I knew I’d be sitting in this position eventually. I just figured it would be for my own actions.
“Basically,” she says with a sigh. “If you cooperate with us, we’ll drop all charges against Coco and work out a deal with you.”
“What kind of deal?”
“We need to talk, Nix, about what happened.” She pushes herself up using the table as leverage and moves in front of the mirror, stopping to stare at herself in the mirror for a second. “We can’t have any ofthisbetween us before we go on.” She glances at my reflection as she presses a small button near the bottom right edge of the glass before taking her seat again.
“Talk.”
“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” she says, closing her eyes and dragging her tongue across her bottom lip. “You weren’t my original target. Hassan was my mission, but then you…” She trails off, and she toys with the piercing in her lip with the tip of her tongue.
“I, what?”
“You were you,” she says, her eyes narrowing. “Once Rae found out that I caught your eye, my mission changed.”
“Kennedy, I knew you were playing me. I knew it, but I didn’t listen to the little voice in my head.” I lift my clasped hands to my chin, resting my elbows on the table, and stare into her dark charcoal eyes. “I let my cock lead me astray. You did a damn good job seducing me, though. I’ll give you that.”
Her eyes widen and she balks. “I did not seduce you because of my job. I liked you. If I wasn’t who I am and you weren’t you, we could’ve been something different…something great.”
I smirk, trying to piss her off as much as I can. “You were a great lay. Is that something they teach you in your secret-agent training?”
“Fuck you, Nix,” she hisses, her top lip snarled.
“You already did, Ken. More than once if I recall.”
She stares down at the table as her cheeks turn a bright shade of pink. “I thought maybe I meant something to you.”
“You did,” I admit, dragging my hands down my face and grimacing. “That’s the problem. I was falling for you, Kennedy. What a fucking fool I was.”
Her eyebrows shoot up as my words sink in. “You were?”
I rub the back of my neck, but I keep my gaze locked on hers. “I did.”
“You’re not a fool, Nix.” Her shoulders sag, and there’s a flash of sadness on her face. “I was falling for you too.”
I believe her when she says the words. Maybe I’m a fool, but there’s nothing but truth in her eyes. I knew she wasn’t who she said. I knew it. My abilities to smell a lie weren’t off when it came to her. I just figured I had shit handled. And I did on my end, just not when it came to Coco.
“Now, what?”
“I had no idea they were bringing Coco in. I swear I didn’t know. When they told me that I could offer you a deal, I jumped at the chance. You’re the last person I want to see behind bars. So, if you help us, give us something useful, maybe they’ll let you both go.”
“Kennedy,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back in the chair. “I’ve never been a narc. I’m not who you think. I’m not like Hassan and the others at the Loft.”
“How so?” she asks with her eyebrows drawn downward.
“I’ll tell you when we’re alone again. Just know I’m not who you think I am. Now go press that button, and let’s get this shit over with. I want Coco out of here as soon as possible.”
“Right.” She nods, scrambling to her feet and turning the microphone back on before sliding into her chair.
She clears her throat and straightens her back. She’s back in agent mode. Calm. Cool. Collected. “Are you willing to cooperate, Mr. Ash?”
“I’ll do what I need to do to get Coco released.” The words come out easier than I expect, but I’d do anything to protect those I love, including crazy-ass Coco.
“We’ve been investigating Hassan for some time. We’ve never cracked his network. As you know, he’s an arms dealer and has been linked to numerous terrorist attacks around the globe.”
I extend my arm in front of me. “Let me stop you right there.”
She nods and I continue.
