“Yeah, sure,” I said. “Why’s your sister here?”
Bernie frowned. “She wanted a fresh start. After her ex.”
I snorted. “She’s not here because of her ex, Bernie. She’s here because of me.”
She blinked. “What? Why would she be here because of you?”
I saw no point in lying, so I told her.
“I left the PD, quit the FBI, and ended up patching into the MC I was supposed to be infiltrating,” I said. “And Max knows me. I didn’t think she’d ever make it through the FBI training, though. So I’m surprised to find that she’s here.”
Bernie blinked.
Just as she opened her mouth to disagree with me, the door opened, and Max walked in looking frazzled.
She froze when she saw me standing there.
“Max,” Bernie said quietly. “What did you do?”
Max looked from me to her sister and back before saying, “What are you doing here?”
I studied her for a second, taking in her tall form, her intense eyes, and the scowl on her face.
“You were caught leaving the shop,” I said. “Why were you there?”
I, of course, knew why.
But I wanted her to tell me anyway.
I’d trusted her once.
“I…” She hesitated. “I’m not sure who you saw, but it wasn’t me.”
I shook my head. “Max, I know it was you. We saw you getting into an SUV just down the road, after we tracked you using our security cameras.”
“That’s impossible,” Max refuted. “I didn’t get caught by your security cameras.”
I rolled my eyes. “You were. And you did. Now, I know why you are here. You want to infiltrate the Truth Tellers. But let me tell you this, Max. You won’t make it. And whoever is helping you, they’re lying to you.”
“What?” Max feigned innocence. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
I laid it down for her.
“You’re working for the FBI,” I said. “In an official capacity, but you’re not FBI. I’m guessing you work as some freelancer. You never passed your peace officer’s licensing.”
Max’s face scrunched up.
“They’re using you to get close to us because of your connection to me,” I told her. “They don’t care about you. They don’t care what happens. They don’t care if you come back to your kid.” I looked at the child’s door. “And let me tell you something, Max. We don’t, either.”
The meaning for that was clear.
Though we didn’t hurt kids, we didn’t discriminate against women and men. If women wanted to play rough, we obliged them. That simple.
“I…”
“Whoever is letting you use this house.” I walked around, taking a look around at the interior, making sure to drop the water bottle lid in an area that it wouldn’t be noticed as I moved. “They’re using you. You see money, but they see an in. They don’t care how they get that in, if you understand my meaning.”
Bernie cleared her throat. “Are you threatening us?”
