Alan Dawkins walked in with a grim smile. "DeMarco, glad to see you're still standing."
Normally Rafe would've stood to shake his hand, but his fucking ribs were killing him. It was a wonder he was still conscious, frankly. "Thanks, Alan. Let's cut to the chase, all right? I think I'm going to need to pass out soon."
Agent Dawkins frowned. "I was told you refused medical attention."
"I don't need the medics to tell me that I've likely got at least two if not three bruised ribs. That what I need is to bind them tight, pop meds, and pass the fuck out. I would much rather get this conversation underway to find out what my options are, sir." The sir was added belatedly.
Dawkins shook his head. "I can’t believe you. Do you know how stupid what you did was?"
Rafe lifted his brow. "You mean saving Calhoun? It was a calculated risk. I couldn’t let the kid take that shot. His life would've been over, and Calhoun is too important a player on the board. Sometimes your knight has to take a hit to protect the queen right?"
"Obviously, this changes things as Rafe DeMarco is dead."
Rafe inhaled deeply at those words, and immediately winced. "Tell me something I don't know. The real question is…what now?"
The older man rocked back on his feet and studied Rafe for a long moment. "Well, no. The real question is, what's on the docket for Raphael Santino?"
Rafe frowned. Was he part of an active case? "Am I supposed to know who that is?"
"That's you, if you still want to stay undercove
r."
Okay then, they wanted him to stay. He was technically Bureau, but his official ID had been burned the moment he’d gone undercover. "You mean another deep cover op where I have no tether and am completely disavowed?"
Dawkins shook his head. "This is different. Rafael Santino is an FBI agent. The work you do would be similar, and you'd only be meeting with people on a need-to-know basis. But Rafael Santino has a pension. He went to Quantico the year before you. Graduated with special dispensation. He exists."
Rafe blinked. Fuck, he must be exhausted. Or maybe it was the pain. Either way, the emotion swirled around in his gut. No more shadows. "How does that work exactly?"
Dawkins gave him a thin smile. "Since this is your home turf, you can’t be stationed here. Not with ORUS, and not with your family so close. We have an exchange program with Interpol. You can work on jobs with them. For a while, until you choose to return to the States. When you choose to do so, you will likely be stationed in Philadelphia. If you accept the job, we’ll put the paperwork through. Only those at the highest level will know who you are and what you were working on before."
"So, it's like a reboot."
His handler's lips quirked. “Except, let's not make this a crappy Michael Bay reboot okay? What do you say Rafe?"
"Is there any other option? One that allows me to see my family?” Rafe had deliberately kept the fact that his sister had been at the house off his official report. He'd written the damn thing on the way into the city. Wanting to get that shit over with as quickly as possible. He just prayed to God Noah had gotten her off the island.
Dawkins shook his head. “The two options in front of you are this or witness protection."
"And if ORUS is gone or no longer a problem?"
Dawkins sighed. "I know what you're thinking. And it's never going to happen. It's best to deal with the situation at hand."
But Rafe wasn't going to let it go. He had to know. If one day shit finally went his way, would he get his family back? "Just answer me."
"If by some miracle we managed to get someone close enough to kill Orion, then Rafe DeMarco could rise like a phoenix out of the ashes. But until then, he's a dead man. You have two options. Choose one."
Rafe knew there was only one option for him. Without his family, without his anchors, he needed stability. He needed to work. Idle hands were the devil's workshop. And after everything he’d been taught to do, the ways he knew how to kill, having too much spare time was going to be a problem.
He stood gingerly, pressing a hand to his aching ribs. Then spoke the words that would determine the rest of his life.
"I've always wanted to go back to Europe."
THANK YOU for reading the prequel to the DEEP duet! Ready for more?
Keep reading for a special sneak peek at DEEP!
I am the ghost that haunts your dreams. I am a liar, a protector … a killer… I am death.