Page 268 of Vicious Temptation

“I have something for you, Remi Cain.”

“What are you talking about?” I grip the doorframe. “Where’s Thiago?”

She ignores the question and holds out a white envelope.

“What the fuck is that?”

“Open it.”

“I don’t have the time or patience for your cryptic bullshit. Tell me what you’re doing here and whether Thiago is okay.”

A smug smile curves her lips. “You’re asking the wrong questions, dear.” She extends the envelope a little farther. “Maybe you should be asking yourself who Thiago Braga really is.”

“What does that mean?”

“All the answers you’re looking for are right here.”

I glance down at the envelope.

“Go on.” She tilts her head. “I think you’ll find it...enlightening.”

I know better than to trust a damn thing this woman says, but against my better judgment, I take it. Then I step back and slam the door in her face without another word.

Wondering why the fuck I answered the door in the first place, I stare at the envelope in my hands. My heart is pounding so hard I can barely swallow. I shouldn’t open it. Whatever is inside came from a woman I already know I can’t trust. But if she’s lying, what the hell is she lying about? What could she possibly reveal about Thiago?

Her last word keeps running through my head.

Enlightening.

I set my phone on the table and break the seal with trembling fingers. A stack of documents slides into my hand. The first page is a demographic profile. My driver’s license photo stares back at me from the upper-right corner, while every detail of my life is laid out beneath it in clean, clinical print. My full name, date of birth, home address, vehicles, known associates, and family members are all listed.

Even Hannibal and Clarice have their own entries. A chill crawls down my spine as I turn the page.

TARGET PROFILE

CAIN, Remi Isabel

Threat Assessment: ORANGE

Operational Objective: Reconnaissance | Intelligence Collection | Retrieval | Sanitize

Assigned Operative: 427

Operative: Thiago Braga

Cover Identity: Philadelphia SWAT Officer, Precinct 9

Mission Status: ACTIVE

My eyes stop on his name.

Thiago Braga.

I read it again, then force myself to keep going, but the words beneath it barely register as my vision blurs when I turn the page.

OPERATIONAL DIRECTIVES

• Establish contact with target and develop rapport.