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“I’d also like you to start changing your appearance,” Dev continued. “I brought along some colored contacts, you pick the color, and we’ll get it all put in your new ID.”

Benny was shaking his head. “I need a few minutes on this, okay? It’s a lot of big decisions to make on the fly.”

Dev nodded. “I understand, and while we do need to move on getting you legitimate documentation, it can wait a bit. While you’re considering, you can do it from a new location. I took the liberty of leasing a house out in Henderson so no one coming for us finds you. Now Jordan needs to lay low as well. Seems like the perfect opportunity for both of you.”

Jordan almost choked on her swig of beer. How in the hell was she supposed to cohabitate with Benny?

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said, trying to remove all emotion from her voice. There was no way she could bunk with Benny, not without giving herself away. She’d been good at undercover work, but this was a bridge too far.

“Elaborate,” Dev had cocked his head, was considering her through those cool eyes and she knew he was wondering why she wouldn’t want to be there to support her teammate, her friend.

“This cartel doesn’t play,” she replied. “Putting us together would endanger Benny more than he already is. I need to be fast on my feet, ready to move and assume another identity if need be.” It was lame as hell and she knew it. While the words were true, she was a trained law enforcement officer, and there was no one better to help protect Benny than she was.

Benny looked puzzled as well, but right now she wasn’t above a little confusion if it helped maintain her own sanity.

Dev let the silence go on a beat longer before shaking his head. “You’ll have all of our tools at your disposal, and we can keep someone on surveillance if you start feeling sketchy.”

Dammit, there wasn’t a counterargument to that. Dev had tools and toys that would make most federal agencies green with envy. His skills at using deception had been what made him a valuable CIA asset, and she had no doubt he’d use those skills to give them an unassailable safe location.

“I still have reservations, but all right,” she said finally.

With the new information on her cover being shredded and the bounty, she could probably work with her union rep to do video calls with Internal Affairs for any interviews. If she had to present in person, she could Uber or do something else, but her rep would have a coronary if IA decided to push it that far. Putting an officer in danger when the shoot was as righteous as this one had been was never good for morale. And if it got out into the public, the backlash would be epic.

With all that in mind, Dev’s plan made the most sense, but damn, the enormity of being under the same roof with Benny still reverberated through her.

“Malone is on his way up and will transfer your things into the rental car I just leased when it arrives,” their fearless leader said.

This was moving at warp speed, but then again, she’d never seen him operate at anything less, except maybe in therapy, where he hadn’t been in control.

But here he was in his element as he buzzed Malone into the penthouse.

Jordan handed her car keys to the man who hadn’t been part of their initial team but was quickly becoming someone they counted on to do everything from providing security here to flying Dev’s helicopter to the rescue. “It’s the blue SUV parked on the third level, far corner. There’s not much in there, but I appreciate you grabbing what you can.” There was a gym bag with clean workout gear and a set of extra casual clothes. And the box of Benny’s artwork. Could this get more complicated? Oh well, at least it was sealed.

It might jumpstart a memory for him, she realized, but before she handed it over, she was removing all of the portraits he’d done of her. Discussing why she’d posed nude was not in the cards for the near future. And if his memory never came back, then it never had to come up.

Malone took the keys, then paused and gave Benny a nod. “You’re looking better,” before strolling back out into the foyer, as if this was a regular day in his life. Hell, it might be, working for Dev.

She faced Dev. “One problem with your plan. I’ve got a cat. Is there any way we can move her to the house? I don’t know how long this is going to go on, and I don’t like leaving her alone for more than a night or two.” Having someone housesit would put them in danger if the cartel discovered her address, and dammit, she wanted her emotional support cat.

And if a tiny part of her hoped that seeing Spot would spark a memory for Benny, she ignored it.

Dev considered for a second, then nodded and went back to tapping on his tablet.

Chapter Five

This was all moving pretty damn fast, Benny thought. Faster than he cared for, that was for sure.

“At some point I’m going to need clothes,” Benny said. “Neither of yours are going to fit me.” He’d lost a considerable amount of weight during his… incarceration.

“Noted,” Dev said, and went back to his tablet.

Benny wondered if that tablet was the CIA equivalent of a magic wand. Dev inputted words into it, and things just happened.

The man was different than he remembered from therapy. More thoughtful of other people and seemingly himself. What had happened in the last year?

He looked over at Jordan. She was putting the laptop she’d been working on into her backpack. He understood why she’d initially pushed back, but something about the way she’d said it had felt personal to him. Had they had some sort of falling out before he’d disappeared? All he remembered of her was that he’d been her caregiver, and that they’d become friends. But he was probably reading too much into it.

“Benny needs his own tablet, laptop, and burner,” she said. “I’m taking this laptop for myself instead of my own, since it’s better secured.” She nodded at the laptop she’d never even cracked. “I’ll take mine along for anything that might come up with LVMPD and the inquiry process. I don’t want to cross streams with my two worlds, with both of them being in flux.”