“Those the ones from AD Moore?”
“Yes and no.”She held her free hand out, and Nic placed a coffee cup in it.
He lowered his voice.“Are you copying them?”
“Don’t ask that question.”
Plausible deniability seemed like a wise plan.“One of those also have what we need for Bowers?”he asked.
“Of course.”She waved him off with her coffee, adding, “Cam’s in Holding Room Two with Abby.”
He crossed the bullpen to the holding rooms, knocking the door with his shoe.It opened to a dressed-down Cam, wearing those worn jeans and another gray FBI T-shirt.Between the tight tee and blue-tipped hair, if Abby weren’t sitting right there, if a bullpen of agents weren’t sitting right behind them, Nic would have dropped the tray of drinks and dropped to his knees.Cam cleared his throat and Nic’s eyes shot up.Cam knew exactly what he was thinking, judging by his handsome smirk.
“Agent Byrne.”Nic returned the knowing smile as he stepped past Cam into the room.He handed Abby a cup.“How you doing?”he asked her.
Dwarfed by Cam’s tuxedo jacket, she looked drained, her eyes tired, curls limp, and shoulders hunched.She wrapped both hands around the coffee cup, absorbing the warmth.She was probably in shock too.
Noticing the direction of his gaze, Cam addressed his concern.“Already been checked out by medical,” he said as he took the chair next to Nic.He worked the last two mugs free from the tray, setting one in front of Nic and sipping from the other.
“Not my best day ever,” Abby said with an ironic twist of her lips.“But Becca’s behind bars and sis is safe.”
Nic reached out a hand, covering hers.“Look at it this way...They can only get better from here.”
“Holy shit!”Cam said, clutching his shoulder.“Is there an optimistic bone in that body after all?”
Nic side-eyed him.“Shut it, Boston.”
Across from them, Abby laughed as she split a glance between them.“I’m guessing there was never a shot with either of you.”
“How do you mean?”Cam said.
She waved a finger back and forth, the implication clear, but then her brow furrowed and her smile morphed into a frown.“Though, what you said?—”
“Before we were—” Cam waved a finger between them.
Nic had clearly missed a conversation somewhere.“Did Agent Byrne explain what happens now?”
She took a long swallow of her coffee.“Back to the safe house, then the preliminary hearing on Monday.”
“We don’t expect any blowback at this point since all the players are in custody,” Cam said.“The safe house should just be temporary.”
“And I do expect the judge to take into consideration that you’ve helped us apprehend all the culprits,” Nic added.
“What’s that mean exactly?”Abby asked.
“House arrest and community service is what I’ll recommend.”
“What about my sister?”
Cam shrugged one shoulder.“She’s done nothing on our watch.The FBI’s not launching an investigation.”
“And the US Attorney’s Office won’t be bringing charges at this time either.But she needs to keep her nose clean.You too.”
“Thank you,” Abby said, grateful but not as happy as Nic expected.
“Something wrong still?”he asked.
She stared down at her coffee, picking at the sleeve.“I feel like there’s more I need to do...to atone for what happened to her.”
