“That is the truth.”
Ava turned to walk away.
“Wait,” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Would you consider sitting down with me for a minute?”
Ava looked at her phone. “For a minute.”
He led her over to a bank of seats with no one sitting nearby.
She sat and crossed her arms.
“First of all, the woman you saw going into my house this morning works for K19. She’s an operative on assignment for us.”
Ava nodded and Razor took a deep breath.
“You have a clear picture of how Quinn an
d Mercer met?”
She nodded for the second time.
“Mercer was on assignment, protecting her.”
“Yes. I’m aware of that, Razor.”
“But he had feelings for her that had nothing to do with his assignment. He genuinely cared about her, and I’d go so far as to say he loved her, even in the beginning.”
“My flight is boarding soon.”
God, how could he put this in a way that wouldn’t make it sound like his only interest in her was as an asset he needed to protect.
“The case against Dash Finnegan is more complex than anyone has led you to believe. You may think you’re testifying solely against him; however, the feds and the CIA are more interested in bringing down the people he works for than the man himself.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I have been hired to protect you, Avarie.”
He waited for her to process what he told her, watching in agony as her eyes filled with tears.
“It was all an act?”
“Never. What I feel for you is very real. I told you I couldn’t stop thinking about you, but the truth is that I’ve spent the last year wanting to know what it would be like to kiss you, wanting to just be with you—that was all the truth, sweetheart.”
“When did your assignment, or whatever you call it, start?”
“Yesterday.”
“That’s why you invited us to stay with you?”
“It is. However, that isn’t all there is to it, Ava. I wanted you to stay with me. I wanted you, any way I could have you. I still do.”
“What would you do if I got on my flight.”
“I’d go with you.”
“Is the woman working with you to protect me?”
“Yes. As is Gunner.”