Page 223 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
Alex’s loud gulp sounds through the quietness, but his firm stature doesn’t falter from Regan’s whip-cracking stubbornness. “I do have credible information that will be of benefit to your client.”
“Then let’s get this over and done with.” Regan gestures for Alex to enter her living area before murmuring, “I wouldn’t want to take up too much of yourvaluabletime.”
“So, the request for me to join your team was filed before I even graduated from the academy?” My tone relays my utter confusion. Nothing Alex is saying makes any sense.
Alex nods. “Yes. The paperwork was dated a month before I was assigned to my position.” He hands me a transfer request form that displays my name and FBI contact information in explicit detail.
“But that doesn’t make any sense. Yousaid youbrought me in as a piece of eye candy for Isaac.” Regan’s eyes snap to mine. Her livid gaze has my pulse accelerating. “I didn’t know that until after I joined Alex’s team. I also refused to become a commodity for the Bureau. My refusal got me on coffee and filing duties for seven months.”
Alex returns Regan’s glare with as much intensity as she’s hitting him with, but the remorse in his eyes makes his efforts less than stellar. They’ve met previously. I’m certain of it. And if the heat creeping across Regan’s neckline is anything to go by, I’m going to assume their meetings weren’t business-related.
“The decision to bring Isabelle onto my team as a decoy for Isaac was decided after attending a conference in San Francisco in April,” Alex informs us, his gaze not leaving Regan. “Every male agent in the vicinity kept mentioning a hot, new rookie agent who was seeking a placement. I was shocked when I discovered it was the same agent I denied a transfer request from during my first week in the Ravenshoe office as the superior officer.”
His eyes shift to me. “I wanted to see if you lived up to the hype. I was also desperate to force Isaac to make a mistake, so I used any tactic I could find. I heard from a very reliable source that a beautiful lady was his eternal weakness.”
“A beautifulblondelady,” Regan sneers. “And the person you got that information from knew you were squeezing them for confidential facts. That’s whyshe led you down the garden path.”
The temperature in the room turns stifling when Regan and Alex undertake an intense stare-down. It’s so roasting, a sweat mustache forms on my top lip.
“Either tell me what information you have that’ll assist my client or get the hellout of my house.” Regan’s demand is croaky with emotions, but also full of bitterness.
Remorse flashes through Alex’s eyes. After trailing his index finger over his brow, removing a layer of sweat beading there, his hand digs into his leather satchel braced against the single sofa chair he’s sitting on. “It took a bit of convincing, but Brandon supplied me with the serial numbers from the tracking devices stored on your phone.” He hands a sheet of paper to both Regan and me. “After searching through many hidden back channels, I discovered the devices were placed in your phone by the FBI.”
When my furious eyes snap to his, he clarifies, “Not by my department. It was the same person who initially requested your transfer to Ravenshoe.”
I glare at him for several heart-thrashing seconds before scanning the document he handed me. My teeth grit when I discover who ordered the two tracking devices for my phone.
“That bitch!” Regan’s response is more reserved than the defiling ones running through my head right now. Her eyes lift and lock with Alex. “How could you let this happen to an agent on your team?” she scolds him. “I thought you said nothing like this would ever happen to a member ofyourcrew. That you were more ethical and better than those before you. This just shows you aren’t any better than your predecessor. You’ve let Theresa hinder your investigation from the very beginning.”
“Regan… don’t. This isn’t a personal attack,” Alex interjects.
Regan abruptly stands from her seat. Her face is ashen, and her eyes are welling with tears. “No, itisn’ta personal attack.” Her stance strengthens as she crosses her arms in front of her chest. “But it was. You used me, all to climb the corporate ladder at the Bureau, then you let this happen because you became a jealous green-eyed monster.”
Alex recoils like her words slapped him across the face. He’s as shocked as Hugo, who is watching their exchange from a guarded position in the corner of the room.
After running her hands down the front of her tight, red cotton skirt successfully removing the crinkles while also drying her damp hands, Regan shimmies her shoulders. Once a professional mask has slipped over her face, she devotes her attention back to Alex. “Thank you for supplying us with these documents. I’ll be sure to pass on my commendations for your tact to your superior officers.” Her tone is professional with a hint of sternness. “Hugo will show you the way out.”
“I don’t need to be shown out. I already know my way.” Alex gathers his leather satchel from the floor and his jacket slung over the back of the chair before making his way to the entryway. He gets two paces away from the door before he stops and pivots back around. “I’m looking further into how this happened to you, Isabelle. You have my word, my department will thoroughly investigate this.”
Part of my anger dissipates from his words. He’s the most genuine and honest I’ve seen him. “Thank you.”
He accepts my commendation with a dip of his chin before his focus shifts to Regan. Seeing them stand side by side is like looking at a solar eclipse. Both have dominant, strong personalities with a healthy dash of stubbornness. Both as gorgeous as the other, but just like Isaac and me, the string tethering them together has somehow snapped.
Once Alex shows himself out, Regan’s endeavors switch from a professional campaign to a personal one. “Please don’t say anything to Isaac. I… umm… met Alex before I knew who he was. The instant I found out he was working on a team assigned to investigate Isaac, I ended everything, and I haven’t seen him since.”
My heart is pained by the forlorn look straining her beautiful face. Even angry, her eyes give away her ultimate betrayal. She had deep, heartfelt feelings for Alex.
The harsh expression tainting her face fades when I nod, agreeing to keep her secret. “It would’ve taken Alex a lot to share this information with us, Regan. He’s not usually willing to impart with vital information.”
“I know,” Regan replies as her tongue delves out to moisten her top lip. “But it’s still a verysmall step compared to all the mistakes he has made.” She squeezes my hand, assuring me she’s not taking my comment lightheartedly before heading to her office. “I need to make a few phone calls regarding this new evidence we’ve been presented.”
“Will this help with my investigation?” I gesture my head to the document I’m grasping.
Regan nods. “Yes. It gives us a good chance of having any evidence gathered by Theresa or her team thrown out.”
My heart leaps. “That’sallthe evidence in the case. Her team was the first one at the crime scene.” My words are drenched with excitement.
“I know.” Regan’s face breaks into her heaven’s-gates-being-opened smile. “It’s time to take this bitch down once and for all.”
