by Rachel Dylan
“What type of law?”
She took another breath, because this is where the rubber would meet the road. “I want to be a prosecutor.”
Silence fell between them. Then Aiden spoke. “You want to go after guys like the sergeant.”
They’d agreed a long time ago not to speak his name. Not to give him that power over her. “Yeah. I do.”
He took her hand. “I’ll support you one hundred percent.” He paused. “But you realize that nothing you do is ever going to change what happened.”
“I do, but I also believe that if I can harness some of my pain and frustration into helping others, in the end, it will also help me.”
After another quiet moment, Aiden said, “So, the LSAT, huh? How do you think Marco will handle this?”
Marco was her boss at NCIS, and she had no intention of telling him anything. “Right now he doesn’t need to know. I need to make sure I can actually get into a good law school before anything else happens.”
“Would you quit NCIS?”
She’d thought long and hard about this. “I think I’d have to. If I’m going to do this, I need to do it right, and that means complete dedication. Let’s see how I do on the test and then go from there.”
“Whatever you need from me, just say it.” He squeezed her hand. “But if you decide for whatever reason not to take that path, you can still do a lot of good at NCIS. Don’t forget all the good you’ve already done in the short time you’ve been there.”
“I know. And I’m not going to make any rash decisions, but I have to explore this option. I’ve told you before, but your dad really changed my life in the best of ways. He encouraged me to seek counseling, and that has truly helped. And, of course, working with him is how I met you.” She smiled, and warmth filled her heart.
“God has perfect timing, Izzy, and seeing that play out in our lives has been pretty amazing.”
She had stepped away from her faith for years after her father’s murder, but as part of confronting what had happened to her at the hands of the sergeant, she had turned back to God. It hadn’t been easy. Largely because she had so much anger, but she was working through it day by day.
“Having you by my side has made all the difference in the world,” she said.
“I feel the same way about you.”
As she looked into his eyes, she felt like her heart might explode. They were taking things very slowly, but she knew deep inside that Aiden was the man for her. But she wanted to heal as much as she could so she wouldn’t be a burden on him. There was no doubt about her feelings, though. She looked up at him. “Aiden, I love you.”
He brushed her hair behind her ear and then pulled her closer. “I love you too.”
As his lips touched hers, she could feel her heart, which had been so dark and broken, slowly being mended by his love.
CHAPTER
SIX
Hunter sat on the sofa, keeping a healthy distance between him and Layla. When he’d gotten the call from Zane about working on a new assignment, he’d been excited to have another opportunity to work for the DEA. But that had quickly changed once he realized Layla was tied up in this. Her role was still a source of confusion for him, but he’d decided it was best to wait to talk to her when it was just the two of them. He’d gotten the strong impression from Layla that she didn’t want to air their dirty laundry in front of Zane and Cass, and he couldn’t blame her for that.
Hunter decided to jump right in. “Please tell me everything, because I know you well enough to know that you weren’t being totally up-front.”
She scowled. “Don’t assume you know who I am today, Hunter, and let’s start with my questions.”
Ouch. He needed to be more diplomatic, or this was going to end badly and fast. “Understood. Sorry, I shouldn’t have jumped the gun.”
She tucked her foot underneath her on the couch and shifted his direction. “DEA. You work with them a lot?”
At least she was starting with a softball question. “Absolutely. I work with them more than any other agency. I’ve developed some strong relationships there, especially with Zane, and I enjoy the work. They never have enough manpower, and I thrive on the challenge.”
“Why not apply and work full-time with them?”
“I like the flexibility the current arrangement gives me. Being able to take on other work is important to me. It expands my skill set and will ultimately make me a better PI. Plus, the DEA likes that I’m not a full-time employee. It saves them money, but they can use me as they need me. It’s a win-win.”
Layla arched an eyebrow. “I’m just surprised that you chose to work for them.”
“I’m not the only one who has changed.” It was true. He’d done a lot of soul-searching to determine which direction to take his career. That he enjoyed the DEA work so much had been a surprise to him.
“So you’ve been in the field?” she asked.
He nodded. “I’ve seen some action, but it’s never gotten too hot to handle. Since I haven’t gone through all the training, they’ve been careful about how close I get to the danger.”
“And that’s okay with you?”
She seemed skeptical. He hadn’t normally been one to sit on the sidelines, but he understood his value. “For now, yes. I’m still learning a lot, and with time, I’ll figure out how best I want to be used by the team. I have a lot of tech skills that others don’t have, so I’m more useful behind a computer than with a gun on the front lines, if that makes sense. My real value right now is more on the investigative side than operations.”
“It’s good to be self-aware,” she said flatly.
She wasn’t cutting him any slack, and he deserved that response from her, given the past between them. He’d forever damaged their relationship, and he didn’t know if there was any coming back from that. “Do you think we can work together on this?”
“What do you mean?”
He didn’t want to be too pushy, but they had to address the gigantic elephant in the room. “Can we put our personal issues aside and focus on the assignment?”
“Do we have much of a choice? The DEA hired you. They must think you’re the right person for the job. We just need to keep things focused on the work. I want to make it clear that I don’t need you as a babysitter.”
“I never thought that,” he said quickly.
“I’m not the woman you knew in law school.”
He couldn’t help but smile a little. “So you’ve mentioned.” Which led him to another thought. “Why is a CIA Mideast analyst working DEA ops in South America?”
She stared off for a moment before looking at him again. “Because I’m no longer just an analyst.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve started working on the operations side too. Not as a support function from Langley, but actually in the field.”
Then it all came together. Layla didn’t have a desk job anymore. She was a CIA operative.
“It’s not exactly what you’re thinking.” Layla knew she would have to explain, given what Hunter understood about her work.
He frowned. “I’m confused. You were hired at the Agency as an analyst, right? Given your degree and your background, you make the perfect Middle East specialist. And now you’re somehow tied up with the DEA, running drug ops in South America?”
She sighed. She understood Hunter’s confusion. Her father was Lebanese, and she’d gotten her undergrad degree at Georgetown in Arab studies. Given her impeccable Arabic language skills and her subject-matter expertise, she’d been a top recruit for the CIA. “Technically, given the turn of events, I am considered an operations or case officer. Most people outside the Agency call everyone spies or operatives, but we are really CIA officers. It’s a complex situation. It was always about me being an analyst. That’s the work I love to do—connecting the dots and synthesizing tons of complex information. And, of course, being fluent in Arabic and Farsi is a big advantage when poring over original source mater
ials. But about a year ago, a special assignment came up. It was presented to me as a onetime thing. I can’t go into details, but it required fieldwork.”
“And I’m guessing this fieldwork took you to the Middle East?”
“Actually, not the initial assignment, no. It was in Europe, but it involved a lot of moving pieces and contacts from many different regions.” She took a moment to gather her thoughts and make sure she wasn’t revealing too much. “Anyway, I performed well, and even though I told them I didn’t want to make the transition from analyst to operations officer, they have subsequently come to me on other special projects. The woman you met in the hospital, Scarlett, works at State and is my interagency mentor. She agrees with the Agency’s plan for my career and has pushed me to take any and every field opportunity I can. She believes I’m thinking too small by staying at Langley behind a desk.”
“And this cartel op was a month ago? You were actually with them in Honduras, right?”
She nodded. “I was. It was a DEA-driven mission. I was the only non-DEA person on the team.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Layla, if the high-ups in the cartel have put out a hit on you, do you realize the kind of trouble you’re in?”
Unfortunately, she did. “I know. And then place on top of that the internal investigation, and things become even more dicey.”
“Have you considered that you’ve formed some enemies at the CIA?”
She’d certainly considered it. “As much as I try to get along with everyone, we all have people we don’t see eye to eye with. I’ve got a couple of people like that. Although I’d hate to think they’d actually try to kill me over our petty squabbles.”
“Layla, this is a complete mess.”
“Believe me, I know.”
“Okay, let’s take one thing at a time. You’re sure there’s nothing your boss said that could tip his hand on what the IG investigation is about?”
She thought for a moment. “No. He was very vague because he wasn’t fully read into the details either.”
“It’s really unjust that they can accuse you, put you on leave, and not even tell you what the accusations are.”
It wasn’t surprising to her. “Welcome to life at the Agency.”
“This is serious.”
“I get that.”
“You seem almost resigned to the outcome.”
“Honestly, the IG investigation is probably the least of my worries. If the cartel is after me, that’s my biggest concern, because we all know how they operate. A bureaucratic investigation isn’t good for my career, but I have to be alive for that even to be an issue.”
“Or the IG investigation could be a ruse to get you out of the protection of the Agency. The cartel could be setting you up.”
That seemed less likely, but she wasn’t ruling anything out. “I know.”
His blue eyes narrowed. “If someone is specifically targeting you, whether it’s the cartel or not, once they realize you survived the bombing, they’re probably going to make another run at you.”
She lifted her chin. “Are you sure you want to work this DEA job, given all this other baggage that comes along with it?”
“Yes,” he said with zero hesitation. “I assume you have a firearm?”
“Several, actually.”
He moved closer to her. “Good. You should let me check out the security you have here.”
She didn’t know what she was more afraid of—the threat against her life or spending time with Hunter. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Why the hesitation?” he asked.
“I’m not hesitating.”
“C’mon, Layla. I know you better than that.”
But did he really know the woman she’d become over the past five years? She was still trying to put her feelings into words when he spoke again.
“If this is about the trust factor, I get it. I really do. You didn’t ask to see me, much less work with me in any capacity, and yet here I am.” He sighed.
She weighed her options. He said he had security expertise, so while he was at her place, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to accept the help. “You know what they say. Desperate times and all.”
He gave her a slight smile that showed the dimple in his left cheek. She couldn’t afford to let down any walls with this man. Not after what he’d done to her.
“I can tell that smart brain of yours is going into overdrive,” he said.
“I just hate being in the dark. There could be something I’m completely missing.”
“We’ll figure it out. Together.”
Together. That was exactly the problem.
On Monday evening, Layla sat in Viv’s living room with Bailey. She hated excluding Izzy, but it was for her own good. She refused to put someone else in danger.
“Thanks for gathering, and to Viv for feeding us.” Layla smiled warmly at her friend.
“Of course,” Viv responded. “Now that dinner’s over, you have to tell us what’s going on.”
Layla looked at Viv and then Bailey. Both women knew something was up. “I trust the two of you with my life. You know that.”
“I don’t like the sound of this,” Bailey said.
“You both already know that my work at the Agency has expanded. Bailey, Viv told me that she filled you in on my last operation.”
“Joint op, right?” Bailey asked.
“Yes. With the DEA.”
“Go on,” Viv said.
“We all know what happened with the bombing, and I’ve gotten sad news. One of my team members was brutally murdered in his home. His throat was slit.”
“Whoa.” Bailey stood up and started pacing. “That means someone is trying to take your team out. They’re coming after you one by one.”
“That’s our main working theory, yes. That it’s the Mejía cartel as an act of retaliation.” Layla explained Roberto’s death supercharging any cartel motivation for revenge.
“There’s four of you, right?” Bailey asked.
“Yes, and something has happened to three of us.” Layla paused. “So far. And to make matters worse, now that I’ve been put on leave, I have to worry what that’s all about.”
“Won’t the Agency put you in protective custody?” Bailey asked.
“I spoke to my boss late last night. He’d been briefed by the DEA, but because I’m not DEA and was only there in a support function, they’re not ready to think that I’m an actual target. He claims the FBI has a suspect connected to a domestic terror group in custody, who has confessed to the restaurant bombing, and that my being there was purely a coincidence.”
“Do you trust your boss?” Viv asked.
“No,” Layla answered quickly. “Frankly, there are very few people I trust right now, and the two of you are a good chunk of that.”
“What do you need us to do?” Viv asked. “Name it.”
Layla clenched her fists. “I wanted to let you know what’s going on, given I’m not sure I’m going to come out of this alive.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Bailey said. “You helped me when I needed it. I can try to get you into an FBI safe house by calling in some favors.”
Layla shook her head. “No. That won’t be necessary. I have to face this head on, at least until I know what I’m dealing with. Which brings me to another topic. Hunter.”
Viv and Bailey exchanged a look before turning their attention back to her.
“What’s going on?” Bailey asked.
Layla took a moment. “Everything is so complicated.”
“We can handle it,” Bailey said.
“It turns out that Hunter has a preexisting relationship working with the DEA.”
Viv let out a low whistle. “That’s a far cry from investigating cheating spouses.”
“Tell me about it. I knew Hunter would succeed in whatever he did, but I had no idea that he would be doing such high-stakes work. Anyway, one of the DEA bosses approved reading him into our situation an
d hiring him to work on the investigation. He has top clearances and the whole nine yards. I’m stuck working with him right now, and I’m trying to just push through, but if I’m being completely honest, I don’t think I’ve even begun to process my emotions.”
Viv moved closer and touched Layla’s shoulder. “It’s totally natural for you to have issues with this.”
Bailey sat back down. “Did Hunter make an epic mistake? Absolutely yes. But this isn’t about love. It’s about your life. And as much as I hate to admit it, I think Hunter would lay it all on the line for you.”
“But how do I handle this? Having to be so close to him? Having to work with him? I can’t trust him.” Layla’s voice started to shake as she struggled to retain the control she’d barely been holding on to the past few days.
“Bailey may disagree with me,” Viv said, “but I think you have to try to compartmentalize as best you can. Think of this as an op you’re working. You have far too much emotional baggage to deal with it on the fly.”
Bailey looked at her. “I agree. You can’t be expected to take on everything at once. Your safety and figuring out who is after you are top priority.”
Layla knew her friends were right. “Easier said than done. When I look at him, everything just floods back.”
“Including how much you loved him?” Viv asked.
Layla nodded. “Of course.”
“You don’t want to hear this, but people make mistakes, and they change and grow. That was almost six years ago.” Bailey stood again. “He might not be the same man today.”
That scared Layla even more, but she wasn’t going to verbalize that to her friends. She’d never stopped loving Hunter. What a fool she was, and now she had to face him again.
“Where is he now?” Viv asked.
Layla looked at her watch. “Probably on his way to pick me up from here.”
“Really?” Bailey said.
“Yeah. Our team lead wants us to work together. He thinks that if the Mejía cartel has put out a hit, then we all have to be on high alert.” She opened her jacket, showing her friends that she was carrying.
