Eva is fearless. But Kennedy loves her family and isn’t willing to put them in danger for her work. Nix has more control over me now than he even realizes.
And yet, I feel a sense of trust with him. His warning was about him, not me. He doesn’t want me digging too deep, but I don’t think he would hurt my family. I can’t help wondering if I’m being naïve, though. We learned in the academy that undercover work can change a person. They can start to get close to sources and see that they aren’t all bad.
Hassan is an asshole. Every moment spent with him just fuels my desire to bring him down. But Nix is different. Our dinner and that incredible kiss have me feeling off-balance. I need to spend my day refocusing on the job at hand.
My half sisterReagan smiles at me from the screen of my laptop. We have the same long black hair since I have mine colored dark right now, but hers is swept up in a cute topknot.
“Kennedy, it’s been way too long. I’m glad you Skyped. It’s so good to see your face.”
“You, too.”
She lowers her brows. “What’s wrong? You look upset.”
I sigh heavily. “Not upset, just…tired.”
“Have you been working too hard?”
“Not harder than usual.”
“So what’s going on? Talk to me.”
I meet her blue eyes on the computer screen, wishing I could see her in person.
“I mean, I could go for a nap, but this is a different kind of tired. I have to pretend I’m someone I’m not every time I leave my apartment. And the only time I went out as myself, just to buy some fucking dresses, I got busted.”
“Busted? By whom?”
I roll my eyes. “Phoenix Ash.”
“Who’s that?”
“He doesn’t exist. I’m supposed to be working him, but I feel like he’s working me. Probably. Maybe. I don’t even fucking know.”
“Okay, take a deep breath,” Reagan says.
“Is that Kennedy?” a deep, male voice asks off-screen.
“Yeah.”
“Hey,” Reagan’s husband, Jude, says, sitting down on the couch beside her. “What’s going on with our favorite spy?”
“I’m fine,” I say weakly. “It’s just hard sometimes, never knowing if someone’s telling me the truth or not.”
“You mean this guy, Phoenix?” Reagan asks.
Jude arches his brows. “Phoenix…where do I know that name from?”
“He’s a hacker-slash-criminal-slash-great cook whose place I stayed at last night.”
Realization dawns on my brother-in-law’s face. “It was an intelligence briefing. That guy’s stolen tens of millions of dollars that we know of. Who knows how much we haven’t even traced to him?”
“And you stayed at his house last night?” Reagan asks. “Is that safe?”
“It’s what I do. To gain the trust of the bad guys, I have to get close to them.”
Reagan narrows her eyes. “How close? Did you sleep with him?” She gives Jude an accusing look. “Does she have to sleep with men for this job? Because you didnotmention that to me when you suggested her working for Greenlight.”
“No,” I say firmly. “I didn’t sleep with him. I’m not required to sleep with anyone, but if I felt I needed to in order to get what I needed, I would.”
