Alex shot Kyle a nervous glance. “Stuff…”
“That’s not–”
“Look, Raven, buddy, there’s no reason to get your knickers all in a twist. We have the flash drive. We’d be happy to bring it to you. Thing is…Ava’s having a spa day. I think she more than deserves it after the whole ninja rescue, and I really don’t think we should disturb her. So, why don’t you just…tell us where you want us to meet you, and we’ll run right out.”
“Who is this?”
Kyle heaved a sigh, his lips forming an unimpressed frown. “Doc.”
“Who?”
“Kyle Carter. Look, pal, I’m a member of the team. You can’t treat me like–”
“I want Ava to bring the drive. If I don’t have it by three this afternoon, I’m going to assume something is wrong, and I will need to reevaluate this partnership.”
“Wait–” Alex started, but the line had already clicked.
With a sigh, he tossed his phone down. “Great.”
“Maybe Ava will be back by then. This can still work,” Kyle said.
“And maybe she won’t be. But what will happen, is she’ll be ticked off if we lose Raven.”
Kyle pressed his hands together, balancing his chin on his fingertips. “Then we need to get Ava out of that Homeland Security interview before three or we’ve got trouble.”
Trouble. Everything in his entire life was trouble, and it was constantly getting worse. When were things going to get better? Or were they only going to get worse?
CHAPTER 2
AVA
Ava shifted on the cold metal chair in the starkly lit interrogation room. The Department of Homeland Security’s office wasn’t made for comfort. It was likely made to keep criminals agitated so they’d spill their guts, she thought.
Glancing around the sterile room, she began to rethink having agreed to this interview.
The whirlwind of events that had led to this point raced through her mind. From the simple accounting error that had brought her to the Hamptons to Alex’s kidnapping and subsequent rescue mission, her life had turned into a roller coaster ride of danger and deception.
She recalled the tactics used by The Board to ensure his compliance–and hers.
She wasn’t sure what disturbed her more–Alex’s kidnapping or the way Sebastian Bancroft had used it to try to win her to his side.
Had he actually thought she’d leave Alex for him and The Board?
With a scrub of her face, she leaned against the cold metal table, her mind turning to the other complication in her life.
Raven.
The nameless, faceless man represented a wild card. While he offered a chance to take down the board, he also could be the worst decision of her life. He’d saved them once before, but could she truly rely on a man who hid behind a mask and robotic voice?
Trusting him could lead them further into the bizarre rabbit hole of The Board.
Every decision lately had felt like a gamble in the highest stakes game of their lives. Were they making the right choice, or being led into a trap?
The room’s coldness seeped into her bones, but her mind lingered on one question that chilled her to her very core. Would she lose Alex?
She puffed out a long breath, fidgeting again. The DHS agents must have asked her to come early just to make her sit here and wait.
They were trying to ice her, make her nervous, get her to admit to something she shouldn’t.
