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“You too, Agent Stevens. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“I won’t.” Hayley winked. “Hopefully they’ll relocate you somewhere warm and sunny and near the beach.”
“With my luck, I’ll end up someplace just like this again.”
“Hey,” Hayley said, stopping halfway out the door, “think positive.”
“Right.” Natalie gave Hayley a thumbs-up. “See you around.”
“See you.”
At the end of the hallway loomed AD Carson, and her pulse kicked up a notch.
The walk down the hall was long. The moments stretched out like hours as she passed the waiting area and spotted Scotty leaning against the wall. His gaze locked with hers, unreadable. She’d been a mess at the condo, her emotions all over the map. Did he think less of her because she’d taken Natalie’s side? Or was he angry with her for the way she’d snapped at him?She’s mine, he’d said. But what did that mean? It was clear the other guys saw him as a player—probably with good reason. They’d known him a lot longer than she had, after all. What did he want there to be between them? Because if this was only about sex to him, then she was out. As hot as the sex was, that was never going to be enough for her in the long term.
She shook her head and tried to get back in the game. Fixating on her relationship with Scotty would not help her current situation. To speak with the assistant director, she needed a clear mind and a strong heart. The Bureau didn’t tolerate cowards.
God, she’d loved working there, serving her country, fighting the good fight. Now she’d have to start all over again. Natalie was right—starting over was hard.
At the end of the corridor, Hayley stopped and ran a shaky hand over her clothes, then cleared her throat to alert AD Carson of her arrival. “You wanted to see me, sir?”
“Yes, Agent Stevens.” He took her arm and led her to a secluded alcove. “I know you’ve been through a lot over the last couple of days, and I just wanted to say, on behalf of the FBI, thank you for your service.”
She blinked. That…wasn’t at all how she’d expected him to begin.
“We’ve had several meetings within the department, and I believe you would be the best candidate to head up the new cybercrimes team, if you’re interested.” He gave her a cool smile. “You can, of course, take a few days and think about it.”
“What?” Her brain seemed to have short-circuited. “Are you kidding?”
Carson almost cracked a smile. “Absolutely not.”
“But I thought—” She shook her head. No sense in alerting him to any of her improprieties if he didn’t already know about them. Part of her wanted to accept the offer before he had a chance to change his mind, but she knew she shouldn’t rush into any decisions about her future before she and Scotty had a chance to talk. “Uh, I will definitely consider it. Thank you, sir.”
“Do you have any questions for me, Agent Stevens?”
“Can you tell me anything about Michelle? Agent Harper, that is. Is she still at large?”
“We apprehended her and her team.” He exhaled and frowned. “Agent Harper is currently being held pending arraignment on charges of fraud and espionage.”
“Espionage?”
“She confessed to working for an outside party but refused to provide specifics.”
Hayley frowned. “What about her son? He’s very ill.”
“We’re taking that into account. She claims he’s the reason she did all of this. That the outside party offered her the money for a surgery she needed to save him. We at the Bureau aren’t monsters, Agent Stevens, and I’ve spoken to a Commander Brighton as well. If she was being bribed with the chance to save her child’s life, we’ll try to find a solution that’s fair. Don’t worry. I’ll personally make sure her son is well cared for during the process.”
“Good.”
“Here’s my card, Agent Stevens.” Carson handed her his information. “When you’re ready, please call the number listed. It’s my direct line.”
“Thank you, sir. For stopping by and for the job offer.”
“My pleasure. Talk to you soon, Agent Stevens.” He straightened his suit jacket and walked away, heading for the stairwell instead of the elevators and leaving Hayley alone once more.
She fiddled with the business card for several moments, staring down at it without really seeing it. Even without looking at him, she could feel the weight of Scotty’s stare on her, her skin prickling with the tingle of awareness that sparked whenever he was around. Back when they’d first met, she’d put it down to professional instinct. Now, she knew better. What she felt for Scotty had nothing to do with her job and everything to do with her heart.
Still, for all his wonderful qualities, he was a maverick and a risk-taker too. If they were going to be together, she needed to teach him a lesson about responsibility.
