She was a lot like me when it came to the job. She lived for the chase, enjoyed the authority, and, I suspected, didn’t mind the gun at her side. And she was fiercely loyal. If the situation had been different, there was a chance we would have eventually become friends.
“Do you know what really happened to Bill?” I kept my voice low. “I suspect he got too close to uncovering whoever in the Marshals Service is working for Frey or his syndicate, and that got him killed.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “It’s not safe for Laurel to be on the books, and you know it.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Not really a lot of options here.”
I drew in a deep breath. “I have the means to send her away, somewhere safe until the mole’s been found and Frey’s caught.”
“What?” She stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “You know I can’t let you do that. Take a witness that important out of our protection? Never going to fly in a million years.”
That was easy enough to solve. “She’s going to refuse any further protection once we’re done here.”
Caroline took a half step back, as if my statement had knocked her sideways. She peered at me, perhaps trying to gauge if I were bluffing, and then her expression soured when she realized I wasn’t.
“I can’t believe I’m even considering this,” she said, mostly to herself. “Fine. Let’s say we do it your way. What kind of assurance do I have that she’ll testify? Because you know it’ll be nearly impossible to pin this all on him without her.” She gave me a hard look. “And then he fuckingwalks.”
My blood heated with anger at the idea. “That’s not going to happen. You have my word.”
Her eyebrow rose. “Maybe I just pull you. Last time I spoke to her, she wanted you removed.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “You’re welcome to try, but trust me, she won’t like that.” It hadn’t worked so well when Bill had tried it, and, holy shit, things were different now.
Those three words had passed from my lips like they weren’t hard to say, even though my stomach had been churning in the moments before. I couldn’t let her go on that stage without knowing.
“Please, Caroline,” I said, filling my voice with weight. “Let me do this. It’s our best chance to keep her safe, and if anything goes wrong, it won’t touch you. It’s all on me.”
I hoped she didn’t notice the desperation I struggled to keep from my expression.
“All right. Jesus.” She scrubbed her fingertips over her forehead. “Get her gone. We catch this guy, and then you and I are going to have a conversation about how this all went down. You got me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. That conversation’s not going to be pleasant for you.”
The dressing room door opened and Beth plodded out. Her pissed off expression said it all, but I asked it anyway. “How’d it go?”
She glared at me like I’d let her walk into an ambush. “Not well.”
“I tried to tell you.” I hoped my smile was restrained.
Caroline ticked her chin at me. “What do you need right now?”
“A clean vehicle.” We couldn’t use the one I’d parked in the garage because it wasn’t secure and I wouldn’t have time to sweep it for devices.
She nodded and turned her attention to the other woman. “You came prepared to move her into the program tonight?”
“Yeah,” Beth said. “I’ve got two agents standing by, but since she’s refusing to?—”
Her gaze swung back to me. “You could use their car.”
The conversation was moving too fast for Beth. “What? Whose car?”
“Dunn needs a secure vehicle,” she said, “and you have one on standby.”
Beth considered it, and displeasure flashed across her face, followed by resignation. “Where exactly is my team taking you?”
“No,” I said. “I’m not looking for a ride.”
“You’re not...” She realized what I meant and her tone turned incredulous. “You want to, what? Just have it? You cannot be serious.”
