She slumped in the chair, the weight of what she’d learned a cinder block pressing down on her chest. When she could breathe again, she rose, slipped into her robe, and, with the most incriminating journal in hand, went to have a chat—and a cup of coffee—with Mateo.
***
Alec was halfway through his second espresso when the door opened, and Emily walked in. She had her hair in a ponytail, her eyes shadowedwith exhaustion, but her posture was straight, almost defiant. Mateo followed behind her, carrying a banker’s box. He set it on the conference table with a thud that made his gut clench.
“What’s this?” Alec asked, him, his eyes locked on Emily.
“Her dad’s case notes,” Mateo supplied. “Ethan added his own before they took him out.”
“They?” Dev asked sharply.
Emily answered, her voice steady even though her hands trembled. She curled them into fists to make them stop. “My dad and Ethan were both chasing the traffickers. There are shipment codes in here, names and dates. Gold Coast Catering shows up more than once.”
Leland was already flipping through a notebook. Dev leaned in beside him, scanning quickly. Alec stayed seated, watching her. She hadn’t slept. He could see it in the tightness around her mouth, the way she refused to let her shoulders sag. She was holding herself together with nothing but coffee and determination, and it showed.
“This is the first real break we’ve had,” Dev said, pacing the length of the room. “The trail is years old, except for Gold Coast. We need to get someone inside—”
“I’m already inside,” Emily said. “Use me.”
Alec shot out of his chair so fast, it rolled and slammed into the wall. “Absolutely not.”
Emily rose too. “I’m the obvious choice. I know the staff, the routine, the layout.”
“You’re not trained,” he snapped. “This isn’t keeping a soufflé from falling, it’s a trafficking ring. And you’re not doing this.”
Dev held up a hand. “Alec—”
“No.” Alec’s voice cracked like a whip. “You barely got Cari out of there and brought her home bloody and traumatized. You’ve told me yourself she still wakes screaming some nights. And you want Emily walking into the same shit?”
She flinched, stunned by this revelation. Dev went still, his words hitting deep.
“That’s exactly why we need to shut this down,” he said tightly. “They’ve taken scores of other women. They took Emily’s parents and brother. A brother to you too. How many others are we going to allow be sacrificed to these fuckers?”
“No more,” Emily said, coming up behind him. “They took everything from me.”
Alec spun to face her. “Not everything. I’m still here.”
That was a low blow, but he’d do what he must to talk her out of this insanity.
“I need answers.”
“Someone else will get your answers. A cop or a trained investigator, not a culinary student.”
“Regina is selective,” Emily insisted. “She expects references. Face-to-face interviews. One wrong word or a funny look, and you’re out.”
Rhys stepped in then, voice calm but hard. “He’s not wrong about the danger. But she’s right about access.”
Mateo added, “To get someone new hired and trusted could take weeks or longer. Time the girls taken don’t have.”
Alec rounded on them. “Stop talking about her like she’s an asset on a clipboard.”
“Sheisan asset,” Dev said quietly. “And she’s also the only thing we’ve got.”
“Then your system’s broken.” He was around the table in two strides, nose to nose with his boss, and friend. “If you think I’m letting her walk in with a wire and a smile, you’re out of your mind.”
“You think I want to send her?” Dev exploded, shocking everyone. The man never raised his voice. “After what they did to Cari? After seeing those bloody cages? Don’t you dare act like I’m casual about this. But we can’t lose this chance. And Emily has something none of us do—she isn’t on their radar.”
He felt Emily behind him, her hand on his back. “I need to do this, Alec.”
