Page 34 of Final Sins

That’s when she caught it. A tiny detail, with huge implications.

How had she missed it the first twenty times?

She jostled her coffee, the dark liquid sloshing dangerously close to the rim of her mug as her eyes widened in sudden realization.

“No way,” she breathed.

The grainy video played out again, but this time, Alex saw it with new eyes. The fake delivery driver, emerging from his dented subcompact, white food bag in one hand, and in the other, an oversized iced coffee.

When he and his accomplice left with Gabriel in tow, there was no white bag. And no iced coffee.

“Jason!” she called out, unable to keep the excitement from her voice. “I think I’ve got something!”

He was at her side in an instant, his earlier irritation seemingly forgotten. “What is it?”

“DNA,” Alex said, pointing to the screen. “That idiot left his drink in Gabe’s lab. If we can get to it before they go deep underground ...”

Jason’s eyes lit up with understanding. “We could ID our mystery man.”

Alex was already reaching for her phone. “I’m contacting Liv. If they divert to Gabe’s secondary lab, they might be able to snag it before going off-grid.”

As Alex relayed the information to Liv, she could feel Jason’s energy rise to match her own. This was their first real break, a tangible lead in a sea of confusion and dead ends.

She ended the call, giving Jason a thumb’s up. “Liv is on it.”

He clapped his big hands and let out a whoop of triumph. Alex found herself pulled into a bone-crushing hug. For a brief moment, she was acutely aware of his solid warmth.

Then, as if suddenly realizing what they were doing, they sprang apart. Heat rose in her cheeks, her skin tingling where they’d made contact.

Jason cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, uh, about that walk ...”

“Right. Absolutely.”

They stood there for a moment, awkwardly avoiding eye contact, before simultaneously turning to prepare for their outing. As she headed to her room to grab her jacket, she couldn’t help but smile. They had a lead, a plan, and maybe, just maybe, something else brewing beneath the surface.

Seven-Five wouldn’t know what hit them.

18

Jason’s bootscrunched on the gravel path as he and Alex made their way along the windswept Big Sur coastline toward the tiny town nestled in the elbow of one of the millions of hairpin turns along the highway. He winced slightly, the stitches in his side pulling with each step. Still, the discomfort was worth it for this view—and not just of the landscape. The afternoon sun cast a golden glow on Alex’s shoulder-length, black hair, making it shimmer like silk in the breeze.

He subtly pressed a hand to his injured side, grateful that Alex seemed too lost in thought to notice his occasional grimace.

“So,” he said, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them, “trust fund baby turned CIA operative. That’s quite a career pivot. What made you join?”

Alex’s lips quirked into a wry smile. “Would you believe it was my parents’ fault? They were always trying to save the world, one charity gala at a time. When the CIA approached me in college, it felt like destiny.”

Jason raised an eyebrow. “And how did that work out for you?”

“Oh, it was thrilling,” Alex deadpanned. “I got to attend fancy parties, sip champagne, and giggle at powerful men’sjokes. Turns out, when you’re young, female, and seemingly vapid, people tend to forget you have ears.”

They started down a steep trail leading to the ocean below. “You were gathering intel while playing arm candy?”

Alex nodded, her dark eyes flashing with a mixture of pride and frustration. “You’d be amazed what secrets men will discuss when they think you’re more interested in your manicure than national security.”

“But let me guess,” Jason said, offering his hand to help her over a particularly treacherous part of the path, “it got old fast.”

“Bingo,” Alex confirmed, her hand lingering in his for a moment longer than necessary. “I saw too much. Human trafficking, wealthy people trapped in dangerous relationships, superiors playing roulette with valuable asset’s lives. I couldn’t just stand by and giggle anymore.”

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