Page 12 of Trapped Truth

“I’m glad you’re still alive, Ember.”

“You too.” She nods with a small but genuine smile. “How did you escape Sanchez and his men?”

Sighing hard, Willow pushes a chunk of inky black hair behind her ear. “It’s too early to drink, and I can’t tell that story without something strong in hand. Let’s just say it wasn’t easy. You?”

“The same.” Her gaze briefly flicks over to Blaine. “Though I had some help.”

Watching the two of them interact feels uncomfortably close to witnessing my past and present collide. It’s all it takes for my patience to fray and snap.

“Sorry to break this up.” I deliberately clear my throat. “Mind filling the rest of us idiots in? How the fuck do you two know each other?”

Willow studies me, the corners of her eyes creasing in a look of affection. “You said it yourself, Hy. It’s all connected.”

“But how?”

“Dimitri Sanchez,” Blaine speaks for the first time.

Now there’s a name I never wanted to hear again. Even dead and gone, the evil mastermind still haunts us.

“My ex-husband.” Willow shudders slightly. “You all know he trafficked me overseas when I was a teenager, then I spent a decade living in his captivity. He introduced me to Antonio Gael… and Ember.”

“Son of a bitch,” Warner curses under his breath.

“Though she had a different name then.”

In her seat, Ember chuckles. “True.”

“He’s the link,” Blaine supplies in a cool, flat tone that screams of hidden rage. “Along with Gael and my father. Three heads of the same snake.”

“I’m sorry, time out.” Ethan makes a cutting gesture with his hand. “Can we rewind to why Blaine fucking Madden is sitting here, drinking coffee, participating in this conversation?”

“Just Blaine Madden.” He huffs. “I thought we covered that.”

“You’re supposed to be in a prison cell!”

“Well, it didn’t stick. Should’ve done a better job of putting me there, Agent Tarkington.”

“Why you little assh⁠—”

“Enough,” I bark at Blaine. “Don’t antagonise him.”

“Your ex-boss did that all on his own.”

It would bring me great pleasure to wipe the smug grin from Blaine’s face, regardless of his plea agreement. I know his place is on this team. He’s proven as much. Doesn’t mean I have to like him, though.

“Blaine is a member of the Anaconda Team,” Warner explains wearily, hands wrapped around his coffee. “He struck a plea deal with the directors. We need his help to bring Nolan Madden down.”

“Nolan Madden is alive?” Ethan’s eyebrows jerk upward.

With a groan, I lean back against the kitchen cupboards. “Get comfortable; this is gonna take some explaining. Do you guys have more coffee?”

We’ve made it through another pot by the time Warner has filled his old team leader in. The story sounds even more chaotic when recanted out loud. Zach sure seemed to agree when he labelled our situation a cluster fuck. The punk has a real way with words.

“You’re saying Antonio Gael was colluding with Madden to evade the authorities?” Willow taps a long fingernail against her chin. “The same Gael who shared black market business dealings with my ex-husband.”

“In essence.” Warner shrugs half-heartedly.

“Connected isn’t quite the right word.” She spares me a grimace. “I agree with Zach—this is a cluster fuck.”