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"Yeah," I say. "He was…at your arrest. He's the one who took me there to see it." Everything I say just sounds so bad.
Her brows dip as she thinks. "I didn't notice him there. I…" She turns her face to me, expressionless. "I only saw you, Natalie. Watching." She turns back to the window. "But I've seenhimlurking around my neighborhood."
"During surveillance, probably."
"No. This was before my arrest," Alessa says, her voice tight, "and after, too. The other night, when you were there, he was there, too. I thought he was one of Mancini’s men, but—" She breaks off, eyes widening, and turns fully toward me. "Natalie, he's been watching us. Watching usboth."
If that's true, Sam Wright is stalking us on his time off, not in any official capacity. The pieces start to fall into place in a disturbing pattern.
A colleague I trusted, now a potential threat lurking in the shadows?
I sag against the wall, my mind racing. No matter how overbearing I found him, I always assumed he was motivated by professional concerns. I replay our interactions, looking for signs I missed. The way he lingered a little too long, his eyes a little too watchful.
Realization dawns on me with a chilling clarity: Sam’s interest in me certainly wasn’t just professional.
"He’s always been a bit overprotective," I confess to Alessa. "But this, it’s something else. It’s like he’s obsessed, not just with catching you, but also with...me." I push off the wall, my thoughts a whirlwind. "The shots fired at us—could it have been Wright? Did you get a look at the person?"
Alessa’s eyes narrow. "I didn't get more than a glimpse. I was focused on you." I swallow involuntarily at her words, remembering her instant protectiveness—without a second thought, she put her life on the line for me—but she's already going on. "But it’s possible. And here he is, after all, banging on your door at five-forty-three in the morning."
It’s all lining up. Sam’s overprotectiveness, his insistence on being involved in every aspect of my work. He’s not just a colleague who’s concerned. He’s too involved, too...obsessed.
Alessa watches me, her gaze intense. "Perhaps he's the missing piece in your puzzle," she says softly. "If he's obsessed with you, then I—" She breaks off.
"Would be a threat," I finish for her, and I hold her eyes. "Yes. Because he knows how I feel about you."
Alessa smiles.
And despite everything, despite the fear and the worry, I smile back, my heart lifting. But then her face hardens, lips pressing into a thin line. "If he’s been watching us, then heknowsabout us. About this," she gestures between us. "We need to be careful, Natalie. More careful than ever. For Elena's sake, if nothing else."
I cross the room and take her hand. "This is a mess," I say baldly. "And you're right. Elena's the one who matters for now. So whatever is going on here between us…"
"We will deal with it after Elena is safe," she says at once, nodding agreement.
I hope like hell she understands I'm not trying to back away. But all I do is say, "What next?"
"Give me today to move a few chess pieces around on the board. And tonight, we'll meet somewhere low-key and hammer out the final details. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
And in the meantime, I'm going to speak to the Bureau about Sam Wright.
CHAPTER16
NATALIE
Captain Stephen Bell, my team leader, hasn't spoken to me since I've been on leave, and I know he thinks I failed—allowed the mission to become too personal, blew my cover like a rookie, fucked up the whole operation.
And the thing is, he's right.
But these things aren't black and white. Alessa isn't some cartoon villain, and while she did break the law, she did it for good reasons.
So the ends justify the means?Bell asks sarcastically in my mind.
With a sigh, I raise my hand to knock on his office door and face the real man. I need to talk to him about Sam Wright. His increasingly erratic behavior has me on edge.
Taking a breath, I rap my knuckles on the door and open it at his brusque call to enter. "Captain Bell? Got a minute?"
His eyes narrow. "Miller. I thought you were still on leave. What is it?"
