So did she. “I didn’t expect him to know about the serial-killer cases.”
“I warned you. The man is good. Do not, at any point, underestimate him.”
No, she wouldn’t. She’d learned her lesson about that. The other issue, she wasn’t quite sure how to handle. “There’s another complication.”
“What?”
“There’s an attraction I didn’t anticipate.”
“For you or for him?”
“Both.”
“Oh, Jules.”
Those two softly spoken words held a wealth of meaning.
“I know. It’s stupid. Nothing will come of it. We both agreed if I went to work for OZ, we couldn’t pursue anything. It’ll pass.”
“For your sake, I hope so, but let me ask you this. What’s your endgame here? Once this is over and you’ve done what you need to do, what happens?”
“I’ll leave. You know the reason I’m doing this.”
“Yes, but I also know that your emotions are tied up with this case. And when emotions are involved, things don’t always turn out the way we planned.”
“You’re right, but right now I just need to get this done. What happens after that we’ll just have to wait and see.”
“You know I’m only a phone call away.”
“Thanks, and I love you for it.”
“Love you, too. Get some rest. You’ve got to be exhausted.”
“Yeah. And my day might be longer tomorrow. One of OZ’s employees was waiting for me in my room. She says she’s my trainer.”
“What’s her name?”
“She didn’t say. She’s petite, has short, ink-black hair, dark brown eyes, and looks like she might have been sick recently.”
“Jasmine McAlister, or Jazz. She was injured on an op a few months back. Don’t let her size or weak appearance fool you. She’s a tough one.”
“So she told me.”
“Believe her.”
“I will. I’ll do fine. Remember, I’m a tough cookie, too.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Night, Kate.”
“Night, Jules.”
After ending the call, Jules sat for a while and just appreciated the silence. The day had brought more challenges than she’d expected. When she’d set out on this quest, she’d had one goal. That hadn’t changed. And what she’d told K
ate was the truth. Working with Asher Drake would assist her in achieving that goal even better than she had hoped, but it also complicated things. She had no real exit strategy. And if her new boss found out who’d sent her here, she had a feeling complications would be the least of her worries.
Chapter Twelve