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“He called one of the associates in my office. She asked me to drop everything and head here. Professor Reid briefed me with the information he knew—”
“What information? Where did he hear it from?”
“Ezra.”
The confusion slipped from my face, turning into shock. Ezra? He’d put his job on the line and risked everything to give us a chance. We had a right to ask for representation, but him briefing a friend so that they could help us avoid charges was huge. It was way outside what he would be allowed to do as a cop. He shouldn’t have even mentioned us to Tristan, much less given him enough information about the investigation to clue him in on the fact that we might need representation. It had to be a sackable offence, if not a criminal one.
Ezra really was worried. He really was trying to help. I thought he’d been putting on an act, and he had been, but it wasn’t me he was trying to fool. He’d been towing the line with his colleagues, framing questions in a way that set my teeth on edge. But it was his eyes that had told me the truth. The pleading in them, the stress he was carrying. The worry and helplessness when I’d brushed him off.
Sitting in that meeting with him, I hadn’t decided whether I was pissed with Ezra or myself. But now…. Now there was no doubt in my mind. I couldn’t be angry at him; he was a fucking double agent. He worked for the man, but his loyalties lay with his queen.
Closing my eyes, I thanked the universe for him.
I had my own reasons for breaking into the Reserve Bank of Australia’s servers. I doubted anyone in their right mind would think I was justified, but I didn’t give a whole lot of fucks.
I wanted what they had, so I took it. They wouldn’t miss it. They didn’t lose anything. Hell, they weren’t even using it. I would. I had a purpose for it, a need.
The locked doors, the passwords, their laws—they couldn’t keep me out. They could never contain me. They certainly couldn’t stop me.
The police were doing their best, but I had my loyal knights. My men.
First Ryder and Flynn had been there, trying to muscle their way into securing my freedom. Ezra and Tristan had shown a little more flair when they’d jumped to my aid. Ezra had put everything on the line for me.
Tristan had walked away. He’d turned his back. But he hadn’t washed his hands of me. He’d reached out, seeking help for us. It may have been self-preservation. It may have been a need to ensure that he wasn’t going to be held responsible for my acts, but something in my gut told me that wasn’t the case.
No, I had a feeling that my professorhole was still mine.
I pulled my hair out of my ponytail and slumped in my seat. “I… I’m in shock.”
“Have they given you any indication of the charges?”
I waved her off. “I’m not worried about that. Do you know who Ezra is?”
“No idea, sorry.” She shook her head and pressed her lips together, seemingly biting back a comment in order to move the conversation along.
“It’s Detective Fraser. He’s my…. Look, don’t say anything in front of any of the other police officers. They can’t know he called Tristan. He’ll lose his job, if not face charges himself. I can’t let that happen. He needs to be protected.”
“My job is to protect you, not the police.”
“He’s not the police.” I shook my head. On the surface that comment didn’t make sense, but I knew where Ezra’s loyalties truly lay, and I wouldn’t let him be punished for protecting me. “Look, you don’t have the whole story, and I don’t have time to explain it to you before the detectives come back in—”
“They’ll wait for as long as it takes for us to finish our meeting.”
“And every minute that we’re in here delaying things is a minute longer they can be pressuring Flynn and Ry for information. I understand what you’re saying, but I need to answer their questions and get the heat off all of us. It’s the only way this will get sorted out—”
She held her hands up in a stopping motion and spoke over me. “I’m all for cooperating with the police when it’s appropriate, but you’re in federal custody. If they can build a case, the charges you’re potentially facing are serious. We’re talking significant jail time.”
I nodded and waited for her to finish talking, but I was getting impatient.
She laid her hands flat on the table and pressed her lips together before continuing. “At this point, unless you have an alibi or other evidence which will exonerate you, my recommendation is that you force the police to satisfy their onus of proof. Let them build the case. Don’t do it for them.”
I stood and slipped my hands into my belt loops before walking a lap of the back wall. Turning to face her again, I explained, “I’m a cyber investigator for the federal police. It’s literally my job to build the cases you’re talking about. I completely understand what you’re saying.”
She opened her mouth to interrupt again but this time I reciprocated with the same stopping gesture. “I’ve given a USB to Detective Fraser. He’s reviewing the contents as we speak. That’s my exonerating evidence. It’s the reason why I got on my plane and went to Sydney in the first place. Let me sort this out myself.”
“Okay. Look, I need to ask—are you declining representation?”
I couldn’t help the smile when I thought about Ezra speaking with Tristan and my grumpy professor pulling out all stops to have someone here to protect me. But I was honestly more concerned for Flynn and Ryder than myself.
