Damien looked up at the agent. “I want a deal in writing before she does this.”
“It’ll take a while. I’ll have to ramp it up the chain.”
Mia nodded. “Of course.”
Agent Clausen stood. “Let me make some calls. In the meantime, I’ll get Agent Duncan back in here. He can take both of your statements. Tell him everything you know about Marcelo and the DA’s office. The prosecutor will need it to make a decision.”
As soon as the door swung shut, Damien reached for her. “You don’t need to do this for me, Mia. You should stay out of all this, let me go.”
“Never.”
“I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”
“It won’t. The FBI will protect me.”
“The same way they protected Melanie?”
Mia reached up and put her hand on Damien’s chest where the locket hung. “I’m sorry she died, Damien. She was doing the right thing by coming to the authorities. I can finish what she started.”
“I don’t know what you see in me.”
Mia smiled. “I see the father of my child. I see a future.” She leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his lips. “This isn’t just for you, you know. I’m doing this to clear the Davenport name, too. I want it to mean more than just a dirty District Attorney who got taken down by the same criminals he supported.”
A faint smile tugged at Damien’s lips. “So you’re not interested in changing your name?”
“Why would I?”
He traced a line over her ring finger on her left hand. “If we got married.”
Mia blinked. “Are you—”
The sound of the door opening made her pause.
Agent Duncan stepped in with a smile and an armful of paper and pens. “All right, so I’m here to take your statements.” He pulled the chair out and sat down. “Whenever you’re ready.”
24
MIA
Could a heart actually beat straight out of a chest? If it could, Mia’s was halfway there.
The female agent tucked the wire into Mia’s bra and she tried not to tremble.
“This is small enough that even if he pats you down, it’ll be hidden. Unless he takes your bra off, no one will know it’s there.”
“If that son of a bitch lays a finger on her—”
“He won’t.” Mia reached out and squeezed Damien’s arm. The past forty-eight hours had been a whirlwind.
First it was endless meetings and interviews and recounting all the sordid details of the past month. Then going over paperwork and signing copy after copy. After that, it was prep for the sting about to go down.
Everything that had happened since her father’s murder came down to this moment. If Mia could convince the ADA to talk, then Damien got immunity. They both got new lives. A chance at forever.
She looked up into his gray eyes as the agent adjusted her dress. It would all work out. It had to.
“All done. Are you ready?”
Mia smiled at the agent. “Can you give us a minute?”
“Sure thing.”
Damien spoke before the agent even turned around. “You don’t have to go through with it. If you’ve changed your mind—”
“I haven’t.”
His hands ran through her hair and Mia smiled. In a few hours, it would all be over. They could be like this, just the two of them, together.
“If anything happens, I want you to know that I wouldn’t trade the last month for anything.”
“Not even a spa vacation?”
“Definitely not. Have you seen the women that go to those things? I’d probably come back with enough Botox to freeze my eyelids open.”
Damien laughed. “I’m worried about you.”
“I’ll be okay.”
“You better. Because if anything goes wrong in there…”
“You’ll be busting down doors and taking out agents. I know.”
“It’s time to go, Ms. Davenport.” Agent Clausen’s voice made Mia jump.
“Be careful.” Damien bent down and captured her lips. He tasted like cinnamon and coffee and Mia wished they could click their heels and fly away from everything. If only they could be two ordinary people you passed on the street.
With any luck, they would be, soon.
She pulled back. “I’m ready.”
The agent took her by the arm. “As soon as we have enough, our team will extract you. Until then, keep him talking.”
Mia nodded.
“If you think you’re in grave danger, just say Massachusetts. We’ll send them in.”
“All right.” She closed her eyes and gave herself a mini pep talk. It wasn’t debate or mock trial, but Mia could handle it. She just had to pretend it wasn’t life or death.