Page 108 of Fracture

He nodded. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find out everything there is to know about her.”

Law enforcement swarmed the park within minutes. Adam, Marcus, Pryce, and a few other familiar faces were there. Vinnie and Lorelei told their stories to all of them, and then were left alone while the cops gathered evidence.

“I can’t believe I didn’t know she was the one who handed me over to them,” Lorelei said when she and Vinnie sat down. “How did I not see it?”

“She gave you information. Why would you think she was playing both sides?”

Lorelei shook her head. “I don’t know. I just…” Lorelei looked at the body covered in a white sheet. The medical examiner wasn’t there yet, so the woman was simply covered. “It’s my job to be able to read people.”

“She was good.”

“Yeah, but I should have been better.”

“You were better.”

“No, I wasn’t. She surprised me. Again.”

“But this time you weren’t alone,” Vinnie said.

Lorelei drew a breath. He was right.

“You aren’t the same person you were when you met her before. When you thought being independent was the best way. You’ve learned that sometimes you need your team. Sometimes going at it alone isn’t the right answer.”

Lorelei hugged Vinnie. “Thank you for being here for me. If you hadn’t come, I’d be gone again. This time for good.”

“I’m not going to let that happen.”

23

The boss sat behind her desk and listened to the report. It was not a good report. Not even a little. It was a fucking disaster.

“Do you know how many chances I typically give people, Benjamin?”

He shuffled his feet and shook his head.

“That’s because the answer is zero,” she growled.

His gaze snapped to hers. He knew his days were numbered. “It wasn’t my fault. She wasn’t alone.”

“And you should have known that.” The boss slammed her fist onto the desk as she stood. “You should have been prepared for that. Both of you should have known she wouldn’t come alone again.”

“Sonya said the agent didn’t remember anything.”

“She remembered enough to know where to meet! She remembered! How fucking stupid are you?”

“Sonya was the one who set this up. She said?—”

“Sonya’s not saying anything ever again. We made sure of that. You won’t either if you don’t take care of that fucking agent like I told you to do the first time. She shouldn’t have survived long enough to be found in Boston. And now you let her get away again. Her memories are returning. It’s only a matter of time before she remembers everything.” She curled her fingers against the desktop, her nails scratching the surface. Bile rose in her throat. Fear. She swallowed it down. There was no space for fear.

“I’ll take care of her. I promise.”

“You better. You aren’t getting more chances.”

Benjamin nodded and raced out of the room.

She let out a breath and fought the tears building. Crying was a weakness. Emotions were a weakness. She’d had that beat into her many times. Letting it out now wasn’t an option. There was one option.

End the threats against her. All of them.