Page 51 of Out of Control

“Uh-uh. Don’t you say a word.” I sat on the little stool in front of the main computer monitor, pausing to scooch the second stool to my side as I brought the screen to life. She needed to see what I saw.

Because despite how angry and worried and flat out scared for her I was, I wasn’t stupid and I wasn’t an idiot. I came to the van first before barging inside the Morelli law offices because I knew how to do my job and knew the importance of reconnaissance.I needed to zoom through recent footage from this morning to know who was present in the office so I could be prepared.

I scrolled through the video until I came to the correct timestamp from yesterday afternoon and showed her the shocking footage of the Morellis and Leo Lombardi putting her two identities together. I heard her sharp intake of breath. I couldn’t bear to look at her yet, but it was good that she was realizing the severity of her actions. I moved on to the next video, showing her the shitshow I saw when I arrived and prepared to rush in and rescue her all manly and sexy-like.

9:03 am: a dingy car pulled into the back alley. Leo Lombardi exited the vehicle, swinging his key ring around one finger before opening the back door to the office. He arrived with plenty of time to lie in wait for her to get there for her interview and surprise her when she made it into the back office.

She didn’t need to see the rest of the video. I’d zoomed through it at 3x speed to make sure no one else arrived or left before she did, that I wouldn’t need to reach out to my contact with SFPD SWAT, and then rushed in to stop her when it looked like she was going out of sight, heading into the back to be murdered.

I pressed stop on the feed, turning to look at her.

“What do you have to say for yourself?”

Her kind, contrite eyes melted into flame and fury.

“I say that I think it’s really toxic behavior that we sleep together once and suddenly you’re following me around everywhere and fucking up everything!”

I raised an eyebrow, taken aback. “What did I fuck up for you? Your suicide attempt?”

“I could have handled myself just fine. But every time I get a lead in my mom’s case, you have to get in the way and mess everything up!”

“And what makes that any worse than you always getting inmyway, holding back evidence, and obstructingmycase? My legal, authorized, federal case?”

“It’s worse because my mom is already dead and no one is trying to stop the people responsible.”

“Maybe it hasn’t occurred to you in your self-centered tirade—”

“Self-centered?!”

“—But other people, people I was responsible for, have died and been put in danger working this case, too. Just because you didn’t know them doesn’t make their sacrifices any less significant.”

I paused to think of dead Mario Costa, my CI. Of Claire Reynolds who looked so much like my dead sister, who risked her life and was currently in hiding so she could testify. If my case came to a skidding halt she’d be in hiding with another witness indefinitely, poor girl.

“Doing things like this doesn’t help the real case against the Morellis, Athena. It’s just selfish.”

Maybe I expected the slap subconsciously, but I didn’t try to stop it. I deserved the pain. She wasn’t a selfish person—hell, she was very kind and passionate underneath everything—but she couldn’t seem to be a team player, and I couldn’t keep the asshole-side of my brain from leaking out. I just rubbed my jawline for a much different reason than I did when I woke upthis morning, staring into her hateful eyes. So much for last night being the start of something amazing.

Point made and then some, I knew we just needed to get out of dodge. We could sort through the details later.

“We can argue about this at home. Let’s get the fuck out of here,” I said.

She nodded tersely, her arms wrapped tight across her chest. If I didn’t know better, I’d think my words hurt her, made her feel vulnerable.

I clicked the screen to bring the feed back to live viewing, confirmed no one was waiting outside the van for us, and opened the door. I hopped out first, offering my hand to Athena to help her down, wondering if she was too pissed to accept even that much from me. I didn’t bother to hide my relief when she took my hand after all, even if she did hesitate for a moment first.

She didn’t protest when I put a protective arm around her shoulders, leading her to my car that was parked just a couple vehicles past the van. I opened the passenger door, lent her my hand again to assist her inside the car, and closed the door behind her.

Her little Audi could stay here forever, as far as I was concerned. She was under my protection, so she would ride around in my car wherever she needed to go.

I rounded the vehicle and sat in the driver’s seat, but paused before putting my key in the ignition. Something felt off.

“What is it?” Athena asked, still attuned enough to me despite her anger. Her eyes darted frantically out the different windows.

“I’m not sure…” I trailed off, my eyes still searching for whatever was wrong.There.Leo Lombardi’s shitty old Pontiac was idling at the curb in front of the office.

When did he pull his car around front? While we were in the van? How long had he been there?

He did that same smirk and finger wave he did at the airport, not even trying to hide anymore, but it was the kiss he blew to Athena, the disgusting little tongue waggle, that had me putting my hand back on the door handle.

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