“Next?” Her laugh sounded unbalanced even to herself. She cleared her throat and tried for something a shade more eat-shit-and-die. “There is no next, Cole. I want you and your task force off my property. Then I want, just as quickly, for you to disappear from my life again, before one of us says something else I’ll regret.”
She found herself wanting him to deny that their parting ways was what he wanted, too. That he intended to fight this time for the perfection he’d said he’d found with her.
“And what about your memories?” he instead demanded, quietly, reasonably. He was all business again. He was a top-notch agent, no doubt. And he was clearly determined to fight by her side, as he’d promised. But as her FBI protector or as her lover? “What about the details floating around in that last dream that we haven’t had a chance to debrief? What about what you know about the night you were shot that could bail you out of trouble?”
“I’ll take my chances talking with the federal prosecutor,” she muttered, “once I get back to Atlanta.”
“And Cassidy Global? Assuming whomever’s taking potshots at you is the one trying to destroy everything you’ve worked yourself into the ground to build. Your corporation will be in financial limbo indefinitely if it’s drawn into a formal investigation. You’ll lose your government contracts. You and your corporate officers will be tied up with endless depositions and audits, and then a trial. The press coverage will ensure that any independent clients you have will run for the hills, too. Is the satisfaction of kicking me to the curb worth the risk to your company, not to mention your life? This is too important to make a snap judgment like that, just because you’re royally pissed at me.”
Shaw’s scar throbbed at her temple. The hand she’d boiled in the bathtub did, too. And the thumb on her other hand. Because she couldn’t take any more. Not one more damn thing that was beyond her control.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. Because Cole was right. She was being unreasonable, childishly talking about giving up when they were so close to finally knowing what was going on. Sure, she liked things orderly and contained, logical and sorted into discrete categories that she could process at her discretion. Hadn’t she done exactly that, as she’d sifted and cleaned her way through the mansion? And in her job, in her life, Shaw suspected there was very little she allowed to surprise her anymore.
The last two days had been one nonstop shock after another that she hadn’t been prepared for. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t handle the reality of her situation. She’d decided in the bedroom to see this through to the bitter end, whatever it took. Screw how shocking it had been to discover how dire her circumstances really were. Where was her resolve, now that she really needed it?
“I never would have done any of the things they’re accusing me of,” she said firmly.
“I know that.”
She nodded, grateful to hear him reaffirm his faith in her, now that she was calm enough to absorb the ring of truth behind his words.
“I was certain of your innocence from the very beginning,” he assured her. “Regardless of our past issues, I knew you wouldn’t betray your country and everything you believe in. Not the Shaw Cassidy I remembered. Not for money or power or any of the other motives the attorneys will come up with.”
He took a step closer and stopped, sighing, when she pointed her finger at him again, still needing him to stay away.
“My people can be here in two hours,” he said. “They can drive you down the mountain and back to what’s left of your life in Atlanta. Or you and I can work on a solution that will get you out of all of this. For good.”
“Your people.” An hour ago, she’d been so certain she was Cole’s people.
“When my team arrives, we need to give them what they want, the information no one else can but you. Once we do, you’re a free woman.”
“You want to trap my stalker,” she said. Following his logic was easy. Seeing his nod in agreement spiked her blood pressure again. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. “You’re suggesting that the two of us draw out my stalker before Dawson and the others get here.”
“Dawson’s got a million regulations to follow. No way in hell would he approve trying to trap this guy the way we can.”
“You mean using me as bait.”
“Without you, your stalker will go underground again. He might never resurface. And I’m not sure we have enough yet to warrant witness protection for you, especially without a solid felony suspect that you can testify against. That’ll be Dawson’s call. It’s a risk.”