Page 146 of Crossfire

“Well, they did.” I jabbed a finger toward the document. “It’s all right there.”

And they needed to understand that it was true. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t do everything in their power to save Ivy’slife, and if I had any hope of having the entire force of the CIA stand down, I needed both of them to help me.

Seth dropped the paper onto the table. “All due respect, I trust the CIA more than whoever your buddy is. We needthemto process this.” He sat back, folding his hands on his lap.

His casual demeanor, as if discussing the weather instead of a life-or-death situation, stoked the flames of my anger. How would he feel if someone he cared about was in the crosshairs?

“He’s not my buddy,” I said. “He’s an ex-CIA himself, and he has a team of highly skilled people who know how to analyze digital evidence.”

Daniel massaged his right temple, clenching his eyes shut.

“The CIA won’t rely on a private investigator’s work.” Seth’s voice was soft, but his words were as sharp as blades.

“They’ll want to validate,” I agreed. “But in the meantime, they need to call off the termination.” I turned to Daniel again. “I’m happy to make the call myself. Just tell me who.”

“Again, all due respect, I think we should review protocol first,” Seth pushed, trying to keep his tone soft despite the hard truth that he was probably trying to protect his possible promotion.

“We don’t have time for that! We can get into all of that later,” I said, my patience snapping. “Right now, Ivy has a target on her back. That’s the priority.”

“But what if you’re wrong, and the CIA calls it off while they investigate, and meanwhile, she kills a shopping mall full of?—”

“I’m not wrong.” I slammed my fist on the table, the pain shooting up my arm, a welcome distraction from the fear clawing at my throat. “Daniel, an innocent civilian is in danger. We dedicate our lives to protecting innocent civilians, and I need your help.”

“He’s right.” Daniel waved his hand toward me. “We can’t sit back and let an innocent civilian get killed, especially when theimplications are bigger than her. If evidence was manufactured and the CIA didn’t catch it, that’s an enormous threat to the country. To national security. The implications…” He shook his head. “Doctored evidence could be sent to the United States, who might then unknowingly serve as some foreign entity’s hit man. You could have a country eliminate a rival country’s leader with absolutely no blood on their hands.”

I swallowed.

“This evidence has to get investigated thoroughly,” Daniel decided.

“In the meantime”—I stepped closer—“who do we contact to stop the assassination?”

Daniel rubbed his eyebrow and gently shook his head. The regret pooling in his features sent adrenaline rocketing through my limbs.

“I’m sorry, Grayson. I wish I would’ve seen this sooner.”

The tone of his voice sent my heart plummeting into my gut. A wave of icy dread washed over me, and I stumbled back, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

“No!” The word tore from my throat, raw and broken. “You promised me forty-eight hours.”

My voice cracked, desperation clawing at my insides. Anger flared, hot and sudden, only to be doused by a wave of bone-chilling panic.

“I was called for a status update.”

The room spun around me, reality blurring at the edges. Each heartbeat thundered in my ears, and my legs threatened to give out as the full weight of Daniel’s words crushed down on me.

“When I told them it hadn’t been done yet…” Daniel’s voice trailed off.

I shook my head, unwilling to accept what he was about to say. Tears burned as I silently pleaded with him not to shatter my world.

“They assigned someone else to take care of her, Grayson.”

His words were a bullet, one that pierced through my chest, sending me crashing to my knees.

“No!” Please, God, no! My entire body shook with the force of my grief, and I felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside out, my heart shredding into a million pieces.

“Why?” was all I managed to whisper.

Daniel stared at me with pity, as if he didn’t want to have to spell it out for me.

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