“You just came back from a mission. Standard protocol is down time, forty-eight hours, whether you like it or not."
“I don't need it."
She laughed. "Oh, so you're special. You are a very special agent that somehow has managed to counteract the effects of adrenaline and stress. I didn’t know you had a medical background. I knew you were pretty, and you know, had all the makings of a bad boy with a decent brain. But I did not know you were also a medical doctor. I will make it a point to remember that in the future."
I frowned. "Okay, I hear you. I just… I needed to blow off some steam."
"We will get Webster. That's what we do. Gabe is not going to let anyone rest until we get him. He lost his parents too."
“Yeah, sure, whatever."
She frowned at me, and I reloaded the clip. But before I could put my headphones back on, she put a hand on my arm. "Listen, whatever your problem is, I saw that little interaction with Saff. What's your deal with her?"
"No deal."
"Oh, bullshit."
"No deal. She's my supervising officer, right?"
“God, so pretty but so dumb. Your memory starting to come back yet?"
I furrowed my brow at that. “I don't know what you're talking about."
“Yes, you do. You know exactly what I’m talking about. I read the brief. And I talked to Ariel. I know that you guys had to pretend for safety."
I clenched my jaw tight. "The full details were in the report to Gabe?"
She shook her head. "No, he just has ops details. So the fact that the place was bugged, yes. What happened after it was bugged, no. That's all I’m going to say."
"Oh, this just gets better and better."
“It's confidential. Even Oversight doesn't see it, so you're fine. Gabe won't know that you deflowered his sister."
"Jesus fucking Christ." Had she been a virgin the first time we’d been together? And I didn’t fucking remember? If that didn’t take the cake, I didn’t know what did.
“Is that or is that not what happened?" Tabatha demanded.
I cleared my throat. "That is not any of your business."
"All right. If you say so. But why are you in here with her face on your targets?"
“You don't know who I’m shooting at."
"Oh, after a mission like that, either you are real pissed off at Drake Webster because he ruined your mission, or you're mad at someone else. I'd bet cash money that someone who you're mad at goes by the name of Saffron Abott."
“I'm not doing this with you."
"Okay, but you should talk to someone because sometimes what happens in the field can get dicey. And it's hard to separate."
“I'm fine. Everything is fine."
She laughed. "When did you start to remember?"
I blinked rapidly. "Remember what?"
"Let's not do this, okay? Let's not do the thing where you and I pretend that nothing major is going on. That you aren't stupid in love with my best friend. Let's have an honest conversation. So, when did you start to remember?"
I stared at her and crossed my arms. “I feel like that also falls in the category of none of your business."