Backlash

by Rachel Dylan

  Zane felt himself falling deeper and deeper into this hole. But regardless of anything else that was going on, he wasn’t going to turn his back on her. She’d been there for him a lot over the years, never questioning anything. So now he was going to be there for her. “Whatever you need, Cass, just name it.”

  She didn’t respond quickly. Instead, she locked eyes with him as if she were trying to look deep within him. The next thing he knew, she had leaned in and her warm lips were pressed firmly against his. For a moment, his mind went completely blank. But he didn’t freeze. He couldn’t help himself. He kissed her back, blocking out any thoughts or consequences. There was definitely a spark between them. Even bigger than he’d expected.

  But after a minute, when she tried to move in closer and deepen the kiss, he regained his senses and pulled away.

  “Cass, we’re both dealing with a lot of emotions right now fueled by all of this, but our partnership is too important to risk by crossing any lines.” He knew she wasn’t going to like that response, and he prepared himself for her reaction.

  She crossed her arms, starting to sulk. “You know, Zane, sometimes your goody-goody nature can be a real downer. I think you feel the same way about me as I feel about you, and have for a long time. We’re both adults. I just think you’re in denial, or playing like you are because it serves your purpose of keeping the moral high ground in our partnership.”

  That was more hurt and anger than he’d expected. He hesitantly took her hand. “Cass, I care about you more than you know. And because of that, I want to protect you at all cost. That includes protecting you from me. I would not be a good fit for you. Yes, we’re good friends and great partners. But I am a crummy boyfriend. I don’t do commitment, and you’ve heard enough about my personal life to know that what I’m saying is true.”

  “All right. Maybe we should just table this conversation until you’re ready to face your feelings.” She grabbed her laptop and opened it back up, starting to work again.

  Zane figured this was his cue to exit. “Do you still want me to stay here?”

  She let out a large sigh. “Do I want you to? Probably not. But do I need you to? Yes.”

  “Okay. I’ve got my go bag in the car. I’ll get it and take a room at the other end of the hall from yours. If it will make you more comfortable, I can even stay down here on the couch.”

  Cass shook her head. “Don’t be silly. There’s no need for you to do that. It’s not like I’m going to attack you in the middle of the night or something.”

  He knew she was attempting to be funny, but it didn’t strike him that way. He felt badly about hurting her. But had she really had feelings for him for a long time? Could he have been that blind?

  Maybe so.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-ONE

  Layla waited anxiously for Hunter to return to the safe house that evening. He’d been doing some work at his office and was touching base with Mason. She’d busied herself reviewing some notes and trying to come up with an enemies list, as Scarlett had suggested. She put people on the list that she thought would never actually hurt her, but Scarlett’s words echoed in her ears. She couldn’t be naïve. She needed to take a brutally honest and objective approach, because her career was on the line. Her good name meant so much to her. It was becoming clear, though, that sometimes she saw the best in people when she should also see that they might be a threat.

  As she stared at her list, she still found it hard to believe that anyone on it could have gone so far as to set her up with the Agency. In doing so, that person would know that her career could be forever in jeopardy. Or even worse, that she could be arrested and thrown in jail or locked away forever in a black site. This wasn’t a small accusation, like she’d heard some other agents complain about. This wasn’t an administrative mishap. No, this was major. Those pictures were devastating.

  The one thing that gave her confidence was her faith. This wasn’t up to her. God was in control, and she had to keep reminding herself of that. As those thoughts fluttered through her head, she replayed the discussion she’d had with Hunter and wondered how he could have had such a faith blowout. Yes, she’d had her struggles, too, but it had never resulted in the complete breakage Hunter seemed to be going through. If there was anything she could do to help, she planned on doing it. Especially now that she knew the full truth, something she was still trying to wrap her head around.

  When she heard the voices of the security detail talking to Hunter, she set her notepad on the coffee table and looked up as he walked into the living room.

  “Hey, glad you’re back,” she said.

  Hunter took a seat beside her on the sofa. “How’re you doing?”

  “I’m fine.” She picked up the notebook and held it in front of him. “I’ve been making a list of everyone I could think of who might be a possible suspect for framing me and starting the IG investigation.”

  Hunter took the notebook and ran his finger down the page. “Not a very long list, Layla. Are you sure this is everyone?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, and it was difficult for me to come up with even these people.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up over it. But keep an open mind. Especially about people you think might be your friends. Those are the ones you really have to worry about.”

  “How did it go with Mason?”

  “All right. There’s heat on Zane, but in my opinion that’s the wrong play here.”

  Layla didn’t think there was any way Zane was guilty. “I agree.”

  “The DEA isn’t convinced Keith Hammond was working with the cartel. There’s new chatter that the cartel took out one of the top CIA spies in Honduras.”

  Layla’s worst fears were coming true. “I put a target on his back.” She paused, letting that thought sink in. “I hate to think that my phone call got him killed, but it seems like that’s precisely what happened.”

  “I’m sorry for what happened, but you can’t take the blame. The cartel pulled the trigger. We have to find out who the real mole is and get them to flip and give us critical intel on Diego. That could be a game changer.”

  Layla could only hope and pray that was possible. She didn’t know how long she could live like this. “If I’m being honest, it’s not just the cartel that’s bothering me, although obviously that’s a concern. This whole mess with the Agency has really torn me up. Feeling like I can’t trust anyone. Always looking over my shoulder. It’s exactly the reason I don’t want to be a field officer. I’m not cut out for such subterfuge. I love reading and analyzing and connecting the dots, but lying and presenting a false front and always being on the lookout for danger—that’s just not me.”

  He took her hand. “You’re a fighter, Layla. Much stronger than most people I know. While you might never want to be a field agent, you’re more skilled than you want to believe. The Agency knows that. Think of all the testing you had to go through before they actually hired you. They know your strengths and weaknesses.”

  “They know everything, but that’s what scares me. They know all of this, and yet they still keep pushing me down this other path. So what am I missing?”

  “You underestimate yourself. While you might not want to do these things, you have the capacity to, and that’s all the CIA cares about.”

  “That’s why I’m worried that they’re going to use this investigation to get the result they want. And the last thing I want to do right now is go back in the field. I feel like everything in my life right now is a field op. Just look at this.” She lifted her hands, gesturing around them. “I’m in a safe house with a full-time security detail. I can’t even go back to my own condo. We’ve been threatened in so many ways, and I don’t see an end in sight. The only way to stop the threat to my life is a takedown of the cartel once and for all. And that’s much easier said than done.”

  “Yeah, it’s a tough order, but the good thing is that the entire DEA has a vested interest in bringing down the cartel. I can tell you fro
m my conversations with Mason that it’s all hands on deck over there. This isn’t just about your team. I believe that when it’s all said and done, they’re going to be able to take down Diego. Once he’s gone, the threat against the team’s life is gone.”

  “Now who’s the optimist? But you do have a point. I wish there was more I could do to help, but this isn’t my specialty area.”

  “Well, thankfully it doesn’t have to be, because the whole DEA is on top of it. What about Scarlett? Could she help us with your internal investigation?”

  “She has a lot of connections, but unfortunately her hands are tied on the IG stuff. That’s completely internal at the Agency, and the IG’s office is walled off from everything else. Scarlett thinks I’m far too naïve and that I could make a good case officer if I just got over myself. She’s much more hard-nosed than I’ll ever be, but she’s good for me. She balances me out.” Layla paused for a second. “Kinda like you do.” As the words came out of her mouth, she locked eyes with him. He still held her hand, and she gave it a squeeze. “I know we’ve been through more than most people, especially the craziness since we reconnected. But if I have to go through this, there’s no one I’d rather have at my side than you, Hunter.”

  Silence hung between them for a moment.

  “Layla, I feel the same way about you. I can’t wash away all the hurt from the past, everything that happened and my role in it, but I can make you new promises for the future if you’ll allow me.”

  “There’s nothing I want more. But I have to be completely open with you, and I hope you can do the same with me. I don’t want you to be misled and think I’m the exact same person I was in law school. Some of the things you find out about me might disappoint you.”

  “Well, I could say the same about me. But here’s the thing: We don’t have to live in the past and rehash everything that happened to us and how we handled it over the years. If there’s something you want to tell me that you think I need to know or that you want me to know, then I’m all ears. But you should understand that there is no judgment as far as I’m concerned, and I know you’ll do the same for me and my past. If you want to just make a fresh start, I’m completely open to that too. The thing that matters most to me is getting to know you again. The woman you are today, sitting here. The woman I fell in love with eight years ago during my first year of law school might have changed, but we can learn and grow together. I’m not crazy, though. I know you can’t just flip a switch and act like all the pain and heartache you experienced because of me went away. Believe it or not, I can be patient, especially when it comes to you. Take all the time you want and need to work through it all. As long as I know that our past is not going to be a deal breaker in the end.”

  Her heart pounded. He had no idea how much she still felt for him today. An ever-growing connection by the moment. It seemed even more real than it was years ago, when she thought with her entire mind, heart, and soul that he was the one. “No, Hunter. I will not hold anything over your head. The truth has set me free in this instance. I understand you did what you did out of love for me. You’re right that nothing can change the past heartache and pain, but I’m ready to move on. I’m ready for a new day. I’m ready to embrace the life in front of me right now for as long as God will give it to me, and I really hope that you can be a part of that.”

  “That’s about the best news I’ve heard in a long time.” He wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “Having you back in my arms is the most amazing feeling in the world.”

  She moved back a little and looked right into his blue eyes. “It must’ve been really hard on you too. Of course I never thought of it like that, given what I thought went down, but you basically gave us up for me. And that act of complete self-sacrifice is something I don’t even know how to comprehend. I’m sorry I never thought about how you must’ve handled all of this since you told me the truth. It seems incredibly self-centered of me.”

  He shook his head. “There’s no need for you to apologize. I dropped the bomb on you that everything you thought was true wasn’t, so it’s natural that you haven’t processed all the implications of what truly happened. And that’s on top of all the threats to your life.” He took a deep breath. “But you’re right. It broke my heart to do that to you, and it was even worse to see you hurt and then to ultimately be alone. I’m not going to lie and say I haven’t dated anyone since you, but there’s been no one who could even begin to compare to you. You had my heart all those years, Layla, and you still have it completely.”

  She inhaled deeply as she took in his words. In her gut, she knew she was looking at the man she could spend the rest of her life with. In that moment together, it was just the two of them, opening up their hearts and revealing their true selves. The man and woman they were today—not ghosts of the past.

  She scooted closer to him, and he took her cue. He put his hand gently behind her neck and drew her to him. They locked eyes once more before he kissed her. They had kissed a thousand times before, but this was like their first kiss all over again. The sparks flew between them, the attraction was undeniable, but this was so much deeper than that. This was a kiss that was not only healing old wounds but was also the promise of new beginnings together.

  After a few moments, he broke away. As she stared into his eyes again, so many words were exchanged, but not one word was spoken. There was no doubt in her mind that she had never stopped loving Hunter, but today a fresh new love had been born.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-TWO

  “You did what?” Aiden’s brown eyes widened as he looked at her.

  Izzy stood in his living room and thought about her response. “I know hiring a private investigator might seem a bit extreme, but after giving it more thought, I realized I needed help.” She had not consulted Aiden before she made the decision to hire the PI because she knew he might push back against it, thinking the two of them could do it all on their own. But she figured it was best to outsource this to a professional if she really wanted to dig deep. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I was waiting to see if he actually turned up anything.”

  Aiden crossed his arms. “Well, I assume the fact that we’re having this conversation means he did find something, right?”

  She could tell he was a little ticked off at her, but he was so even-tempered that he didn’t really show it. And for that she was appreciative. “Here’s the deal. The PI examined the sergeant’s entire social media presence and went even deeper than that, following up on all his connections and interactions. Even though the sergeant had a lot of privacy settings on some sites, some of his connections did not, which allowed the PI to get to them.”

  Aiden raised an eyebrow. “Don’t leave me in suspense.”

  “The PI believes the sergeant had relationships with a couple of women who were quite a bit younger than he was. I’ve gotten both of their names, and I’m going to go talk to them.”

  Aiden’s expression softened. “Izzy, has it occurred to you that you might not find the answers you want? Maybe these relationships were purely consensual.”

  Yes, she had thought about it, but she at least had to check it out. “We have to run down every lead. If it’s as you say, then fine, I’ll move on. But given the conversation I had with Alicia, I think there’s going to be a pattern here. Powerful men like this don’t normally have just one victim. If my hunch is right, there might be a whole host of people who had a motive to hurt the sergeant.”

  Aiden nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right about that. What can I do to help?”

  “This is something I need to do on my own. I’m actually going to meet one of the ladies in a few minutes. It’ll be better if it’s one-on-one, just like I did with Alicia.”

  He hung his head. “I feel so useless right now, but there’s nothing I can do to help you.”

  That was the furthest thing from the truth. “Aiden, you just being you helps me more than you know. You
’re always there for me, and you’re my rock during this difficult time.”

  “I just wish I could be more useful. Do you need a ride to wherever you’re going?”

  “No. I’m good. I’ll give you a call when I’m done, and maybe we can meet up for dinner and talk about it. That sound like a plan?”

  He pulled her into a big hug. “Sounds good to me.”

  She lingered for a moment in his arms, just enjoying being with him, but she needed to get her head in the game. The conversation she was about to have was going to be a tough one, and she didn’t know any good way to lightly jump into the topic, especially with a total stranger. Talking to Alicia had been one thing, but they had common ground, and they knew each other. This woman might not even be willing to talk to her, but Izzy was going to try.

  She gave Aiden a kiss good-bye and left to meet Kim Conway. After getting Kim’s information from the PI, she’d had a quick introductory phone call with her, although she hadn’t been completely forthcoming about the topic she wanted to discuss. When Izzy had said she was from NCIS, Kim didn’t even give her a chance to explain before accepting the invitation. Izzy planned to make it clear from the beginning that this was not official NCIS business. She’d gotten her foot in the front door, but there was no way she was going to lie about the purpose of the meeting.

  About half an hour later, she walked up to a bakery in Alexandria and saw the woman she thought was Kim sitting at one of the outside tables. She took a deep breath and then walked over to her.