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That's until I'm dropped down onto what feels like a couch or mattress and I grunt from the shock of it.
“Hold fucking still and we'll let you go,” someone growls as my feet are freed first followed by my hands.
I just the hood off my face, my eyes burning as they adjust to the bright halogen lights trying to blind me. When my vision clears, I see that I’m in the same type of grey and beige, non-descript room I’ve been in many times before.
I glare at the two men dressed in black suits that stand in front of me, their expressions stoic and unreadable. The older one has a receding hairline and a crooked nose. The younger one of the two has blonde hair and bright blue eyes, obviously a newbie agent who’s not yet jaded or tortured by the horrors he’ll undoubtedly see the more years on the job he gets under his belt.
I rub my wrists as I quirk a brow at the senior agent. “Bit dramatic, don't you think?”
His lips twitch. “Had to make it seem real.”
“Did you really need to keep playing along once you had me off the street,” I grind out.
“Where's the fun in that,” the younger man says with a smirk.
I roll my eyes. “You two done playing good cop, bad cop? Can we get on with whatever you hauled me in here for?”
“We’re waiting for Detective Manning,” the senior agent says. I roll my eyes because of course Marls would be behind this. Let’s scare the shit out of Aiden just to show who’s in charge.
“Well, can you at least get me some of that dirty dishwater you call coffee while we do that?”
The older man clears his throat and turns to his younger partner, a curt nod giving the order before we’re left alone.
I quirk a brow. “You going to tell me why I'm here?”
“Manning asked that we get you here without being detected. We simply did what we had to do.”
Five minutes later, blondie returns with my coffee. I eye it suspiciously as he hands it over, earning a snort. The door opens again and Marlee walks in, looking all business with a travel mug of her own.
She quickly looks me over before turning back to the other two agents and shaking their hands. “Thanks, guys. Much appreciated. I can take it from here.”
Then it's just the two of us, sitting in a room with a couch on one side, a small table on the other, and two chairs surrounding it.
“So, Detective Manning. Now that you've got me here. What are you going to do with me?” Yes it’s an asshole comment, but I’m still getting over the whole fake kidnapping fiasco.
“I want what you offered.”
I arch a brow because there's no way I can't with such an open suggestion.
“And what was that? Finishing what happened in the closet or helping you with Decker? Because either option is fine by me. Maybe just not in a government building.” I look her over and don't even try to fight the smirk curling my lips. “Although it would be a first for me. How about you, Marls?”
She stares wide-eyed at me like I've grown another head or something. “Are you drunk?”
I take a sip of the concoction they try to pass off as coffee. “Nah. Exhausted, relieved I'm no longer heading toward injury or maybe death.” I shrug. “Who knows. Did you really have to kidnap me, though?”
“And you call us dramatic,” she says with a roll of her eyes. She turns one of the chairs around and sits down, crossing her legs in what would usually be a move to distract a suspect she was interrogating. That doesn't mean I still don’t fall for it. Marlee shrugs. “Besides, it got you here and you were far enough from the bar that if anyone was following you, then they'll think it's a robbery or you being roughed up a bit. Your cover is fine, Aiden.” She's not wrong, so I don't reply.
“Do you still want to help us? Help me?”
I don't look away and there's no way she can miss that familiar buzz arcing between us. “Sure. But I need to know what you're working on, who you're working with, and what you need me to look for. I'm not going into this unless I know everything. That's a deal breaker.”
She worries her lip between her teeth and I see indecision warring in her gaze. She slowly closes her eyes before muttering something to herself and taking a deep breath before opening them again and staring straight at me.
“OK. You’ve got a deal.”
“Good. Because I’ve already got a lead for you.”
Chapter 13
