Disavowed(100)

Having already expected that, Briar simply nodded. She’d missed the funeral yesterday, for obvious reasons, but it still upset her greatly. At first she’d wanted to tell Barry everything so he’d know the truth, but after thinking it through and talking with Matt, she realized it would be far crueler to tell him how Janaia had been murdered, and if she did there’d always be the additional risk that someone within Balducci’s contacts might target them to maintain their silence.

Briar was done with the people she loved being at risk because of her ties to the CIA. Barry would go on believing that his wife had died of an asthma attack and Briar would have to live with that.

But before she signed the documents guaranteeing her cooperation and silence, she had a question of her own. She studied the Director intently. “Did you suspect he was involved in anything like this?” She’d sign another non-disclosure agreement about this too if it would get her the truth.

The Director stared at her for a long moment, so long she thought he wouldn’t answer. But then he did. “Yes.”

Below the table her hands fisted tight. “How long have you suspected?”

“Three weeks.”

Briar absorbed the news in silence. Three weeks. Well before the Ramadi op and yet The Company had left her out in the cold without any warning or protection from what was going on. She found her voice. “And how did you find out?”

“After speaking to you about it Janaia alerted us to the possibility that something illegal was going on,” he said, dropping the formality. “When the asset in Baton Rouge died I got more directly involved. When Jerry died I assigned someone to look into everything about your situation and she alerted me a few days ago that all signs pointed to Balducci.”

“She?”

The Director looked past her to the end of the room. Briar followed his gaze, startled to find a woman standing there, watching. Briar had been so focused on the meeting she hadn’t been fully aware of her surroundings as she’d entered the room.

The woman stepped out of the shadows into the light and Briar gasped. “Trin?” she asked, half afraid she was seeing things.

Trinity smiled and came forward, elegant and sophisticated in a navy skirt suit and heels, her thick black hair cascading down her back. The warmth in her deep blue eyes did nothing to dull the razor sharp edge to her. She was only four years older than Briar, but had always seemed far older than that to her, an old soul in a young body. Of all the Valkyries Briar had known, Trin was the best. And the deadliest.

“Hi, sweetie.”

Briar’s throat closed up. It had been well over a year since she’d last seen her. She shoved to her feet and reached for her friend without thinking.

Trin wrapped her arms around her and held her close, whispering to her. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t tell you what I was working on when we talked last, and that I didn’t figure it out in time to save Janaia.”

But she had sent that warning about Georgia. Always looking out for her fellow Valkyries.

Briar shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut, holding on tight. “How?” she gasped, struggling to make sense of it all. “When?”

“I began with digging in your old stomping grounds in the Middle East and went from there. When I found the Caymans account I narrowed the holder down to four possible suspects, but a hunch told me it was likely Balducci so I started investigating him. I pretended I was interested in funding him if he ever ran for office, and had contact with him a few times though I never saw him in person until last night at his retirement dinner.”

Briar pulled back to look at her. “Did you see Georgia there?”

“No, or I would have stopped her.” Trin smiled and wiped beneath Briar’s eyes. “It’s good to see you.”

“Good to see you too.” She hugged her friend again, unashamed that she was showing so much emotion in front of the Director. She was done with the CIA anyhow and would be out of here shortly. Pulling back, Briar smiled. “Guess I should sign the papers now.”

Trin nodded. “You get a fresh start as soon as you do. And I hear you have a good man to start over with.”

Given everything else, she wasn’t surprised that Trin knew more about Matt than she’d told her. “Yeah, I’m a lucky girl. He wants to meet you, by the way.”

Trin arched a perfectly groomed black eyebrow. “Does he? I’d kind of like to meet him as well. Put the fear of God into him about what will happen if he doesn’t treat you right.”

Briar grinned. “No worries there, he will. He’s amazing.” Feeling lighter inside at the prospect of closing this dark and lonely chapter of her life and beginning a new one filled with love and possibilities, she sat at the table and picked up the pen, giving the Director a nod. “Let’s do this.”