Seeing no good way out of my mess, I latch on to the memory of how Reed’s face fell at the end of my failed attempt at espionage. All the light left his eyes, like a candle was snuffed right in front of me. No warmth for me anymore. No lingering touches or heated looks.
That’s for the best. He shouldn’t be associated with a criminal. That can’t be a good look for an FBI agent.
“Give me your phone,” she orders, almost out of nowhere.
“Why?”
“To set up a meeting with Silas.”
“But we don’t have anything worthwhile to offer him.”
Her eyes scream at me. “You know that. And I know that. But Silas doesn’t.”
“What are you saying?” My gaze bounces from side to side as I try to follow her train of thought. “You want to bluff him?”
“Why not? It’s our best hope at this point.”
“Valid.” I purse my lips, still unclear how that would play out. “Why would Silas believe us?”
“In movies, there’s always an initial information exchange to set the stage for these types of deals, right? It’s part of the negotiation process. Each side offers a little something to gain trust. That’s what sets the deal.Thenthey swap info. If we work it like that, by the time Silas finds out we don’t have anything substantial, you’ll be protected, and the FBI will be on their way to arrest all of them.”
I’m rapidly getting on board with her plan. It’s a last-ditch effort and probably won’t work, yet it’s all I’ve got.
But what if it does work? It would end this nightmare.
I sit up straight, my back shooting off the couch. “Okay. I think we can do this. Essentially, we’ll entice Silas by telling him I’ve been dating the FBI agent investigating him for the purpose of helping Silas. Hopefully, that makes him want to negotiate.”
She rubs her palms together. “Exactly.”
“We get him to tell us the type of info he has on me, which would be his side of the negotiation. Once he does, I’ll tell him the few things Ididlearn tonight as the first layer to gain his trust. Or vice versa. As soon as we have his blackmail material on me, I can come clean to Reed and confess what happened to you. Maybe he’ll forgive me.”
Kenzie’s entire body tenses into a jarring cringe, hands balled into fists and head kicking back. Even her nose and mouth are crumpled. “That’snotwhat this is about, Lila. Don’t get your panties twisted over him. He’s only using you.Again.”
A bubble of unease settles in my stomach as I feign a nonchalant scoff. “That’s not what I meant. There’s no chance of my panties having anything to do with Reed. Don’t worry. I just hate lying. With my people-pleasing tendencies, it’ll make me feel better if he forgives me.”
She relaxes her posture. “Fine. Just don’t forget who the bad guy is, Lila.”
Me.
I’m the bad guy.
Also, Billie Eilish is the bad guy, if her music is truthful.
TWENTY-TWO
I love the smell of violence in the morning
REED
Nothing like wakingup in the middle of the night with a call informing you that your case has taken a bloody turn.
A couple of hours before sunrise, Andrews and I drove across the state to meet with the full ten-person task force in our mobile command center.
It’s basically an oversized RV-type vehicle filled with everything we need to do our jobs, from high-tech communications to weaponry. Today, it’s parked behind a strip mall near Cocoa Beach. In this spot, we’re close to the crime sceneandto the interstate in case we need to make a quick departure to pursue other leads.
Allison Chase, our SSA—Supervisory Special Agent—clears her throat and prepares to address the squad. We all whip our heads in her direction, some of us looking more sluggish than others at this ungodly hour.
She stands slowly, drifting a few steps away from the long table running down the center of the trailer’s interior. “Listen up, team. This case has been upgraded. We’ve officially got a murder investigation on our hands.”
