Page 10 of The Sniper

“And yet here we are,” Harris said pointedly.

Daniels held up a hand, stepping in before the conversation could spiral further. “This isn’t about blame. It’s about finding out why Veda was killed and who’s behind it.”

Reyna shot him a look, her lips pressing into a thin line, but she didn’t argue. She leaned back again, resting her hands on the table as Harris continued to outline the case. The conflict in the room was tangible, but Daniels kept his focus on the task at hand. They could deal with their differences later—if they lived long enough to have the luxury.

When the briefing ended, Harris and the other agents left the room, leaving Daniels and Reyna alone. She didn’t say anything at first, just stared at the map on the screen as if it held the answers they needed.

“You don’t trust him,” Daniels said finally, breaking the silence.

“Do you? He’s an idiot and doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground,” she said, turning to face him. Her eyes weresharp, but there was something vulnerable beneath the surface, something she’d never let him see if she could help it.

Daniels stepped closer, his voice softening. “Reyna, this isn’t about Harris. It’s about you being willing to let someone help you for once.”

“I don’t need help,” she said, her voice tight. “Not from him. Not from you.”

“Bullshit,” Daniels said, his tone hardening. “You can’t do this alone, no matter how much you want to believe you can.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he didn’t let her. He stepped even closer, his presence filling the space between them.

“I have a whole fucking team. One that will follow my lead.”

“This isn’t about control,” he said, his voice dropping. “It’s about survival. You want to fight me? Fine. But don’t let your pride get in the way of finding whoever did this. Veda deserves better than that.”

For a moment, she just stared at him, her breathing shallow, her gaze locked on his. The space between them was electric, the kind that made every nerve in his body hum with awareness. He wanted to shake her, to force her to see reason. But more than that, he wanted to reach out, to touch her and remind her that she wasn’t as alone as she thought she was.

“Fine,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “But don’t think for a second that I’m following your lead, Daniels. I won’t put up with any of that me Dom, you sub crap.”

He allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t pull away as he stepped back, the moment broken but not forgotten. Daniels knew this was just the beginning, and whatever came next, they’d have to face it as a team—even if it killed them.

Daniels leaned against the edge of the conference table, his arms crossed as he studied Reyna. She stood across from him,her body tense, her gaze fixed on the photos spread out in front of her. The dim lighting of the briefing room left corners of the room in shadows, the low hum of the overhead projector the only sound in the room. The silence between them felt anything but empty.

“You’re wound too tight,” Daniels said, his voice low and steady.

Reyna didn’t look up. “What else is new?”

“I’m serious,” he said, his tone sharpening just enough to draw her attention. Her head tilted slightly, her sharp gaze flicking up to meet his. “You’re not going to see anything if you’re this tense. Take a breath.”

Her lips parted, a protest forming, but she caught herself. Instead, she inhaled deeply, her chest rising as she followed his command. Daniels watched the subtle change in her body language, the way her shoulders eased, her stance softening. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to remind him why he was so damn drawn to her. Even when she didn’t realize it, she responded to him.

“Better,” he said, his voice softer now. “Now, tell me what you see.”

Reyna turned her attention back to the photos, her fingers brushing over one of the images. It was a grainy still from a security camera, showing Veda entering a high-end bar in the downtown district. Beside her was a man, his face partially obscured by a baseball cap.

“This,” she said, tapping the photo. “This is off. Veda didn’t meet people in public unless she trusted them.”

Daniels stepped closer, his presence brushing against her like a shadow. “Then who is he?”

“Someone new,” Reyna said, her tone laced with frustration. “I’ve never seen him before.”

Daniels reached over her shoulder, picking up the evidence file. “We’re running facial recognition now, but so far, all we’ve got is the alias he used to reserve a private room. Orion.”

Reyna frowned, turning toward him. “Orion? As in the hunter?”

“Seems fitting, doesn’t it?” Daniels said, setting the file down. “Whoever he is, he wanted to make sure he couldn’t be traced. Fake ID, burner phone, the works. But he didn’t count on cameras.”

Reyna’s eyes narrowed as she considered the photo again. “You think he killed her?”

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