“I suggest you get out of here for now,” Kynan remarks, dragging me from my dark thoughts. “I’m going to need to talk Bebe off the ledge right now. She’s so pissed she probably has your real identity located and is currently draining your bank accounts.”
No clue what the expression on my face is, but it makes Kynan laugh.
“Relax,” he says, slapping his palm on the table and standing. I follow suit. “Let me go talk to her. Be here tomorrow morning at eight. We’ll start planning what to do about faking Bebe’s death. Then you can brainstorm on how she might be able to help you.”
“I appreciate it,” I say.
“Oh, and there’s one other thing I need from you and the justice department.” It’s said as such an afterthought I don’t give it much thought until he actually tells me what he wants. “In exchange for Bebe’s help on this, I want her to get a full pardon for her crimes. I want it wiped off her record and her prison sentence expunged.”
“I don’t have that type of power,” I say carefully.
“But you have access to the people who do,” Kynan points out as he skirts around the large table. “Make it happen.”
I follow Kynan to the conference room door. “Anatoly is going to expect me back in New York as soon as he thinks Bebe’s dead.”
“Well, I can tell you I’m not letting Bebe go to New York to work on this with you. She either helps from the safety of Jameson or you don’t get her help at all. You’re going to have to buy yourself some time.”
I ponder how to get more time away from Anatoly, and an idea comes to me immediately.
“Aaron,” I say. Kynan stiffens, his expression darkening. I ignore it. “Anatoly suspects there’s a kid, but I haven’t confirmed it. I can tell him that I definitely think there’s a kid, along with Bebe’s mom, and suggest he let me go after them. It won’t take much to convince him to clean up all loose ends.”
“He’ll think you’re off chasing them, and you can be here working with Bebe to take him down,” Kynan summarizes.
“Of course, you’re going to need to send Aaron and Gloria away.”
“Already thought of that,” Kynan says. “I’m going to send them out to California to stay at my wife’s house. I’ll send a few of my guys to protect them, too.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I say, sticking my hand out.
He studies it for a long moment—to the point I think he’s going to ignore it—but then we’re shaking on it.
I’ve just become partners with Jameson. Outside of my issues with Bebe, I can’t help but think this was a really good change of events for me.CHAPTER 10BebeStaring into the bathroom mirror, I wonder how my life got so fucked up so quickly. I had genuinely thought all the bad stuff was behind me. I had thought I’d paid for my crimes. My life was finally getting back to normal. Less than twelve hours ago, I actually thought I might have a chance at a relationship.
That’s gone now. I’ve been hiding in the bathroom for a good fifteen minutes, not wanting to have to walk out of here and confront that.
We’d stepped out of the conference room at Kynan’s request. Dozer, Cruce, and Saint stared worriedly at me, but I gave the men my back, hurrying off to the women’s bathroom. It’s true Griffin Stoltz or Moore—whatever the fuck his name is—has thrown me for a loop, but truth be told, I’m far more shaken up to know that Anatoly Bogachev is after me.
Bile had actually risen in my throat, coating it with a burning sour taste when Griff told me that he was hired by Anatoly to kill me. It instilled fear deep within me, as it should. He’s an incredibly dangerous and cruel man.
Memories of the last time I’d seen Anatoly—a surprise visit he’d made to Boston to bestow upon his most prized hacker the importance of obedience and loyalty to his organization. My stomach turns with nausea from those memories and I lean over the sink to splash cool water on my face. It helps to wash away the unbidden tears.
Turning the water off, I grab a handful of paper towels from the dispenser and pat my face dry. My red-rimmed eyes stare back, giving me no answers on what I should do at this point.
The bathroom door opens, and I find myself not giving two fucks who might be walking in and catching me having a personal moment. Not surprised when I see Kynan poking his head in.
“Hey,” he says gently, his gaze taking me all in and perhaps lingering a little longer on my tearstained eyes. “Imagine all that was quite a shock to you.”