“A text earlier this week. Before I knew about the reassignment.” He hesitates. “Chris, I’m worried about her.”
“So am I.”
The admission sits between us, weighted by everything else we’re not saying.
“Could be the operation,” I offer. “Something in the files. Vicente and Arturo aren’t exactly stable subjects.”
“Maybe.” But his tone says he doesn’t believe it any more than I do. “We both know it’s probably about us. About what happened.”
The reference to that night—to all of it—makes my gut churn.
“You’ll be good for her,” I say quietly. “Being out here. You’re better at...” I trail off.
“At what?”
At being present. At staying. At not letting yourself get spooked the moment things get too real.
“At being what she needs,” I finish.
There’s a pause, and I can almost feel him wanting to say something about Denver. About that night when I let him see exactly how broken I was.
But he doesn’t. Wyatt’s evidently someone who knows when to push and when to let things be.
“We can’t both hover,” Wyatt says. “She’ll see right through it.”
“You think that’ll stop me?”
“No.” There’s almost amusement in his voice. “But I had to try.”
“She invited me to Mason’s barbecue next Wednesday,” I say, not sure why I’m telling him.
“Mason invited me too. Guess we’re all going to be one big happy family.”
“Jesus.”
“Yeah.” He sighs. “Look, whatever’s going on with her, we’ll figure it out. But Chris—we need to let her tell us. Don’t push, just... be there when she’s ready.”
He’s right. I know he’s right. But being right and being capable of following through are two different things.
“I’ll try,” I say.
“That’s all any of us can do.” He pauses. “See you Wednesday.”
“Yeah.”
He hangs up, and I’m left staring at my phone, trying to process the fact that Wyatt Booth just extended something that felt like understanding. Maybe even alliance.
My phone buzzes.
TATIANA: Tomorrow night. The Coterie. 11 PM. Wear something that doesn’t scream federal agent.
CHRIS: That’s a nightclub.
TATIANA: Yes. Problem?
I think about loud music, crowds, the kind of sensory overload that makes surveillance impossible and puts you at a tactical disadvantage.
CHRIS: No problem.
