Page 111 of Boss

The line disconnected. Kassidy sighed. She put the phone down. She went back to her purse and located Detective Grason's phone number. He could put her in contact with the FBI. She had to make a choice. And her heart she discovered she already did.

Present –

Kassidy put her face in her hands. Agent Matthews was the last to arrive. He walked in and she could hear his conversation with his team. The door hung off the hinges. There was chatter all around her. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter and tried to block it out. The sound of the kitchen chair being dragged across her hardwoods drew closer and closer. Someone sat in front of her. She didn’t bother to look up to see who it was. She didn’t care.

When the person didn’t speak after a minute she lifted her face from her hands and looked at him.

“You’re a very complicated woman, Ms. Turner. I’m disappointed. Even after our talk, you still held back,” he said.

“You got your confession from Reese. You heard her and Tarek.”

“Yes, I heard her. But I also heard you,” he pointed a finger at her. “The deal was Tarek Marshall. I don't have anything incriminating on him. Not even this infamous jump drive.”

Kassidy lifted her gaze and locked in on the agent's angry glare. The FBI told her everything on Tarek and the Russians. Even things Tarek didn’t know when she shared it all back with him. Kovalevsky was scarier than the Russian Mafia. Kovalevsky had even deeper ties within the Kremlin. And he was untouchable. Nothing the feds did could bring them closer to him. That was until the FCC started its investigation, and the Marshalls got sloppy with trying to cover up their laundering of their money.

He was right.

She would never hand them Tarek. What she was bargaining for was both their lives. And now it was time to move the final piece on the board.

“Still playing innocent?” the agent asked.

“I showed him the truth about his parents on the computer. I tried to convince him to tell me about his connection to Kovalevsky. I did try.”

“And then you took him upstairs. Knowing full well it would cut us off. I almost sent my agents in to drag him out. But we didn't have enough. So we let him leave. If it wasn’t for your friend arriving and exposing you, we wouldn’t have anything.”

“She came in here with a gun, looking for that damn jump drive. You let her come in here and put my life in jeopardy. You’re the one playing games. You don’t have anything connecting Kovalevsky to Tarek. You used me, and my fear. You got what you deserved.”

“I had the situation under control,” the agent said.

“Liar!” Kassidy shouted.

The agent continued to glare at her.

“What happens now, To Tarek?” Kassidy asked.

“He’s the one you’re concerned about?” the agent asked.

“Answer me!” she demanded.

“Thanks to you we don’t have much. He didn’t say anything really to incriminate himself with Kovalevsky.”

“But arresting Reese will prove to Tarek that I betrayed him.”

“Sounds to me being betrayed is a thing he’s used too.”

“Then I need protection,” she said.

“You know the price. No more games or lies. I want the fucking USB drive.” The agent said.

She smiled. She opened her palm and revealed it. She had it the pocket of her robe the entire time. The agent eyes stretched like a kid at Christmas. “I want a deal. Do you understand me? A real one.”

“You will have to testify against the Marshalls in court. Are you prepared to do that?” he asked. He took the thumbnail from her. She nodded.

“Then congratulations Ms. Turner. You have won. You have brought down the Marshalls.”

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