The light fades from her eyes. “A deal? With who? The Feds? You’re an FBI agent, aren’t you? You fucked him over.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “No, Coco,youfucked him over. By using the computer he gave you to clean out someone’s bank account, you opened up his network, and now he’s in a world of trouble.”
She cringes, tears shining in her eyes. “No. Shit, no. I’d never…” The tears spill onto her cheeks, and I notice the dark circles under her eyes for the first time.
“It’s already done,” I say.
“No. Tell him no. I don’t want him to make a deal for me. I’ll take the consequences, whatever they are.”
I feel her slouching, and I relax my hold on her.
“What were youthinking?” I ask softly.
“I’m not explaining shit to you. I want my phone so I can call Nix. I get a phone call, don’t I?”
“No, because you’re not under arrest. You’re in protective custody.”
She wipes the tears from her cheeks. “You’re a real cunt, Eva. Or whatever your name is. You think you’re saving the world or something?”
“Hardly. I work to keep illegal guns and drugs off the streets. White-collar crime isn’t usually my bag, but when it’s funding drugs and guns, we cut off the cash supply.”
She laughs lightly and rolls her eyes. “Drugs and guns? You think that’s what you’re fighting here? You’re not just a cunt, you’re adumbcunt.”
I take two fistfuls of her shirt and slam her against the wall again. “Watch it,Caroline.”
“Don’t fucking call me that.”
“You don’t make the rules here. I do. Your stupid little stunt ruined everything between Nix and me.”
“Ruined what? We were just an undercover assignment to you, clearly.”
I’m about to boil over as I lean closer to her. “Don’t give yourself that kind of credit, dipshit. He was an assignment, but my feelings for him were real. I would have protected him.”
Coco scowls with disgust. “Like you really have that sort of power?”
“I would have done everything possible.”
“So you’re the FBI agent who was double-crossing him, but this is allmyfault?”
“Nix’s current situation is all your fault, yes.”
Her eyes gleam. “Does he see it that way?”
“No. For whatever reason, he wants to save your miserable ass. He cares about you very much.”
“Bet you’d like to know what that feels like.”
I’ve never wanted to lash out at someone so much in my life. I want to punch Coco square in the jaw and then drop her to the floor. The urge is so powerful I have to take a couple steps back to stop myself.
“Yeah, I’m hurt,” I say, my voice shaking. “I’m sure you think I deserve it.”
“You deserve so much more.” Her tone is icy. “You have no fucking clue what you’re doing.”
“We don’t operate on suspicion, Coco. Nix has stolena lotof money. You may not know that side of him—”
“Oh, I know it. I know him better than anyone. I wanted to do what he does, but…” She clears her throat, her voice thick with emotion. “But I was stupid, and I blew it.”
“You wanted to become a thief? Live a life funded entirely by stolen money?”
