Noah laughs and shakes his head. “Sure. Whatever you say. Want to know what I think?”
“No.”
Noah ignores me. “I’ve known you since you were a gangly teenager at the races, and I’ve never seen you so wound up and protective of any guy. Even the ones you dated.”
When I don’t respond, Noah gives my shoulder one more pat and closes the door behind him.
He’s right.Damn him.
“Eagan found the info about the last company, and the whistleblower’s testimony lines up. Nova, this company is, or was, in bed with the black snake underground syndicate.” Ella speaks like there’s a bomb about to go off.
“You’re kidding? The largest underground drug operation in the world?” I’m pretty sure my mouth is in my lap. I’ve been taking out big players in their operation for years. No one has been able to take them out completely.
“Eagan had to dig, but he found anonymous calls, texts, and emails. He traced them to the IP addresses the underground uses.”
“Shit. This is bad. Really bad. This has to be who’s going after Owen. They are the only ones with the money and resources to risk killing someone as large and influential as Owen.”
I run my hands through my hair, my bare feet still pacing back and forth across my apartment. “Human trafficking, rape, and the biggest drug syndicate in the world. None of this was coincidental. Owen must have done it on purpose. He must have killed them.”
“But he’s smart. He must have known they would go after him?”
“Oh, he knows. And I’m pretty sure he’s been preparing for his own death.”
“What?” Ella practically shouts into the phone.
“He’s slowly signing everything over to his brother. He knows he’s not going to be around long. I’d put my money on it.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Stop the bastards trying to kill him, then take them all down.”
“The whole underground operation?”
“Yes. It’s about damn time someone does.”
“What about Owen?”
“What about him?”
“Are you going to put him behind bars with the rest of them?”
“No. I’m going to save him.”
There is a long silence on the other end of the phone.
“But, Nova… Your trial. Your assignment. What will Dec say?” Ella sounds genuinely worried.
“Fuck my trial. Fuck Dec. I’m not going to sit here and let these fuckers get away. Not this time. I refuse to put Owen behind bars, so I’m gonna go down swinging and take them all with me.”
I hear Ella suck in a breath. “Nova.” Her voice is wavering, and I know she’s about to lose her composure.
“Ella, I’m taking you off my communications. If there’s another trial, I don’t want caught up in it.”
“You can’t do that!” she shouts on the other end of the phone, and my heart breaks at the desperation in her voice.
“Ella, you have been the best assistant and, more importantly, the friend I never knew I needed. I refuse to take you down with me. I’m going to recommend to Dec that you be promoted so it doesn’t look suspicious and so I don’t have to fire you.”
“Nova, no. I don’t want this! I want to help you!”
