Backlash

by Rachel Dylan

  “Once Roberto was killed, Diego was beyond furious. He came to me for names. I gave them Diaz, Cass, you, and Zane but explained that I needed to keep Zane in play. Diego seemed to be okay with that, at least for the short term, although his ultimate goal was to take him out too. He wasn’t messing around. His little brother had been killed, and he wanted revenge at any cost. I tried to help you as much as I could. Like I said, I saved you in the bombing. But at the end of the day, it was either you or me. I never wanted it to end up like this.” She took a step. “But you’re not going to kill me. You’re going to let me go. I have passports. I can run. I can hide and get out of the country to safety.”

  “You know me well enough to realize I’d never let you go.”

  “It’s because I know you so well that I think you will. I did my best to protect you each step of the way. Please return the favor. Once the cartel realizes I’m blown, they’ll put a bullet through my head. All I’m asking for is a fighting chance to live. My life as I know it is over forever. Please show me mercy. Please.”

  Layla was torn. Was she just being played again? Did Scarlett actually care about her?

  “Layla, you know I don’t have any family. Everything I told you about my past is true. You’re like my little sister.”

  “But when push came to shove, you still chose yourself over me. Just like Bryce. Two people I thought I could count on have sold me out and left a trail of destruction in their wake.”

  “But will my death do anything to solve all of that? It won’t bring anyone back.” Scarlett’s bottom lip started to quiver. “We don’t have time to debate this, Layla. Diego’s men are probably on their way here right now. They’ve had a team stationed down the street since the Honduras op because Diego wanted to make sure I played by the rules. My house is under twenty-four-seven video surveillance.”

  “And you’re just telling me this now?” Layla tried to think of the best way out of this. She didn’t know what to do. Was Scarlett bluffing? Was the cartel really on their way to finish the job? She knew she wouldn’t kill Scarlett, but would she detain her? That was the right thing to do, even though Layla was tempted to let her go. In the end, she had to go with her gut and follow the path that was right. They’d leave, but she wouldn’t let Scarlett go. Her friend had made bad choices, and she had to be held accountable. “Scarlett, I’m so sorry.”

  Before Layla could say anything else, gunshots filled Scarlett’s living room. Instinctively, she dove behind the couch and hit the floor, trying to protect herself from gunfire, her weapon at the ready.

  The gunshots paused. She peered around the edge of the couch and saw that Scarlett had been shot in the head. Her body lay on the ground, and blood pooled around her skull. Her eyes were open but vacant.

  Two men raced into the room. Layla raised her weapon to return fire, but behind them she saw Hunter with her security detail on his heels. One of the attackers fell to the ground. Hunter had shot him in the leg. Another round of gunshots and the other man was hit in the shoulder, and he collapsed.

  Hunter rushed over to her. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.” She looked at the men groaning in pain. “We need to secure them and then call reinforcements.”

  “I already made the call.” Hunter jumped up and the security detail secured the attackers.

  Layla walked over to Scarlett and crouched down beside her. She checked for a pulse even though she knew it was an act of futility. The tears fell freely as she stared at her friend’s dead body. She couldn’t begin to deal with how she felt, so she sat on the floor and prayed, because she didn’t know what else she could do.

  It wasn’t long before the room was swarming with an alphabet soup of agents.

  She stood in the corner with Hunter close by. “I can’t believe this. I just can’t.”

  “If I’d been only a second later . . .” Hunter said, his face still filled with fear for her.

  “Don’t even go there. You made it in time.”

  “They appeared on foot out of nowhere right when I pulled up. And I just knew I had to get inside and stop them.”

  She put her hands on his shoulders. “And that’s exactly what you did.”

  “What happened with Scarlett?”

  She quickly recounted their difficult conversation. She still couldn’t believe that Scarlett was gone forever. “She was trying to convince me to let her go. She said that the cartel would kill her, and she was right.”

  Hunter nodded. “Scarlett made bad decisions.”

  Layla looked up at him, fighting back tears. “I did consider letting her go. Just for a minute. I wanted so desperately to believe that she was telling the truth. That she had tried to protect me as long as she could.”

  “And it’s possible she was telling the truth. But when it came down to it, she put herself first.”

  “That’s not true friendship.”

  He shook his head. “No, it’s not. It’s selfish, and she’s the one who put you in harm’s way. But you cared about her, and she cared about you.”

  Layla sighed. “I’m going to need some time to work through this.”

  He pulled her close. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Me neither.” Their eyes locked, and even in this darkest of moments, the promise of the future hung between them.

  A knock on Izzy’s door late Sunday night made Aiden jump up from the couch.

  “We are both on edge right now,” she said.

  “This case is making us crazy,” he responded.

  “Let me see who it is.” She walked over to the door and groaned when she saw Detective Stewart on the other side, but there was no use in hiding.

  She opened the door. “Detective Stewart, what can I do for you?”

  “Can I come in?”

  “Sure.” It wasn’t like Izzy was going to slam the door in the detective’s face. She led her into the kitchen, where Aiden was now standing. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

  Detective Stewart shook her head. “No, thanks. I don’t think this will take very long.”

  “More questions?” Izzy tried to keep her frustration in check. “We’ll need to have Piper present.”

  Detective Stewart lifted her hand. “That won’t be necessary. I’m not here to question you.”

  “Then what?”

  “There’s been a major development in the case.”

  Izzy’s heartbeat thumped. “What happened?”

  “Ann Marie Martinez confessed to killing Sergeant Tybee.”

  “What?” Ann Marie had been hiding something, but this was much worse than Izzy had expected.

  “We questioned her pretty aggressively—the same way we questioned you. At first she stuck to her story, but after a while, she asked for a lawyer, and then we got a confession. Given the violent circumstances and the self-defense claim, the DA has worked out a plea deal.”

  “What were the circumstances?”

  “It turns out that Ann Marie was viciously beaten and sexually assaulted by Sergeant Tybee a number of times. She was suffering from PTSD and experiencing severe psychological trauma. Even with all of that, she realized that she couldn’t live with herself if she allowed you to take the fall. Given what had happened to her and Sergeant Tybee’s pattern of abuse with other women, yourself included, the DA was willing to cut a generous deal. I wanted to let you know right away.”

  Aiden put his arm around Izzy’s shoulders. “You owe Izzy an apology, Detective.”

  “No, that’s not necessary,” Izzy responded.

  “Actually, it is. We pushed you hard, but we didn’t want to be seen as showing favoritism to a former member of Arlington PD. But I am so sorry about what you had to go through. At least Tybee can’t hurt anyone else.”

  “He’ll never see his day in court,” Izzy said. And that part bothered her.

  Detective Stewart nodded. “That’s true, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. Can I have a moment alone with you before I go
?”

  “It’s okay. You can say anything in front of Aiden. He knows everything about this ordeal.”

  The detective nodded. “All right. I was just going to encourage you to go back to counseling. I think you might need some help and time to handle the emotions that came with this investigation and Sergeant Tybee’s murder.”

  She’d already had the same thought herself. “I appreciate that. It’s a good idea.”

  “I’ll be on my way. Never hesitate to reach out if you need anything.”

  After the detective left, Izzy turned to Aiden. “I’ve been thinking.”

  “Uh-oh. A new career idea?” He smiled.

  “No. But this whole experience has given me lots to think about, and I’ve decided to do it.”

  “Law school?” His eyes brightened.

  “Yes. I take the LSAT in a few months, and we’ll see how I do, but I’ve already been researching schools. I’d love to go to Georgetown.”

  “Just like your friends.”

  She smiled. “Yeah, I can’t wait to tell them.”

  He pulled her into a tight hug. “Izzy, I’m convinced you’ll succeed in anything you set your mind to, and I know you’ll make a great attorney. I hope you’ll still want to hang out with a cop.”

  “Of course. If I’m a prosecutor, you never know how our paths will cross.”

  “I’m hoping they cross a lot more than that.” He leaned in to kiss her, and she felt safe and loved.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  Zane couldn’t believe the good news he had just received. Cass had been able to cut a deal that allowed her no jail time if she paid back all the money she took. It would take a long time for that to happen, but it was much better than facing hard time. If there was any way she would let him help her pay off the debt, he was going to do it. It hadn’t been easy, but he’d opened up to her about his family life and the resources at his disposal.

  “How did you pull that off?” Zane asked her, regarding her deal.

  “It came at a price.”

  Uh-oh. “How high?”

  “You know what you said about the Agency?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Mason talked to some people there, and thanks to Layla’s absolutely glowing recommendation, they’re willing to take me on as a private contractor. I have a yearlong probationary period, and if I make the tiniest of missteps, the deal is off. But I’m thankful to have a job, considering the debt I have to pay back.”

  He took her hand. “You can do it, Cass. I’m here for whatever you need.”

  “You’ve been far too good to me.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t talk like that.”

  “I’m just thankful you’re still willing to be my friend.”

  He hesitated a moment. “Cass, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”

  “Me too,” she said softly.

  “And I wondered if you really meant what you said a while back about us.”

  She looked down and then right into his eyes. “I’m crazy about you, Zane, but after this, there’s no way I’d push myself on you. I need your friendship.”

  “I want your friendship, too, but now you’ll be working at a completely separate agency.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Let’s give this thing a go, Cass.”

  Her dark eyes grew large. “You can’t be serious. Not after all I’ve done.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, I’m totally serious.”

  She threw her arms around his neck.

  “And I’m going to help you with your brother to make sure he gets the counseling and support he needs.”

  “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “No more secrets. Is that a deal?”

  “No secrets.” She lifted her chin and pressed her lips to his.

  They weren’t perfect, but they were meant to be.

  “Home sweet home.” The past week had flown by, but now Layla was finally returning to her neglected condo with Hunter close by her side.

  She was still grieving Scarlett’s death and betrayal, but the men they had apprehended had led the DEA to Diego’s location. The DEA had wanted to capture Diego, but he was killed in a fierce firefight. The cartel was in complete disarray with its leader dead and no heir apparent, which meant the entire team was now safe from any threats of retaliation.

  Bryce had negotiated a deal, but one that included a lengthy prison sentence. It gave her no joy to know he was locked up, but given how serious his offenses were, she knew the punishment fit the crime. Bryce had also given up his CIA source who had provided the safe house intel, and he was being punished as well.

  Hunter looked at her. “Everything has been scrubbed to make sure there is nothing in here. No surveillance, no devices, nothing. And the CIA even threw in a top-to-bottom cleaning service, thanks to Nick.”

  She smiled. “So now you and Nick are friends, huh?” She was glad they’d been able to work together and put that past chapter behind them.

  Hunter nodded. “Yeah, reluctantly, but he has really done right by you. And once I was convinced he wasn’t trying to win you back, he and I got along a lot better.”

  “Being back home feels so strange.” She looked around her condo.

  “Well, get used to it, because things are going to go back to normal.”

  And that was part of the problem. “Yeah, about that.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  Her world was far from right. She was struggling with what path she wanted to take with her career. “I’m still having a lot of conflicting feelings about going back to work.”

  Hunter moved closer to her. “You don’t have to make any decisions right away. Take the time they’re giving you. You have plenty of options. Even if you decide to leave the Agency, I can think of a million jobs that would be perfect for you—including actually practicing law, if you wanted to go that route. The ball will be in your court, and you can count on me no matter what decisions you make.”

  He was right, and knowing that he would stand by her meant everything. She might be unclear about her career, but she was certain about her feelings for Hunter. “I have no idea what I want to do. I don’t know how I’ll ever completely get over what they did to us. What they stole from us.”

  “I get that, but we’re together now, and we have to believe that the Lord’s plan is bigger than we can see.”

  Her heart warmed at his declaration. “You believe that?”

  He took her hands. “Thanks to seeing you live your faith and actually watching firsthand how God has protected you and me. How through all of this messy maze of our lives, we were brought back together.”

  “I don’t even want to worry about tomorrow and what it will hold. I want to embrace now and being here with you.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Then don’t worry.”

  She smiled. “How about we go to the grocery store and then come back and cook a nice, normal dinner? How does that sound?”

  “Only one thing would make that better.”

  “What?” she asked.

  “If you’ll kiss me first.”

  She grinned and fell into his warm embrace. Their road had been long and ever winding, but they had still ended up back in each other’s arms.

  Epilogue

  Layla had taken the Agency up on a three-month sabbatical and was enjoying her last weekend before going back to work. Viv was hosting a dinner party, and they had just finished dessert, which included peach cobbler—Layla’s favorite. She looked at Hunter seated across from her and smiled. He winked at her, and the butterflies still flew around her stomach like crazy.

  They’d spent a ton of time together over the past three months, getting to know each other all over again. Yeah, they each had changed and matured, but surprisingly, they also found that many things about each other hadn’t changed at all. Falling back into a natural rhythm in their relationship had been much easier than she had expected. Their vow to be completely truthful wouldn�
��t always be easy, but it did ensure a level of trust between them.

  She was going to be at a crossroads when she went back to work on Monday, and she was still deciding the ultimate direction she wanted for her career. One thing she had determined, though, was that she still believed in the CIA’s mission. Hunter had told her that the Agency needed more people like her, and his words had resonated.

  She helped clear the table and followed Viv into the kitchen, along with Bailey and Izzy.

  “You shouldn’t be cleaning. You went above and beyond for dinner.” Layla took a bowl out of Viv’s hands. “Let us do it.”

  “I’m just glad we could get together.” Viv smiled brightly. “And we have something to celebrate.”

  “What?” Layla asked.

  “Izzy got her LSAT scores!”

  “Do tell,” Bailey said.

  Izzy’s face beamed. “The number isn’t that important, but it’s good enough to be in the high range at Georgetown. I have a good shot of getting in! It’s like a dream come true. I can’t believe it.”

  Bailey gave her a hug. “You studied so hard.”

  “Thanks to you for all your help.”

  Bailey was a standardized testing genius and had tutored Izzy. Layla stayed far away from that. Those tests had never been her thing.

  “It’s good that we have things to celebrate now,” Izzy said. “There have been so many battles over the past few months, I’m embracing this as a win.”

  “We all are,” Layla said.

  Viv gave Izzy a hug too. “Unfortunately, though, we probably won’t see you as much now, especially your first year. You’ll be locked in the law library, studying.”

  Izzy grinned. “I’ll miss you ladies, but in the end, it will be worth it.”

  Layla loved seeing Izzy happy after everything she’d gone through. It finally felt like they were all in good places, and she hoped and prayed that would continue.

  Hunter walked into the kitchen. “Can I steal Layla away for a minute?”

  “Sure.” Viv smiled. “We have the dishes under control.”

  Layla followed Hunter as he went out on the back porch. It was a cool day but not freezing.