“I take it we’re in the right place,” Cam said.
Ignoring him, Russ called, “They’re clear,” over his shoulder, and Becca replied with an “In here” from around the corner.If the layout was the same as the condo upstairs, the foyer led to a parlor of sorts with a grand view of the Bay.To the parlor’s left was an open-plan kitchen and living area, and to the right, a hallway to bedrooms and bathrooms.
Cam and Abby started forward, Cam’s hand at her lower back.As soon as they hit the opening of the foyer, they were separated.Abby was pushed forward, yelping, while Jared jumped him, wrenching his right arm back and forcing him down.Russ was on him the next instant, knee to his back.
Despite the blinding pain in his arm, the same one grazed last night, Cam could have thrown them off.Scrapping had never been a problem for him, even less so once he’d been professionally trained, but Becca’s gun trained on a shaking Abby guaranteed his compliance.
“You’re going to answer my questions,” Becca said.“And you’re going to tell me the truth or I’ll put a bullet in her head.”
“She’s your girlfriend,” he replied, appealing to that part of Becca he thought might have genuine feelings for the other woman.
Becca ignored the comment.Maybe she didn’t after all.“Near as I can tell, things started to go sideways when you entered the picture.”
“Hey, I replaced your old B&E guy.Near as I can tell, things were fucked before I got here.”
“Maybe you’re right.”Becca pressed the gun’s muzzle against Abby’s temple.“Maybe she’s the one throwing curveballs.”
“Or your boss,” Cam countered.“Was that him you called from the museum?”
She dodged his question, asking Abby, “Where’d you go last night?”
“A house on the coast,” Abby replied, voice trembling yet eyes dry, doing her damnedest to hold it together despite the betrayal that had to be coursing through her.
“A buddy of mine’s place in Half Moon Bay,” Cam said, trying to draw Becca’s attention off Abby.“He was out of town.No one saw us.”
“How’d you get back here?”
“Boosted a car.”
“The same one from last night?”
“I’m not a fucking amateur,” he sniped back.“I ditched the one from the city in San Mateo.Boosted a second and drove over the mountain to the beach.Ditched that one and stole a third this morning.”
“Describe them,” she demanded as they moved into the living area.
He rattled off specs, ones he pulled from his memory as easily as he put one foot in front of the other.Convinced, for now, Becca nodded and the bruisers let him up.Becca dropped her arm, and Abby bolted over to him.
“Ooh,” Becca said, voice dropping into a lower register.Less severe, more interested.“Did someone have fun last night?You’re supposed to share, baby.”
“What’s the plan now?”Cam said, redirecting the conversation again.
Becca grabbed a still smoking joint from an ashtray and tucked herself into the far corner of a sectional.She waved Abby over, took a long draw on the joint, then held it out, waiting for Abby to take a drag.Becca beckoned him to the cushion on her other side.“You’re going to prove who you are.”
He relied on his charm, hoping to avoid crime.“What is it you want me to do, sweetheart?”He reached for the joint, but Becca offered him her mouth instead, inviting him to shotgun the hit.Smoke seeped out from between their lips as they kissed, and there was nothing sweet about the pungent smell.It reeked, made his stomach churn with disgust, an accurate reflection of his tortured conscience.Yes, this was still his cover, but after sharing last night with Nic, everything about this felt wrong.He clutched at that feeling, at the rope keeping him tied to Nic and Agent Byrne, even as Becca pulled Abby onto her lap, shotgunning another drag with her, then waiting for Cam and Abby to do the same.Cam clawed at the rope tighter.He hated using Abby like this, hated manipulating the genuine interest he felt in her kiss and in her gentle hands last night.
“You got some of that last night?”Becca asked when they parted.
“Not enough,” Abby said, her eyes dark green.
“You’ll have to wait for more.”She shifted Abby off her lap, back to her other side.“Brady here has a safe to break into first.”
Crime it was, then.“Didn’t I already pass your trial run?”he asked, stalling.Not because he didn’t want to do it.Charm had been leading him down a worse path.No, he stalled because if he were in Becca’s position, he’d demand a reaffirmation of loyalty too.
“I want to know if you’re willing to steal from the FBI.”
He forced himself not to jerk.“The FBI?”
She nodded toward the bedrooms down the hall.“Assistant Director Moore’s safe is in the primary.”
