Page 40 of Fallout

“Quiet.” Samantha glanced over her shoulder at Destiny. “I get that you might need her to fix something or tell you what she did, but that might not happen without due process. And I doubt you want her messing with your system more than she already has.”

“That’s not up to me.” Destiny looked at the screen of her phone. “Clare is on her way up. She’ll decide what is going to happen with this woman.”

Jasper said, “She’s being arrested.”

“She’s my CI.” Samantha wasn’t going to back down any more than Jasper looked prepared to. “I brought her here. I’ll deal with her.”

“This wasn’t your fault,” Jasper said. “You couldn’t have known she would do this.”

So much compassion. Seeing it in him now reminded her of exactly why she had to steel herself against his goodness and be strong. Take care of things on her own. If she gave him an inch, he would be all in for miles of helping her with the baby. And how could she, in all good conscience, do that to a guy who needed to be free to fall in love. Get married.

Samantha said, “Itismy fault.”

April snorted.

“Guess I know now what kind of woman you are.” Samantha folded her arms. “And I was epically wrong about you.”

Simon appeared at the door. “I know what she did.” He looked at April. “Draconem.”

Peter flinched.

April shrugged, but for a second, Destiny saw fear in her eyes. “Guess you caught me.”

So why did it seem like she wanted to be in cuffs?

SEVENTEEN

“That’s a good idea.” In truth, Jasper had been thinking the same thing. But now that Peter had suggested they go talk to April’s boyfriend—the one who had supposedly beaten her up and the reason she’d needed protection—Jasper couldn’t say he’d had the same idea, or it would only look like he was trying to one-up the Vanguard operative.

Given the tenuous situation right now, he couldn’t posture. Even if it was true.

Simon had found a file buried in their system. Password protected, possibly some kind of virus waiting to be set off like a bomb.

Jasper hopped off the edge of the desk, far too aware of Destiny across the bullpen talking to Clare. “Peter and I are going to go talk to April’s boyfriend.”

Samantha still had her CI in the conference room. Trying to convince her to talk about what she’d been doing here. Not arresting her—yet—meant they didn’t have to offer her counsel. However, she could choose to not say anything at all. Which seemed to be April’s tactic so far.

Just a whole lot of attitude and no confession.

Clare tugged out a chair so she could sit. “Thank you. Destiny and I have a few fires to put out.”

Simon didn’t look up from his computer. Gage had dropped off Clare but hadn’t stayed. The team from Cold Cases had been in and out, offering help. One or two of them could come up and back up Samantha, given the alternative was a computer guy with a lot of work ahead of him and two pregnant women.

He suggested the idea to Peter, not wanting the women to think they were taking care of them. Even if that’s exactly what it was.

“Good idea.” He picked up a desk phone and dialed three numbers. “Couple people for backup in the bullpen. Jasper and I are going out.” Peter listened for a second, then hung up. “They’re coming.”

“Good. Let’s go.” He told Samantha what they were doing and confirmed the guy’s information and a couple of places they might find him, then leaned down and kissed Destiny’s cheek. “If I don’t end up coming back, I’ll call you later.”

Generally, he never knew how a day was going to go. He couldn’t make a guarantee he’d be back, but it wasn’t like he would leave here and forget the magnitude of what she’d told him. Neither would he stop caring about her.

She squeezed his elbow. Nearly said something.

He’d ask her about that later. Maybe without an audience.

Jasper drove to the bar where Samantha had seemed sure they would find the boyfriend at this time on a Saturday.

Peter made a “huh” sound with his head bent over his tablet. The guy was as astute at computer stuff as his brother, he just chose to be out of the office more than in it. Jasper could respect that. There were parts of his job he liked better than others.