Chapter Twenty-Two
Joselyn
The green light blurred as I stared at it behind my tears. It was as if it was raining and my windshield was covered with raindrops, but it was my eyes. I hadn’t cried so hard since—ever.
The night of my seventeenth birthday I’d cried, but my tears weren’t all at once. And just the other night when I’d almost gotten raped … but it wasn’t nearly as painful. After this, I might as well just throw my heart out the window and run it over with my car.
I was done.
There was no point to living anymore.
Bryce was alive. He was going to help the FBI bring down Tony. My mother was dead, and Paul had just taken my heart and smashed it with the fucking tequila bottle he was currently drowning in, repeatedly slicing it with the shattered glass.
The car honked behind me and I took off. My phone in my purse buzzed. I knew who was calling. Only a handful of people had the number, so I didn’t bother to pick it up. There was no point in answering. I didn’t want to fight with him anymore. I’d said what I needed to say. I was going to a hotel for the night, and in the morning I would let the bureau know I needed a new place to live.
It was better off we ended because we couldn’t work out. I was getting deeper into this investigation. For me, it was all about taking down criminals. For Paul, it was all about the money and having fun. I didn’t think my heart could take knowing Paul went on dates with other women anymore.
I was going to go back to my life where it was nothing but work. That was where I thrived. If I hadn’t mixed business with pleasure, I’d probably have been more prepared on my date with the john who tried to rape me and also the one with Bryce. Paul was clouding my judgment and I needed to focus on the reason I came to Vegas.
But I still loved him …
Fuck, I still loved him.
Maybe after the investigation things would be different. I needed time. Time to do my job.
I drove to the south end of town to get a hotel. I didn’t have any clothes or toiletries, but I’d been in this situation before. Funny thing was, I was dressed like a hooker again.
The next morning I called the secure line and told them I needed a new place to live. For the next two days, I stayed with Leah. I told her that things got weird with my roommate and she didn’t ask many questions. Paul tried calling me a few times, but I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I couldn’t hear his voice because I was certain I would die inside. He texted me a few times, telling me he loved me and to come home, but I didn’t text back.
My stuff was moved into a new house in two days. We worked fast at the FBI apparently and there was always a vacant house in Vegas. By day three I was in my own three bedroom house—lonely and missing Paul like crazy.
The following Monday, I was brought into the local Vegas division for a meeting with Eric and Agent Reigles about where we wanted the case to go. I wasn’t happy about being undercover still. I wanted to go back to D.C. I missed Seth and I couldn’t wait to see him again. It felt like ages since I’d last seen him or even heard his voice.
Knowing that Bryce was the middle man who was going to help us take down Tony was the only thing keeping me strong in this entire shit show.
While I sipped on my coffee, waiting for Eric to show, my cell rang again. It was Paul. I wanted to talk to him, but I couldn’t. This was for the best. One day we’d both move on. I’d go back to D.C. and everything would return to normal.
Normal.
Unhappy, but normal.
“It’s good to see you again.” Eric smiled, walking into the boardroom and bringing me out of my thoughts.
I nodded with a tight smile. “You, too, Eric.” Agent Reigles followed him in and the three of us sat around the wood table with our notepads, sipping coffee. “Good work, by the way.”
I blushed. “Thank you.”
“All right, let’s get down to business. It’s my understanding this Martinez guy wants a plea.” I nodded. “Are we certain we can trust him? Are your leads good?”
I stared at him for a moment, trying to remember codes and procedures in my head as I came up with a plan on the fly. This was my brother. I still had that instinct to protect him. I knew once everything was said and done, he would go to jail—probably for a long time, but if I was able to do anything to help him, I was going to try.
“Joss?”
I shook my head as if I had cobwebs in it. “Sorry.” I flicked my gaze to Agent Reigles and then back to Agent Green. They were both about to know me a whole lot better. “Eric, you’ve known me for how long?” He shook his head as though he couldn’t remember.
“Three … four years?” I asked.
“About that.”
“There’s something you need to know about me. Please let me finish before you stop me because I have a plan.”
“Okay.” He nodded.
“Agent Reigles, this may sound familiar, but please let me finish.” She nodded as well.
I took a deep breath, took a sip of coffee, and then another deep breath before I began. “When I was seventeen, my mother sold my virginity …” My gaze flicked to Agent Reigles as she gasped.
I proceeded to tell them the entire story up until Bryce wanted the plea deal. “There’s no one more determined than I am to bring this asshole Tony down. To answer your question, we can trust him. He’s my brother, but I didn’t find out until the day I arrested him. I didn’t even know it was him until I arrested him.” They stared at me as I continued talking. “I was thinking that the only way for this to really work is to partner me up this time. Send me with someone I can trust. But not with a female. We need a male.”
“A male?” Eric asked.
“Yeah, I want you to bring in someone for a special unit. Seth McKenna is a detective with the DCPD. I trust him with my life. I want him as my partner.”
“We can provide you with a partner, Joss,” Agent Reigles stated.
“I know, but he also knows Bryce. If you want this case to be solved, it’s in your best interest to put the two people on it who would want it solved the most.”
Eric thought for a few seconds. I knew that the FBI partnered other agencies with different tasks forces all the time. It wasn’t unheard of to bring in outside help. Seth had the credentials to have been able to become FBI before I did. He just liked solving murders and working the streets. I knew going undercover and helping me with Bryce wouldn’t be a hesitation.
“All right. Let’s get him out here.”