Page 121 of One Secret

'Vincent Omar,' I say by way of a hello. Not willing to vacate the room and leave Darcy alone, I keep my words to a low mumble.

Jaime's voice immediately becomes less grouchy.

'Come again?' he asks, tone sharpening. I have his attention.

'Vincent Omar. He's my leading theory on Gabriel's identity.'

'Evidence?' There's a soft rushing noise, like Jaime is throwing back bedsheets and getting to his feet.

'Just a gut feeling, so far.' I admit, settling back into the chair. 'A few circumstantials.'

I hook one ankle over the opposing knee and try to ignore the tension in my shoulders. I don't like offering up a job half done.

'Not a lot to go on,' Jaime says, reading my mind. 'Your information's normally more solid than this, Alesi.'

'Which is why I didn't give you his name earlier. I was prepared to look into it further...' My gaze is drawn to the bed. To the gentle sound of Darcy's breath, '...but things have changed.'

'What things?'

Everything.

"You or your little woman try leaving this island and I will take great joy in breaking the both of you."

'I'm stuck here another day so I might pick up something more but, honestly, I'm not chasing this anymore.'

'You're giving up on Gabriel?'

Jaime doesn't sound disappointed. Just confused. He's quiet for a moment, digesting my U-turn.

'I'm not going to argue with you on this, Alesi. And I don't think the boss will, either. But I'm a nosey enough bastard to ask why?'

I pinch the bridge of my nose and stare blindly into the shadows of the room. Never did I think I would be having a conversation like this, in the dead of night, in a random hotel room, on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere…

Then again, I never thought I'd admit what happened on that ocean road job all those years ago.

Or discover I'm going to be a father.

Or realize I could love a woman.

Well ain't it just a night for fucking firsts…?

'I'm on thin ice here,' is all the explanation I can give to Jaime. 'If I keep pushing, it's going to crack altogether. The risk is too great.'

I can hear Jaime's frown in his next words:

'You're not usually one to shy away from something just because it's dangerous.'

I look over at Darcy.

"...I'll make sure to start with her."

The chair creaks as my fingers curl over the arms, whitening at the knuckles.

'The risk is too great,' I repeat.

I'm choosing what's important to me, dammit.

'All right. Well, I've already set up an extraction team in case you need them. And I'm working on those numbers for you to give to Caruso.'

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