“Right. She’s a source. A critical one if you don’t fuck this up.”
“I know. And I’m not gonna fuck this up. There’s way too much riding on it.”
“Yeah. But do we agree on what that is?”
Of course not. “We both want Deal behind bars.”
Camden sighed. “Look, I’ve heard the recordings you sent in. And I won’t deny it, Rachael’s got one hell of a voice. If this were a different world, she’d be taking home Grammys right and left. She’d be tripping over them. But we live in the upside-down where she doesn’t get famous unless she’s mentioned in an article about her daddy going to prison, or she’s arrested—”
“Don’t fucking go there,” Jake snarled.
“—and you don’t get to ride off into the sunset with her regardless of what happens! Got it?”
It took a lot to piss off his laid-back partner. Jake took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice cool. “Yeah, bro, I know. Don’t I fucking know.”
“I get the appeal for you, I do. She’s drop-dead gorgeous, sweeter than peaches, voice like an angel. And it’s obvious she’s deeply invested in you. Of course you’re falling hard, but you gotta dial that shit back.”
Falling hard. Yeah, if only you knew about last night. “I’m doing my job. My way.”
“Jake. Between the shit with Kathleen that put you on probation and sent you out to Bumfuck, and falling in love for real with a source—a possible criminal, for fuck’s sake—this will end your career.” Camden paused. “Wait. Is that…what you want?”
Jake hit the hazard lights and pulled over to the side of the highway. He was too close to Ross and the perma-speedtrap on its outskirts to be having this conversation and driving at the same time. He rolled down the passenger-side window to let in the cool morning air.Maybe it’ll cool me down, too.
“I need a change, Camden. Feels like lately all the Bureau does is tie my hands. I took a sociopath off the streets, one who’s killed dozens of people with her thugs and her poison. Kids, man. She sold fentanyl-laced dope to a bunch of kids just doing stupid kid shit or trying to numb their own pain, and she fucking killed them. They should have fucking promoted me but instead they criticized my methods, even accused me of getting emotionally involved with that piece of shit. The only emotion I had was wanting to rip her goddamned head off her goddamned neck and dropping it in a Dumpster where it belonged.”
“It’s cool, brother.”
“Don’t try to calm me, I’m not done. After what happened to my mom, I felt useless and had so much rage. I had to put it someplace where it wouldn’t blow back on me or hurt anyone in my life. The SEALs gave me what I needed. You remember what it was like, having a whole team watch your back and you watch theirs.”
“I do, and I miss the SEALs for that reason, too.”
That was news to Jake. Camden seemed to live for his FBI job. It was all he had left after his own personal tragedy.
Jake continued. “I left the SEALs for the FBI because I thought I’d settle down one day and I didn’t want to leave my wife wondering if I was dead on a foreign shore somewhere every time I had a mission.” Too late, he realized what he’d said when he heard Camden’s sharp intake of breath. “Hey, sorry.”
“Old news, brother.”
Whatever you say, Jake thought. “Now I have that useless feeling again and the rage isn’t far behind.” Jake took in a deep breath of sagebrush-scented air and exhaled hard through his nose. He’d gone this far, might as well tell his partner everything. “But I also think I’ve finally found the woman I wanna settle down with. I want to come home every night and hear her singing in the kitchen. I wanna watch her thanking her fans when she wins that Grammy. I want her to have my babies, man.”
Jake expected Camden to lose his shit and yell some more.
His partner laughed instead.
“Jake Collins, family man. Well, shit, brother, had I known everything that was going on in your head, I woulda mentioned this opportunity sooner.”
“What opportunity?”
“One of my old SEAL buddies contacted me about a month ago. He’s started his own company here in L.A..”
“Security?” Jake knew some retired SEALs offered private bodyguard services. High demand for that kind of work in the land of movie stars and musicians. Hell, Jake’s SEAL background got him in good with Kathleen as her personal bodyguard—which was why Jake didn’t think he’d like the work.
“Eh, sure, we’ll call it security.” Amusement filled Camden’s voice.
“No? What is it really?”
“Come on, bro, don’t make me spell it out.” Camden lowered his voice. “Yeah, there’s some civilian hand-holding, but we’re talking ops work too. Private government contracts, know what I’m saying?”
Wow. “And your friend needs someone?”
