“You went against protocol five times. You lied to your director. You omitted important information. You were involved in thirty-five civilian deaths…” The director continues listing off all the things I’ve done wrong, and I flinch at each one.
When he puts it that way, I deserve to be locked up.
“But,” he says, pulling off his glasses and looking me in the eye, “You took down a crime circle we’ve been hunting for twenty years, and the number of lives that will be saved as a result… Well, it’s not measurable, but it’s invaluable.”
I hold my breath, waiting for the decision I suspect they’ve already made.
“It has come to our attention that you no longer desire to work for the CIA?” he asks.
I nod because I don’t think I would be able to speak without a tremble in my voice.
“In light of that information, we would like to let you know that your job with the CIA is not at risk. You have the position if you want it. And we will not be pressing any criminal charges against you. Nor will Italy be pursuing any criminal charges. Internationally, you are free to go.”
My mouth drops open, and Declan is smiling so widely that it seems like his face might split in two. I don’t say anything, flabbergasted.
The board member who read my sentence shuffles his papers before standing and smiling at me. “Don’t be so surprised, Miss Riley. You’re an excellent agent, and you did what you needed to. What many haven’t been able to do for two decades. If you broke a few rules, well…” He shrugs and then gives me one more grin before he disappears from the conference room.
Declan and I watch as the rest of the board members leave, all nodding at me and offering smiles. When the door clicks shut on the last person, Declan finally turns to me.
“Holy shit,” he says.
I’m still not able to say a word. None of this feels real. Not this hearing. Not Owen’s trial. Not the fact that I took down the largest crime syndicate in the world.
Nothing makes sense anymore. I should feel relieved, but instead, I feel numb.
Somehow, this all means nothing without Owen.
And I’m so very tired.
Chapter 37
Imeet Parker at Regenerative Industries after my trial, my heart rate pounding out of control at the thought of running into Owen.
My eyes are wandering the room when Parker says, “He’s out at the farms with Charlotte.”
I meet his gaze across the table from me in the office cafe. Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, the place is packed again. Everyone seems settled back in, and it’s business as usual.
“Oh,” I say, unable to form any more words than that.
Parker frowns. “He still hasn’t said anything to you?”
Parker looks surprised at the shake of my head, which has me wondering if Owen’s said anything about me.
“I thought he’d have reached out by now.” Parker can’t hide the sadness behind his words.
I reach out and give his hand a gentle pat, plastering a smile on my face. “I’ll survive. So, where am I being transferred, boss?”
Parker shakes his head at the term. “Owen is still your boss, Nova. I’m only trying to keep the peace around here.” I scowl at his response, which makes him laugh. “I know how much you love working with the charities, so I got you a position working with Charlotte over at the community farm school.”
I almost squeal with delight.
Parker laughs again. “I thought you’d like that. It’s mostly administrative stuff, though. Not much fun, but you can work from wherever you want. No need to be on site or in this office. You’ll have to attend mandatory meetings, but that’s it.”
It’s the best I could hope for, actually. “Thank you for doing this for me, Parker. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”
Parker’s silence has me searching his face, which is suddenly far too serious. “Nova, you should never,everthank me. What you’ve done…” Parker chokes on his words a bit, totally throwing me off. “You have my eternal gratitude, and there are no mountains I wouldn’t move for you. I hope you know that. For fucks’ sake, this whole company would no longer exist if it weren’t for you. You do know that, right?”
Well, when he puts it that way. “I guess I didn’t really think about the broader implications of getting Owen out of jail. I was only focused on him.”
