Ava
Ifeltnervousstandingoutside the Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s office. Like a kid called into the principal’s office. To Owen’s surprise, the director who oversaw the entire Willsbury’s and adjacent cities’ FBI had wanted to speak to me in person, not a very common request when it came to informants like me. But seeing how Owen and I had gone rogue in Mexico, I had been waiting for my punishment. Owen had been pulled through the wringer already.
Was the director going to send me to jail?
“He’s ready for you.” The secretary smiled from her desk.
Owen nodded and opened the door, gesturing for me to go in first. The director rose from behind his desk, straightening his immaculate black suit. I gave him a tentative smile, but he only stared at me with a furrow between his brows. I came to a stopbehind the chair in front of his desk, squirming under his gaze. Had I done something to offend him?
His eyes looked familiar. Maybe I’ve met him before? No, I would remember a man like him. He stood tall, his presence commanding attention and respect.
Owen cleared his throat, also painfully aware of the awkwardness floating in the room. “Good morning, Director. You asked to see Miss Beaumont.” Owen turned to me. “This is Director Devereux. My boss.”
“Sit down, Becket.”
Owen did as told, and I followed suit. The director lowered into his chair again, eyes boring into my forehead as I straightened my shirt, delaying having to meet his too intense stare. It was almost as intense as Grayson’s.
“Nice to meet you, Director. I’m Ava,” I finally said.
“I’m well aware of who you are, Miss Beaumont.” His eyes lingered on me for a few more seconds, and I felt like a child being scolded. “Becket, give me a brief on the evidence you collected.”
Owen straightened. “We have fingerprints, DNA, personal effects, possible contacts, documents we’re still evaluating, laptops and phones already at tech, recovered art and artifacts and… mice.” Owen shot a quick look at me. “Who are being cared for by Ava’s mother.”
The director lifted his brow at me, and I gave him a sheepish grin. Gemma had fled without her mice, and I couldn’t just let them kill the little guys. I helped raise them, after all. They were family. And maybe Hunter was somewhere secretly loving the idea of the mice being fed to some snakes in a Mexican zoo. Why would I give him the satisfaction? No, I’ll keep the little guys and let them loose in Hunter’s cell when we catch him.
Director Devereux turned his full attention to Owen. “Since we’ve established beyond a shadow of a doubt that theApparitions are real, I’m granting you the permission to assemble a task force. I’ll have all other cases removed from you and any other agent you choose to be on this team. The Apparitions will be your sole focus from now on until we catch them, is that clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Owen answered with a grin that almost stretched around his head.
“Make sure you can trust the agents on your team. I’ve already signed off on Taylor to join your team. He is our best forensic analyst. And he’s a trusted friend of yours if I’m not mistaken.”
Owen nodded his head once, a serious crease between his brows. He was already sifting through other agents in his head, I was sure of it.
“You will report directly to me. And Miss Beaumont is officially a consultant to your team,” Director Devereux handed me an ID card. “Now you have no excuses for any more fuckups like Mexico.” He glared at Owen. “Get to work, Becket. I’d like a word with Miss Beaumont.”
I swallowed hard as Owen shut the door behind him, leaving me alone with the intimidating man. He settled back into his chair as his assessing eyes locked onto me once again. “I heard what happened at the hotel the night after you assisted Becket with the takedown.” His voice had softened, the biting tone, gone.
I nodded, swallowing down the sudden lump in my throat. “It’s nothing.” I tried to play it down. “He was just trying to scare me off.” I couldn’t say Grayson’s name out loud, but the director knew who I was referring to.
“And why, may I ask, are younotafraid of Grayson Varon?”
The brutality of that night flashed through my thoughts again, making a shiver run down my spine. “I never said I wasn’t.”
“Then why are you risking your life here? You seem like a good person, Ava. You found yourself tangled up with some badpeople, but by some miracle, you made it out alive. Why are you thrusting yourself back into danger? I have already offered to release you from the plea deal. Why are you not home right now, enjoying your second chance at life?”
I looked away. But only for a second. “Honestly, Director? I’m angry. I’mscathing,” I said on a bitter laugh. “And if I just sit back and do nothing, let them get away with what they’ve done to me, then it will devour me. So I’m here. Making sure they get what’s coming to them.”
“You speak as if you did not love them once.”
Why did he care? Why would he bring up the demons I’ve been battling to keep caged? Was he wondering about my allegiance? “Ididlove them,” I answered truthfully, struggling with the crushing pain clogging my throat. “They were my family. But they never felt the same way about me. They used me, then abandoned me. It was cruel. And it almost broke me. I cannot let that slide, Director. I will do whatever it takes to make them pay. Andyou’llget to put criminals behind bars.”
Director Devereux stared at me for a while longer, then nodded, a hint of a smile on his mouth. “You have spunk, kid. I can respect that. But stay out of trouble. These people are not your average criminals. I can’t let a civilian get hurt on my watch.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I mean it, Ava. If you put yourself in any unnecessary danger, I will revoke your access to this investigation.” He stood and I followed suit. I shook his outstretched hand. “And if you need anything, you come directly to me, you hear?”
“I will. Thank you, sir.”
