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Blake nodded, shakily. He sure as hell thought they had. “We did. But somehow, Vivian’s division learned about the tip, and here she is.”
“What else did she say?” Caden asked.
Blake shook his head. “Not much. I got the feeling she wasn’t being forthcoming with us on purpose. And it’s not like I could call her out on it without drawing attention to myself. Oh, and she thinks whoever sent the tip is somehow connected to me.”
“Fuck!” Caden roared.
The door opened then, and Vivian came in. Her gaze locked with Caden’s, but Blake didn’t miss the satisfied smirk on her otherwise flawless face. “I have a meeting I need to get to. I hope everything is alright.”
Caden blew out a breath and glanced at Blake. “All good. Just needed to have a word with Agent O’Connell. Now, I have some things I need to take care of, so if you two wouldn’t mind…” He gestured toward the door and Blake got the hint, as did she.
Blake stood and followed Vivian out of his friend’s office. “It wasn’t my intention to get you in trouble with Agent Dobbs, but I find that transparency is always best when working a case.” Her voice grated on him, and her words sounded more like an irritating hum in his ears over the loud pounding of his heart in his chest. This woman could easily destroy the protective bubble he and his friends had created to keep Hallie and Orly safe.
Blake eyed her like the enemy she was. “I thought you had a meeting to get to?”
“I do, but I wanted to make sure that you and I were still on the same page,” Vivian said.
“We’re not even in the same book,” Blake huffed out, then walked ahead of her, hoping she wouldn’t follow.
When he reached his cubicle, he glanced over his shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief when she was nowhere in sight. He wanted to go back to Caden’s office and demand they hatch out a plan. If Caden asked him to stay away from Hallie, he’d do it. If Caden asked him to transfer to a different case or even a different branch, he’d go. It was the least he could do for his friend, who’d been there for him since his first day on the job. Blake’s cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and sank into his chair before reading the text message.
Caden: My mind is spinning. I can’t let them touch her.
Blake: They won’t. I’ll stay away.
Caden: No. Changing your behavior is something she’ll notice. Don’t do or say anything to draw attention to yourself. We proceed as before.
Blake: What about…?
Caden: I’ll take care of it.
Blake let out a tight breath and shoved his phone back in his pocket. He thought about deleting his messages, but that wouldn’t help if Vivian ever decided to get a warrant for his provider. He had no actual proof of Hallie or Orly’s abilities anywhere on his phone or in his apartment. But if Vivian hung around him long enough, he worried someone would slip up around her, or worse, they’d start acting differently when she was around and she’d pick up on that and know they were protecting someone.
Blake couldn’t believe he actually had to protect the people he cared about from his own government. The very institution he worked for and trusted, not just with his life, but the lives of every person in this country that he loved so much.
His thoughts raced back to Caden and how happy the man had been when he first walked into his office. There was no question his close friend was madly in love with his fiancée, and Blake didn’t even want to imagine the lengths that man would go to protect the love of his life.
Agent Vivian Bennett had just unleashed a monster, and Blake was going to stand right by his side.
Chapter 8
Skyla leaned against the back of the bar, watching as her bartender expertly and easily took care of the few single men who were throwing back shots, obviously trying to drown out a bad start to their week. Mondays weren’t busy, but they were always interesting. Tonight, her main concern was a couple sitting toward the back where the lighting was somewhat dim.
It was a popular booth for couples to sit in when they wanted some privacy and to be out of the way of the main area. Skyla didn’t often bother people who sat there, except to get their orders and bring them their drinks. But tonight, the guy sitting with the woman was raising Skyla’s hackles. She’d seen him here before, and knew his name was Hank. She often referred to him as Hank the Tank because he was a big sort of fella, with broad shoulders and a shaved head. He wore a torn sleeveless shirt and jeans that looked like they hadn’t been washed in months.
Hank was the kind of repeat customer Skyla could do without. She couldn’t hear what they were saying over the music, but since taking over Madigan’s, Skyla had become an excellent body language expert, and she would bet her night’s earnings that the woman sitting with that guy wanted to be anywhere else but here tonight, with him. Skyla had no idea where Hank found these women, but this was now the third one he’d brought into Madigan’s. Before even going over there, Skyla knew she was going to have to ask him to leave and call the woman a cab.
The woman shook her head at something Hank said and started to get up, but Hank grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back down. She turned her head away, looking at the wall as if to hide the shame of her pain. Hank said something more to her and she once again shook her head, and twisted her arm out of his hold, rubbing the spot where Skyla was sure he’d left a mark.
The woman clutched her purse in her lap, and turned to look at the bar area. She didn’t make eye contact with Skyla, but she didn’t need to. Skyla knew it was her cry for help.
She pushed off the back of the bar and strode over to them with her order pad in hand. “Is there anything else I can get you?” Skyla asked, hoping her presence would at least calm the situation.
“Yeah,” Hank barked. “Another one of these, and some peace and quiet.” He glared at Skyla as if she’d said something to offend him.
Skyla wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but instead she smiled and turned her attention to the woman. “Are you okay, Miss?”
“She’s fine, now where’s my damn drink?” Hank roared.
