This wasn’t like him. Something was wrong.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked.
He gave a low chuckle. “So paranoid.”
“Don’t.” I tipped my face up. “Something’s wrong. Don’t lie to me.”
His chest rose with a deep breath. Then he looked down at me, and the defeat in his eyes made my blood run cold. “I don’t think they’re gonna set me free.”
My heart dropped. “What? What more do they want? This is enough to bring down Knox—and give them leads on other hubs.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “But they have me by the balls.”
“Can Carter do anything about it?”
He slowly shook his head. “No. I arranged this deal on my own. Carter’s not a part of it.”
“Not even after the fact?”
“No.” His jaw tightened. “My handler made it clear from the jump—my attorney stays out of it. The second I bring him in, they send me back to prison, reinstate my old charges. And stack new ones on top.”
Fury burned through me. “That’s not right.”
“And yet,” he said, his voice flat. “It’s how it is.”
“So you’re still meeting with him?”
He held my gaze. “I’m turning the information over and letting the chips fall where they may.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shrugged, but he didn’t look away. “Do you have any idea how much I care about you?”
A soft smile tugged at my mouth. “I’m a little slow, but … I think it’s finally getting through.” I swallowed. “And I hope you know how much I care about you too.”
He kissed me, gentle and unhurried. “I do.” The corners of his mouth tipped up. “You’ve given me hope, Harper. Thank you.”
“You’ve done the same for me,” I said. “We’ll figure out a way to get you out of this. If you’ll tell me more about the agreement—what they promised and what they’re holding over you—I can help you pick it apart.”
He kissed me again, then loosened his hold.
My arms stayed locked around him, like I could keep him with me by force of will.
“I have to go,” he said quietly.
“Let me come as backup,” I said. “Even if I’m not in the meeting.”
He shook his head, slow and firm. “Wait here. I’ll text you when I’m on my way back. Then we’ll figure out what to do next.”
“I know what our next move needs to be.” I lifted my chin. “We have to find Knox. Before the Feds pick him up and he’s safe behind bars.”
He tilted his head. “I don’t have to turn this in now. I can sit on it until we find him.”
“No.” I didn’t let myself hesitate, even though part of me wanted to. “You turn it over now, and we hope they move fast enough to get those girls in the houses.” My voice tightened. “I can’t let them spend one more night being used like that.”
“Okay.” He tried to step back and released a low laugh, more resigned than amused. “You’re gonna have to let me go.” He glanced at the laptop. “Are the files done transferring?”
“Yeah.” Reluctantly, I released him and leaned over to unplug one of the hard drives.
