I can’t even feel surprised about it.
I take a few deep breaths, pushing down the sick feeling in my gut. I can’t lose it now. I have to report to my team.
Correction: I have to go get yelled at by Stephen Bell.
I make my way to the white van parked a block away, my heels dragging on the pavement. What will I say? How will I explain this catastrophic failure?
As I slide open the van door, Evelyn Chang offers me a sympathetic glance, her eyes speaking the words her lips do not.
But Bell’s face is hard, his jaw clenched so tight I fear it might snap.
“What the hell happened in there?” His voice lashes out like the crack of a whip. “Why did you remove your wire? Do you have any idea what you’ve—”
“I got made.” I drop it plain and simple.
And it only makes things worse.
“Youwhat?”
“After I took off the wire, Alessa…she ambushed me. She had Juno Bianchi in there with her, in the private room. Th-they threatened me. Juno said she would kill me, unless I told them who I really was.”
Bell stares at me. “None of that explains why you removed the wire in the first place.”
I open my mouth…but nothing comes out.
He shakes his head. “Thanks to you, we’ve lost our one solid chance to gather evidence on Alessa de Luca. Now we have to start back at square one while she covers her tracks.
