Page 32 of Even if You Fall

“And did you?” he unnecessarily asked, since he clearly already knew I hadn’t. Without bothering to wait for me to respond, he took a step closer, his tone dropping even lower. “Rush watched you follow her down the hall.”

My body stilled at that as I wondered why Rush had been watching Chloe closely enough to know that, but I didn’t comment on it. I just stood there, subtly vibrating with a lethal mixture of anger and jealousy and regret as Briggs continued.

“He told me she looked spooked by something. By the time I followed you, Gray was already heading that way too.”

A curse ripped from me. “What is it about this girl that has everyone so twisted up?” At the hint of surprise on Briggs’ face, I said, “GrayandRush? By the end of next week, Evans is gonnabe following after her just the same as them; like she isn’t a threatinside the company.”

“She isn’t a threat.”

An irritated laugh tumbled from me as I scrubbed my hands over my face, then held them out to Asher before gesturing to the door. “It’s an act—she’slying. She isn’t really that bubbly girl she walks around pretending to be. From those first minutes near her, I knew it was forced, and I’ve seen the cracks in her mask, Briggs.”

I roughly placed one of my hands against my chest. “For more than a dozen years and more missions than I wanna remember, you’ve trusted me withthis. Uncovering moles has always been what I do. But you won’t listen to me now because this is about Lainey’s housemate?” A breath of frustration left me as my hand fell heavily to my side. “Briggs...”

“I’m not listening to you because you’re wrong,” he stated, his gruff tone leaving no room for argument. “Whatevermaskyou think you’re seeing, I told you, it probably isn’t what you think.”

“Then tell me what it is.”

Briggs’ head slanted, ignoring my plea. “Just know you’re making something out of nothing—Chloe’s fine.”

Exasperation burst from me as I drove a hand into my hair, grasping the short strands tightly. “Briggs,” I began, silently begging him tohearme, “there’s something about this girl that is setting off every red flag. She’s hiding something, and she can lie almost as easily as she breathes. I don’t trust her.”

He nodded before asking, “You trust me?”

My shoulders sagged because I already knew where he was going with the question. “Yeah,” I mumbled.

“Then trust me on this.” Just as I started arguing, he shot me a cold look to stop me and said, “I have my own thoughts about Chloe’s personality and why itmightbe an act. But they’rejust assumptions, and you don’t need to be made aware of them because her life isn’t for me to share, and none of it changes the fact that she’s not a threat. As for the lying?” He gestured from me to the door. “Looks like she’s been living with a lot of shame that’s weighing her down. And what happened when she finally started admitting it to someone?”

Pain seized my chest and guilt stole through my body as I remembered the look on Chloe’s face just minutes before. The shame, as Briggs said. The worry every time those hazel eyes had met mine. And the outright shock, pain, and humiliation when I’d used her past against her.

It didn’t matter that I was sure she was a threat or hiding something. I knew better.

I’d done my share of questioning people throughout the years, and not once had I reacted, no matter what insane or horrifying things I’d been told. Even if someone implicated themselves in the process, I’d never turned it around and used it against them.

But this girl...she had me just as twisted up as the other guys. Maybe even more so because I was torn between wanting to get rid of her, losing hours of my day to thoughts of her and that infuriating coconut and vanilla scent, and hating that I couldn’tstopthinking about her. So, when she’d confessed to a relationship with our suspect, I’d been horrified by my reaction.

Jealousy had exploded in my chest, so strong and powerful that it’d been impossible to ignore or brush away as anything other than what it was. But I hadn’t wanted it—Icouldn’tbe jealous when it came to Chloe Whitlock.

More than that, I couldn’t let myselfwantsomeone the way I was reluctantly realizing I wanted her.

So, I’d taken my fear and frustration with myself and turned it around onto her, using it as fuel for the words that had clearly hurt her. And no matter how many times I’d tried telling myselfit was a necessary step in the process of eliminating a threat, I hated myself for it.

“I’ll, uh...I’ll apologize,” I finally murmured, then started for the door.

“I told Gray to take her home.”

Briggs’ words had my steps faltering as that jealousy flared, but I just forced myself to nod.

“Since Chloe’s not only an employee, but also apparently part of our Donut, you’re getting two write-ups for this,” Briggs continued before I could make it past him.

“Understood.”

“Thatch,” Briggs ground out when I kept walking and waited for me to face him again. “This won’t happen again.” At my accepting nod, he added, “If you need to figure Chloe out for your own peace of mind, get to know her. No more accusations. No more making her feel ashamed for anything—especially for her past. No more making her cry.”

I felt a muscle in my jaw flex as my guilt burned hotter. Not that I didn’t deserve it. Not that I didn’t want to drown in it. But there was still that part of me that didn’t want to care. That was so sure we couldn’t trust her.

And that part of me was still hyper focused on the knowledge that the new girl had to go.

As sick and dark as the jealousy lingering in my veins felt, I told myself it was for the best Gray had taken her home, because breaking her heart might truly be the only chance I had at getting rid of Chloe Whitlock.

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