“We need to question her,” Lauren added at their sides, having followed him out.
Nic’s steely-eyed gaze stayed trained on Cam.“She’s my fucking witness.”
“Okay, Bowers,” Lauren retorted, voice mocking.
Fury flashed in Nic’s eyes, Lauren’s insubordination testing his clearly strained patience, ratcheting up his anger.It was enough to turn down the heat on Cam’s own boiling rage for the moment.
He shifted his gaze from Nic to Lauren.“A minute, please.”
“I don’t get to watch the pissing contest?”
“Agent Hall,” Cam said in his command voice, brooking no argument.“Don’t you have bank accounts to trace?”
Her blue eyes bounced between them, seeing too much.“You’ll regret it if you hurt each other,” she said before spinning away on her booted heel.
Cam returned his attention to Nic, reining in his boss voice and speaking to him as an equal, even though the earlier dig still burned.“We’re on the same team here.Abby’s the Bureau’s witness too.”
“You should have cleared it with me first,” Nic said, shoulders dipping slightly.“Before bringing her in.”
“Maybe so, but you weren’t here this morning.”
“I was at the brewery.”
“You told Lauren you had a meeting.”
“At the brewery.”
Lie.
Nic’s shoulders had ticked back up the tiny measure they’d relaxed, giving him away.Right now, though, they had bigger issues.“I didn’t want to disturb you either way.”He raised his hands, palms out.“Look, every precaution was taken, and I’ll do the reset paperwork for the safe houses.”
The way Nic held his stare, Cam wondered for a second if they would come to blows, but then Nic stepped back, sucking in a deep breath.When next he spoke, it was level and calm, the mask slipping back into place.“Whydidyou bring her here?”
Cam held out an arm toward the conference room, and Nic entered ahead of him.“Give him the rundown,” Cam said to Lauren.
“Glad you didn’t kill each other,” she mumbled before launching into her recap of the latest developments.
By the time she was done, Nic’s thumbs were drumming a steady rhythm against the table.“You’re right,” he said.“We need to question her again.Make sure she’s not planning an escapewithBecca.”
“Or another heist, from the inside,” Cam added.
“Fucking hell,” Nic cursed again as he stood.“Where is she?”
“Holding Room Two,” Lauren answered.
That was the other reason Cam wanted to question Abby in the FBI’s offices.Holding Room Two was equipped with specialty audio and video instruments designed to read a suspect’s or witness’s biometrics during questioning.“Analytics running?”he asked Lauren as they rose.
She nodded.
“Double-check ’em,” he said.“We’re right behind you.”
“You know, you could’ve just said you wanted another moment alone.”She swung the door closed before either of them could call her out on the repeated insubordination.Not that either of them would.She was too valuable to the team and usually the lighter mood was appreciated.
Turning to Nic, Cam opened his mouth to make sure they were okay, here in the office at least, but Nic spoke first.“I’m sorry I came in here”—he waved a hand between them, then let it drop to his side—“like that.And I’m sorry for what I said.I was way out of line.”
“You were,” Cam acknowledged, but didn’t dwell, at least not on the words, digging for the reason behind them instead.“Meeting this morning went south?”
Nic wiped a hand down the length of his face, thumb snagging on his rough, angular jaw.The brownish-red scruff, flecked with gray, was already well past five o’clock.Cam wanted to run his fingers over it desperately.
