Page 46 of Rebel Protector
“Why’d you agree to work for him?” Ghost asked, once the sun was gone. “Why go through all this again?”
She sighed. “I didn’t plan to. But when I ran into Alek at the embassy, something changed. He looked... older. More human. I thought maybe we could finally put the past to rest. He waited for me outside after work, convinced me to come work for him. Said he was making a fresh start here. Wanted to start over, make things right.”
“And?”
She shook her head. “Nope. Same old bullshit. He never wanted to make amends. He just needed someone he could trust to help him set up shop and run his house. I’d done it before in San Francisco, so he knew he could count on me. I fell for it. Again. But he did offer a fat salary, more like a bribe, honestly.” She sniffed. “At least he didn’t lie about that.”
“Then leave,” Ghost said, his voice low and firm. “Take the money, get the hell out. Go back to the States and cut ties withthis mess. Your father’s not gonna save your ass when it all goes south. You’ll be on your own. And for what? Loyalty to that bastard?”
She nodded miserably. “I know. I was just hoping it would be different this time.”
Ghost grabbed her hand. “Listen to me, Becca. I’m going to try to get Markov at the delivery in Cartagena, three days from now. I told him this ambush spooked the cartel, and they want him there for reassurance. I think he’s buying it.”
She stared at him, not catching on.
“That’s when the FBI will strike,” he said. “If they get him there, caught in the act, he’s done. No more hiding behind shell companies or fake names.”
“Three days,” she whispered, letting his words sink in.
He nodded. “The shipment’s already moving. We’ve got no hard evidence connecting him to the deals. No paper trail, no weapon transfers in his name—he’s too smart for that. We’ve got nothing else.”
“I had a feeling something like this would happen,” she admitted. “I just thought I’d have more time.”
“Time’s up,” he said, his tone hardening. “You need to leave by tomorrow. Don’t wait around for the authorities to arrive. You don’t want to get tied up in any of this. With your history?—”
She stared at him, horrified. “You mean with Damian?”
He shrugged. “Hacking, anonymous dealings on the dark web, and now arms dealing. It’s going to be tough to prove you didn’t know about any of this.”
“Oh, God.” She closed her eyes, the reality dawning. He didn’t want to hurt her, but it was time she took her head out of the sand. Markov was going down, whether she liked it or not.
“Make sure to wipe your laptop. Get rid of anything that can link back to you.”
She gulped, her eyes widening. “This is serious, isn’t it?”
“It’s life-in-prison serious.”
He saw her knuckles go white as she gripped the railing.
“There’s no other way?”
“He’s gotta pay for what he’s done, Becca. Either you get out, or you go down with him.”
“Then, I’ll leave tomorrow,” she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.
He gave a sharp nod, feeling some relief. At least she’d be safe. The FBI wouldn’t come for her, wouldn’t dig into her past. But as he looked at her, that relief started to twist into something bitter.
Once she left, he knew he’d never see her again.
Becca must have thought the same thing, because her honeyed gaze turned to him. The longing he saw there made his breath hitch.
“Can we be together tonight?” she whispered. “One last time?”
Fuck.
This was a really bad idea, but goddamn, he wanted her too.
Needed her.