CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN

While Layla was at the Agency, Hunter was spending his time on the DEA investigation. He had decided to take a different approach, so with DEA intel plus the help of one of his hacker friends, he had gotten into the texts of some of the actual cartel members.

If they found out he was messing around with their stuff, he’d be as good as dead. But he was confident in the firewall and all the extra protections they’d set up, thanks to an additional level of security from the CIA.

He didn’t have Diego’s or Roberto’s texts, but he had messages from a variety of guys below them, and he was reading and trying to synthesize as fast as he could.

Currently, he was reviewing texts from Mateo Lopez. From everything he had gathered, Lopez was one of the direct reports to Diego. Most of the texts were operational in nature, and he had the feeling that if he stuck with it, he might get enough intel to provide the DEA with more leads on how to find Diego.

As he was reading the next string of messages, the tone suddenly changed. These weren’t business texts. They were romantic. And very steamy, at that. He almost stopped reading because he didn’t feel like it was right to invade these highly personal conversations. But the next word he saw on the screen made him freeze.

“What?” he said out loud. “No way.”

He read the words again. Scarlett, mi amor.

His mind went into overdrive, and a sick feeling formed in the pit of his stomach. He was far from an expert on Latin America, but he felt fairly certain that Scarlett was not a common name in the region.

Could Layla’s friend and mentor be working with a cartel deputy? He hadn’t even considered the possibility that the mole could be at the State Department. But hadn’t Layla said that Scarlett had worked at the DEA for years?

He scoured through the other texts, searching for references to Scarlett, but came up empty. It was highly possible that the one message had been a slipup. They probably never referenced each other by name for this exact reason.

How in the world was he going to break this news to Layla? She’d already been betrayed by Bryce, and now this. He had to be sure before he took this to her, but how could he be?

Immediately, he started researching Scarlett. He called his hacker friend and explained that he needed anything he could get on Scarlett ASAP.

Two hours later, he still didn’t have a rock-solid case, but he had enough puzzle pieces that he couldn’t hide this from Layla. There was far too much riding on this.

He had called her cell multiple times with no answer. It was so hard to be patient, but he knew that she would be safe as long as she was at the Agency.

He would just have to wait, and so he kept digging.

Layla was on autopilot. There was too much hurt and betrayal for her to deal with her roller coaster of emotions. Bryce had not only threatened her career, he had wanted to take her life.

When Scarlett walked into the Agency conference room, Layla gave her a big hug.

“Man, I’m glad to see you,” Layla said. “I’m sorry to have called you, but I needed to talk.”

“I got a partial download from Nick.” Scarlett squeezed her hand. “I am so sorry.”

“Thanks.” Layla held back the tears. “Can we get out of here?”

“Absolutely. Let’s go to my place. We can get your security detail to follow us.”

“Thank you.”

Layla’s hands were still shaking as they made the quick trip to Scarlett’s house in McLean. She saw she’d missed calls from Hunter, but she’d call him back after she got done with Scarlett. She sent him a quick text telling him where she was going and then put her phone in her purse.

“Here we are,” Scarlett said.

Layla had been to Scarlett’s ranch home many times. She loved the house and felt comfortable there. Layla needed a place where she could decompress for a few minutes and shed some tears in a no-judgment zone.

She thanked the two-man security detail standing guard on the premises. Knowing she had them and Scarlett, who was a highly trained operative, beside her, she felt safe—or as safe as she was going to feel.

They walked inside the house, and Layla let out a huge breath.

“Go put your feet up in the living room. I’ll bring in some tea,” Scarlett said.

“Thanks.” Her phone buzzed in her purse, and she pulled it out. Hunter was being persistent in his texting. As she started reading his words, her heart dropped.

Scarlett is the mole. Be careful. I’m on my way and have called in reinforcements. I’m so sorry.

She read the message again, but her brain didn’t compute. This couldn’t be right. Hunter had to be mistaken. Bryce was a traitor, but not Scarlett. Scarlett was her friend.

Scarlett walked in with the tea. “Layla, you’re pale.”

Layla put her phone back in her purse and looked up. “Yeah, I’m feeling a bit weak right now.”

Scarlett sat down next to her and handed her the tea.

Layla picked up the cup but stopped short of taking a sip. She looked into Scarlett’s eyes. “Do you have a weapon on you?”

“Not on me, but my gun is right over there on the table.” Scarlett inclined her head in that direction.

“Do you mind if I take it? I’d feel safer with it.”

“I don’t know that you should be holding on to a firearm right now. Let’s get you calmed down first. We have the Agency detail right outside the door, and I’m in here with you. You’ll be fine. I promise.”

As long as Scarlett didn’t have the gun either, Layla was in good shape. She could block Scarlett’s path if need be. It also occurred to her that there could be something in the tea. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she couldn’t risk it.

Layla placed the tea on the coffee table. “I think I’m in shock.”

“What did Bryce say?”

“He was the one who set me up with the IG investigation. He also sold me out to the cartel by providing information on the safe house location. Can you imagine what that type of betrayal feels like? He was one of my friends.” She purposely said that to gauge Scarlett’s reaction. But there was nothing to show that Scarlett was flustered by it.

“I knew he was bad news, but good grief. He served you up to the cartel. I hope he’s en route to a black site right now where he’ll rot for years.”

Layla shook her head. “No. They’re doing this by the book. Lawyers and all.” She paused. “I just didn’t realize someone’s thirst for revenge could be so great.”

Scarlett took her hand, and it took all her willpower not to yank it away. “I’ve told you before, Layla, it’s a harsh world out there. People you think are on your side can stab you in the back.”

She squeezed Scarlett’s hand before dropping it. “You’d know something about that, wouldn’t you?”

Scarlett raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Layla jumped up and ran over to the table where the gun was. She picked it up and pointed it toward Scarlett. She wasn’t messing around.

“Layla, what are you doing?” Scarlett asked.

“You betrayed me, Scarlett. You betrayed the DEA team. I want to know why. I deserve answers. You owe me that, at least.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Put the gun down and let’s talk about this.” Scarlett took a step forward.

“Don’t move a single inch, or I will shoot.”

“No, you won’t. That’s not your style.”

“Oh, my style has changed greatly over the past twenty-four hours. Stinging betrayal has a way of putting things in a whole different light. So we’re going to do this again. How long have you been working for the cartel?”

Scarlett’s face reddened, and Layla knew, after looking into her eyes, that Hunter had been right. There was not going to be an innocent explanation.

“How did you find out?” Scarlett’s voice wavered.

“That doesn’t matter.” She wasn’t about to drag Hunter into this. “Talk to me. I need to know why.”

Scarlett averted her eyes. “It has absolutely nothing to do with you. I tried to protect you.”

“How is that possible?” Layla’s voice rose. “The bombing, all the attacks? That’s what you call protection?”

Scarlett looked back at her. “I had no choice but to give you up. It was my life or yours, and that was the only choice I could make. Diego saw you on the tape and demanded your name. I am responsible for making sure those tourists sat in your normal spot. I saved you, Layla. I did, whether you want to believe it or not.”

“And you purposely tried to frame Zane to take the fall for your actions.”

Scarlett nodded. “It was the most logical play I could make at the time.”

“And Keith Hammond? What about him?”

Scarlett blew out a breath. “Keith was collateral damage. You brought him into it, and once I knew you were going to talk to him, I had to out him to the cartel as an Agency operative because I knew the cartel would be watching, and if I didn’t give him up, then it would’ve come back on me. That was enough to get him killed, given how much of a warpath Diego is on.”

The burning question was still there. “You still haven’t told me why.”

“When I was a field agent for the DEA, I started working a cartel member named Mateo Lopez. I was convinced he was going to become a top asset.” She took a breath. “I thought I had him turned, but as we spent more and more time together, I ended up falling for him. And instead of me working him, he was working me.”

“So you’re not together?” She needed to get the facts.

“Not anymore. He played me. I thought it was real, but I was the stupid one. He might have cared about me at some point, but his aspirations got bigger than his feelings, and he had me locked in. I had no choice but to do their bidding, or they were going to expose the fact that I was once in a relationship with a top deputy in the cartel. My career would’ve been over. They had far too much leverage on me.”

“What happened with the Honduras op?”

“Once Roberto was killed, Diego was beyond furious. He came to me for names. I gave them Diaz, Cass, you, and Zane but explained that I needed to keep Zane in play. Diego seemed to be okay with that, at least for the short term, although his ultimate goal was to take him out too. He wasn’t messing around. His little brother had been killed, and he wanted revenge at any cost. I tried to help you as much as I could. Like I said, I saved you in the bombing. But at the end of the day, it was either you or me. I never wanted it to end up like this.” She took a step. “But you’re not going to kill me. You’re going to let me go. I have passports. I can run. I can hide and get out of the country to safety.”

“You know me well enough to realize I’d never let you go.”

“It’s because I know you so well that I think you will. I did my best to protect you each step of the way. Please return the favor. Once the cartel realizes I’m blown, they’ll put a bullet through my head. All I’m asking for is a fighting chance to live. My life as I know it is over forever. Please show me mercy. Please.”

Layla was torn. Was she just being played again? Did Scarlett actually care about her?

“Layla, you know I don’t have any family. Everything I told you about my past is true. You’re like my little sister.”

“But when push came to shove, you still chose yourself over me. Just like Bryce. Two people I thought I could count on have sold me out and left a trail of destruction in their wake.”

“But will my death do anything to solve all of that? It won’t bring anyone back.” Scarlett’s bottom lip started to quiver. “We don’t have time to debate this, Layla. Diego’s men are probably on their way here right now. They’ve had a team stationed down the street since the Honduras op because Diego wanted to make sure I played by the rules. My house is under twenty-four-seven video surveillance.”

“And you’re just telling me this now?” Layla tried to think of the best way out of this. She didn’t know what to do. Was Scarlett bluffing? Was the cartel really on their way to finish the job? She knew she wouldn’t kill Scarlett, but would she detain her? That was the right thing to do, even though Layla was tempted to let her go. In the end, she had to go with her gut and follow the path that was right. They’d leave, but she wouldn’t let Scarlett go. Her friend had made bad choices, and she had to be held accountable. “Scarlett, I’m so sorry.”

Before Layla could say anything else, gunshots filled Scarlett’s living room. Instinctively, she dove behind the couch and hit the floor, trying to protect herself from gunfire, her weapon at the ready.

The gunshots paused. She peered around the edge of the couch and saw that Scarlett had been shot in the head. Her body lay on the ground, and blood pooled around her skull. Her eyes were open but vacant.

Two men raced into the room. Layla raised her weapon to return fire, but behind them she saw Hunter with her security detail on his heels. One of the attackers fell to the ground. Hunter had shot him in the leg. Another round of gunshots and the other man was hit in the shoulder, and he collapsed.

Hunter rushed over to her. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” She looked at the men groaning in pain. “We need to secure them and then call reinforcements.”

“I already made the call.” Hunter jumped up and the security detail secured the attackers.

Layla walked over to Scarlett and crouched down beside her. She checked for a pulse even though she knew it was an act of futility. The tears fell freely as she stared at her friend’s dead body. She couldn’t begin to deal with how she felt, so she sat on the floor and prayed, because she didn’t know what else she could do.

It wasn’t long before the room was swarming with an alphabet soup of agents.

She stood in the corner with Hunter close by. “I can’t believe this. I just can’t.”

“If I’d been only a second later . . .” Hunter said, his face still filled with fear for her.

“Don’t even go there. You made it in time.”

“They appeared on foot out of nowhere right when I pulled up. And I just knew I had to get inside and stop them.”

She put her hands on his shoulders. “And that’s exactly what you did.”

“What happened with Scarlett?”

She quickly recounted their difficult conversation. She still couldn’t believe that Scarlett was gone forever. “She was trying to convince me to let her go. She said that the cartel would kill her, and she was right.”

Hunter nodded. “Scarlett made bad decisions.”

Layla looked up at him, fighting back tears. “I did consider letting her go. Just for a minute. I wanted so desperately to believe that she was telling the truth. That she had tried to protect me as long as she could.”

“And it’s possible she was telling the truth. But when it came down to it, she put herself first.”

“That’s not true friendship.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s not. It’s selfish, and she’s the one who put you in harm’s way. But you cared about her, and she cared about you.”

Layla sighed. “I’m going to need some time to work through this.”

He pulled her close. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Me neither.” Their eyes locked, and even in this darkest of moments, the promise of the future hung between them.

A knock on Izzy’s door late Sunday night made Aiden jump up from the couch.

“We are both on edge right now,” she said.

“This case is making us crazy,” he responded.

“Let me see who it is.” She walked over to the door and groaned when she saw Detective Stewart on the other side, but there was no use in hiding.

She opened the door. “Detective Stewart, what can I do for you?”

“Can I come in?”

“Sure.” It wasn’t like Izzy was going to slam the door in the detective’s face. She led her into the kitchen, where Aiden was now standing. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

Detective Stewart shook her head. “No, thanks. I don’t think this will take very long.”

“More questions?” Izzy tried to keep her frustration in check. “We’ll need to have Piper present.”

Detective Stewart lifted her hand. “That won’t be necessary. I’m not here to question you.”

“Then what?”

“There’s been a major development in the case.”

Izzy’s heartbeat thumped. “What happened?”

“Ann Marie Martinez confessed to killing Sergeant Tybee.”

“What?” Ann Marie had been hiding something, but this was much worse than Izzy had expected.

“We questioned her pretty aggressively—the same way we questioned you. At first she stuck to her story, but after a while, she asked for a lawyer, and then we got a confession. Given the violent circumstances and the self-defense claim, the DA has worked out a plea deal.”

“What were the circumstances?”

“It turns out that Ann Marie was viciously beaten and sexually assaulted by Sergeant Tybee a number of times. She was suffering from PTSD and experiencing severe psychological trauma. Even with all of that, she realized that she couldn’t live with herself if she allowed you to take the fall. Given what had happened to her and Sergeant Tybee’s pattern of abuse with other women, yourself included, the DA was willing to cut a generous deal. I wanted to let you know right away.”

Aiden put his arm around Izzy’s shoulders. “You owe Izzy an apology, Detective.”

“No, that’s not necessary,” Izzy responded.

“Actually, it is. We pushed you hard, but we didn’t want to be seen as showing favoritism to a former member of Arlington PD. But I am so sorry about what you had to go through. At least Tybee can’t hurt anyone else.”

“He’ll never see his day in court,” Izzy said. And that part bothered her.

Detective Stewart nodded. “That’s true, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. Can I have a moment alone with you before I go?”

“It’s okay. You can say anything in front of Aiden. He knows everything about this ordeal.”

The detective nodded. “All right. I was just going to encourage you to go back to counseling. I think you might need some help and time to handle the emotions that came with this investigation and Sergeant Tybee’s murder.”

She’d already had the same thought herself. “I appreciate that. It’s a good idea.”

“I’ll be on my way. Never hesitate to reach out if you need anything.”

After the detective left, Izzy turned to Aiden. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Uh-oh. A new career idea?” He smiled.

“No. But this whole experience has given me lots to think about, and I’ve decided to do it.”

“Law school?” His eyes brightened.

“Yes. I take the LSAT in a few months, and we’ll see how I do, but I’ve already been researching schools. I’d love to go to Georgetown.”

“Just like your friends.”

She smiled. “Yeah, I can’t wait to tell them.”

He pulled her into a tight hug. “Izzy, I’m convinced you’ll succeed in anything you set your mind to, and I know you’ll make a great attorney. I hope you’ll still want to hang out with a cop.”

“Of course. If I’m a prosecutor, you never know how our paths will cross.”

“I’m hoping they cross a lot more than that.” He leaned in to kiss her, and she felt safe and loved.