“What was it?”
The problem was, she had no idea. “A USB drive, or... or... a bunch of spreadsheets.”
“Spreadsheets are life or death?”
Sejal stopped pacing. “When I left Alexei, he didn’t let me go quietly. I underestimated how stupid he was, because he was embezzling from his little smuggling ring. Right around the same time that I left, his associates discovered it. He tried to pin it on me. They came after me, so I ran.” She gave a harsh laugh. “Right to my dad.”
“That couldn’t have been easy.”
“He was my last choice, but things were looking grim.”
“What did your dad do?”
“After he called me an idiot, you mean?” Her nostrils flared. “My aunt was there, and she calmed him down. The smugglers were arrested, and then my dad somehow found proof of Alexei’s embezzlement. I don’t know how, since neither he nor my aunt were hackers. They took the proof to Alexei and told him they wouldn’t just go to the police, they’d also make sure his former colleagues knew he screwed them over. He was probably more scared of his old partners, even though they were in jail, than of being arrested.”
“So your dad and your aunt bought your safety with Alexei’s own crimes.”
“Yeah. But my dad wouldn’t give me the proof. Said he’d keepit safe, that it was insurance. He said I had proved I couldn’t be trusted to look after my own well-being.”
“What a dick.”
Sejal snorted. “Yeah. And I was so mad, I told him to go fuck himself and left. I really didn’t care because I never thought I’d need it. All these years have passed. I thought Alexei had been scared off for good.” She wished she really had stolen some of Alexei’s money. At least she’d be rich, then.
“So your plan all this time was to come here, find this insurance, and threaten Alexei with it,” he said slowly.
She sucked her teeth. Now he’d be annoyed, either because she’d had an ulterior motive for stopping in Vegas or because she hadn’t clued him in. Or because he suspected...
“And then ditch me.”
The words fell between them with the force of a bomb. She opened her mouth. Closed it again. “Yes.”
He took a step toward her. To her surprise, he didn’t look pissed or hurt, but somber. “Makes sense.”
She wasn’t sure why she felt driven to explain herself. “I couldn’t take an FBI agent to my aunt. I might have issues with her, but I’m not about to let her get arrested.”
“I told you—”
“Come on. I know you’re keeping secrets from me. So, no, I don’t believe you.”
You don’t care about me. You’re going to get what you need and leave me like everyone else.
The insidious, insecure words raced around her brain. “There, it’s out in the open, I have no plans to help you with my aunt. So if you want to leave now, go, and I will figure this out on my own.”
His eyes darkened, and his jaw worked, like he wanted to saysomething but couldn’t. He rocked back on his heels. “I’m not going to leave you here while you have the mafia on your trail.”
“Why not?”
He bared his teeth. “I’m just not, okay?”
She pinched the bridge of her nose, wishing she could pinch away the surge of relief she felt at that vow. It sounded authentic, and more than anything, she wanted to trust him. But how could she?
“Look... we need a new agreement.”
She rested her foot on the wall. “What kind of agreement?”
“A more immediate one. You don’t have to help me with your aunt. Or Cobra. We can part ways right after Alexei is off your back.”
Sejal studied him. “What about your precious case?”
