Page 11 of Guarded from Sabotage

Of course, I knew it was a huge problem. I read the news. And I know people who’ve dealt with it before—a stolen credit card number, an account opened in their name—even my dad had to put a freeze on his credit after he unknowingly used an ATM with a skimming device installed.

But those all seemed like more annoyances than anything else. A call to the bank, a new credit card number, and eventually the problem was solved. No one I know personally has ever had their entire identity stolen. They’ve never lost thousands of dollars that the bank refuses to reimburse.

At least, not until now.

Until Sarah.

And now I’m learning how bad it can really get.

It’s horrible, sitting here listening to Sarah explain in painstaking detail how her life has been torn apart. It’s awful watching her try not to cry—biting her lower lip til it’s raw, swallowing hard, her chin jutting out and the tiny muscles in her jaw working. And it’s painful to see the strong, beautiful woman I met months ago with such a despairing look in hereyes, like she’s mentally preparing herself for yet another person to discount her story.

But I’m not. There’s no question in my mind that everything Sarah’s telling me is the truth.

On the way over here, I had to prepare myself for the possibility this was all an elaborate hoax. Sarah wouldn’t be the first person to find themselves in serious debt and struggling to find a way out of it. She could have made up this story, hoping generous Hanna would come to her aid, and by extension, Blade and Arrow.

I didn’t want to believe that, though. My gut said it wasn’t so. Not after the hours I spent talking to Sarah at the wedding—learning about her family and interests and how she loves books and movies that make her cry. Not after I opened up to her; talking about my own family and my love of anything history and admitting how strange it felt to be a civilian again.

Even though my heart and brain were telling me to believe her, I needed to come into this like I would any case. It was something I’d talked to Cole about, back when we first were discussing the Bravo Team branch.

During one of those early phone calls, he said, “It was hard, especially in the beginning. I wanted to believe everyone. And most people were telling the truth. But before I committed the team to a case, I had to be sure. Or as sure as possible. Sometimes we have to ask hard questions, and I feel bad about that. But it’s the only way to make sure we’re helping the people who really need it.”

As team leader, I need to do the same thing.

But it was really hard to stay neutral as Sarah recalled those first calls to the credit card companies, her voice shaking as she said, “They didn’t believe me. I gave them all my info—old addresses, model of my first car, my first job, anything they asked. But they told me it was all wrong. And then they accusedmeof trying to commit fraud. One of them even threatened to call the police.”

And it was really hard to remain unbiased as Sarah teared up while she talked about the aggressive calls she received from debt collectors, threatening lawsuits and liens and garnished wages if she didn’t start making payments on loans she never took out.

Now she’s telling me about the day the police showed up at her work, the new job she was trying so hard to make a good impression at, tears glistening in her big hazel eyes, and I have to fight the urge to slide across the couch and pull her into my arms.

Which would be completely inappropriate given that not only is she a potential client, but last I knew, she was engaged to a doctor in San Antonio.

Although. Where is he? Why isn’t Sarah’s fiancé here supporting her? Yes, he’s a doctor and they have unpredictable schedules, but if Sarah were my fiancée, I’d make damn well sure I was here for her.

Come to think of it, where has this fiancé been during all of this? Working, just like he was the weekend of Finn and Hanna’s wedding, forcing Sarah to travel to New York on her own? Making her sit alone at the reception, surrounded by people she didn’t really know?

That’s not howI’dtreat a woman I plan to spend my life with.

But I’m not here to pass judgment on Sarah’s relationship. I’m here to figure out how we can help her. And if her clueless fiancé doesn’t appreciate what he has, there’s not much I can really do about it.

But heshouldappreciate her. From what I know of Sarah, she’s smart, thoughtful, sensitive, and as a social worker, she’s dedicated her life to helping people. And that’s not even taking into consideration how beautiful she is—with gorgeous eyes thatshift from gold to evergreen depending on how the light hits them and shiny bronze hair and sweet curves I spent more time thinking about after the wedding than I should have.

“Dante?” Sarah’s delicate brows arch up in a V. “Are you alright? Did I say something wrong?”

Jolting, I reply quickly, “I’m fine. You didn’t say anything wrong. Why?”

Shit. Just because I’m irritated at her absentee fiancé isn’t an excuse for losing my focus.

Her worried gaze meets mine. “You just… looked kind of angry. I wasn’t sure if it was something I said?—”

“No, absolutely not.” Before I can stop myself, I reach over and cover her hand with mine. “You didn’t say anything wrong. If I look angry, it’s not at you. It’s the situation you’re in. Okay?”

Sarah worries her lower lip for a second before saying, “Okay.” Her forehead wrinkles in thought. “Am I giving you enough information? Too much? I thought it would be easier to remember everything if I give all the little details, but I’m thinking you might not want to know what I was having for lunch two weeks ago.”

“It’s perfect,” I reassure her. With a slight smile, I add, “And I was interested in hearing about your lunch. It sounds like a great place to get sandwiches.”

“Yeah, it is.” Her smile fades almost as quickly as it appears. “Although I’m not sure I want…” A beat, and then, “Anyway. What was I talking about?”

“When you went to the police station.”

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