Instead, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and sat up straighter. I stretched my neck from side to side.
It was time for me to take care of myself—to protect myself. I needed to make sure that my future was stable, and that meant having a solid career.
I needed to find out what Gianni was doing, and if it would have any chance of impacting me. I needed to be selfish right now—to think of myself and forget about the men who had done nothing but leech off me. But in order to find out what was going on, I had to talk to one of those men.
The only way I could figure out if Gianni was dangerous was through Freddy. My heart thumped at the thought of talking to him again, of seeing him again. My fingers itched to reach into my pocket and pull out his card.
I jumped at a knock on the door.
Tanya poked her head in. “Brought you a coffee.”
“Thanks,” I smiled.
She came and sat down on the bed beside me, handing me the mug. My best friend glanced over at me, her eyebrows knotting together. “Are you okay?” She fluffed her fingers through her curly hair and searched my face.
“I think so.”
“It might not seem like it now, but breaking up with Jayden is probably the best thing to happen to you. He always seemed to be holding you back.”
“He tried to get me to refuse Gianni’s offer for the gallery opening. The studio, the exhibition… everything. The biggest opportunity of my career and he didn’t want me to take it.”
“Exactly.”
“I made like, thirty grand last night.”
“Girl…” Tanya grinned. “Yeah you did.”
“You know,” I said, thumbing the edge of my mug. “The weird thing is, I don’t even feel that bad about leaving him. I feel relieved, most of all. It’s like I saw that message on his account and all the smoke just lifted. I can see everything so clearly now.”
“I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,” Tanya sang, nudging her shoulder against mine. We laughed, and another crack healed in my heart.
“It feels like I broke up with him months ago in my heart, but maybe I was just waiting for an excuse to go through with it.”
Tanya put her arm around my shoulders and squeezed. I bit my lip. I didn’t want to tell her about Freddy, about the kiss, about his card in my pocket. I wondered if this feeling of being relieved had anything to do with his sudden appearance in my life. I felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, with every bit of my body urging me to jump. The only thing holding me back was the knowledge of who Freddy was, and what he’d done. How he’d walked away without so much as a goodbye.
What kind of person does that?
Tanya glanced at me. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”
I hid my grin by sipping my coffee. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Hailey, I’ve known you for, what, six years? More? I know when you’re hiding something.”
“Everything is just a big mess right now, is all. Gianni…” I frowned, staring into my cup of coffee. “I’m worried he’s up to something that might not be exactly legal. I don’t know what, but I think… I don’t know what I think.”
“You don’t want to be dragged down with him in case he’s up to something shady?”
“Yes.”
“But he’s also your ticket to a successful career right now.”
“Precisely.” I smiled at my friend, who arched an eyebrow.
“See, I know you better than you know yourself.”
“Maybe you do.” I laughed gently, leaning my head against her shoulder. She knew me well enough that if I told her I was thinking about another man, she would be worried. Now was not the time to jump into another emotionally taxing relationship with a damaged man. Not that there was ever a good time to put yourself through that kind of torture, but right now was definitely a bad time.
“This is your opportunity to be selfish, Hailey. You need to take care of yourself.” She stood up, smoothing her hands down her pants.
“Thank you for letting me stay here.”
“Oh, stop,” she said. “I like the company, and I could use someone to walk the dogs when I’m at work.”
“I see how it is,” I grinned. “You’re just using me.”
“Shamelessly.”
“You’re just like everyone else.”
She winked and walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind her. I set my cup of coffee on the nightstand and reached into my pocket for the card. It was a blank white card with nothing but a black phone number on it. No name, no company, just a phone number.
I brushed my thumb over the numbers, inhaling. Outside my bedroom door, I heard the clattering of dogs’ paws on the hardwood floor and Tanya jingling two leashes. She called out to her dogs one by one, talking to them until the door opened and she was gone.
The silence was oppressive.
I knew that in order to protect myself, I needed more information from Freddy. With a deep breath, I pulled out my phone and started typing the number. I stared at the screen as my finger hovered over the ‘call’ button, and my heart thumped.
This moment felt significant. If I didn’t call, I was choosing to trust Gianni. I was choosing art. I was choosing my career—at least for the short term.
If I did call, I was choosing to trust Freddy. And that hadn’t ended well last time.
But I could still feel the shadow of Freddy’s lips on mine. My veins were still warm with embers from the fire he’d ignited in my blood.
So, against all better judgement—against the wisdom of experience and the screaming of my brain—I pushed my thumb down and called.
14
Freddy
“Finch?” I said as I put the phone to my ear.
Silence.
“Hello?”
A small breath hitched on the other end of the line, and I stiffened.
“Hailey?” I asked, sinking down into a chair in my kitchen. I knew it was her. I didn’t think she would call. I was simultaneously elated and horrified… I couldn’t delay anymore. I would have to bring her in to Berkeley.
“Hey, Freddy,” she said.
I closed my eyes, sinking deeper into the seat. “I didn’t think you’d call.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“What changed your mind?”
“Self-preservation.”
A grin tugged at the corner of my lips. “I was hoping it was because you wanted to see me again.”
“As arrogant as ever, I see.” I could hear the smile in her voice. She took a deep breath. “Look, Freddy…”
“You don’t need to say it.” I inhaled, my heart squeezing. Rejection stung at the best of times, but to hear it from Hailey was just too much. “Look, what happened between us last night… I shouldn’t have shown up at your apartment. There are bigger things at play here.”
“What do you mean, bigger things?”
“Let’s talk in person. I’ll send you a location. Are you at home?”
“I’m at my friend’s house. I… I left.”
When she said ‘I left’, the words sounded heavy. They sounded like they meant a lot. She left her ex-boyfriend, she left her apartment… My heart skipped a beat. If she wasn’t with that douchebag…
I shook my head. Berkeley wanted her as an asset now. Even if she was single, I couldn’t get involved with her. Not that she would want me, anyway.
“Okay. Can you meet me at the waterfront? I’ll send you a location.”
She was silent for a beat, and then exhaled. “Okay. Now?”
“Yes. Now.” We hung up, and I texted her a location. It was a relatively secluded area of the Potomac River waterfront. There would be enough people around that she wouldn’t get spooked, but not enough that we’d be bothered. I rushed to get ready and then jumped in my car.
I was at the agreed location within half an hour. I scanned my eyes around the grassy area to the left and over to the small group of trees to
the right. The river flowed in front of me and my feet crunched on the gravel as I made my way toward a worn, bronze statue.
In late September, there weren’t that many people here. It was starting to get a bit cold out, and that was exactly what I’d been counting on. A woman jogged past me with her dog as I took a seat on a park bench. My eyes kept roving from side to side, and I couldn’t sit still until I saw Hailey appear on the path.
Her hair was gathered in a high pony tail and her trench coat was cinched at the waist. She looked classy and stylish and completely out of my league.
Hailey’s expression was serious. She bit her lip when she saw me and hurried toward the park bench. I stood up when she neared and stood awkwardly until she leaned over and brushed her lips against my cheek. Her perfume wafted toward me, making my stomach tighten.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hey.” We both sat down. Her knee bounced up and down and her face stayed trained on the flowing waters in front of us. The late afternoon sun kissed her skin as she pinched her lips together. She swallowed. I watched every micromovement she made, drinking in every bit of her presence.
Her eyes swung over to me and a flush warmed her cheeks. She swiped her tongue across her lower lip and my mind went completely blank. All I could do was stare at her mouth.
“So,” she said, clearing her throat. “What’s this about?”
I didn’t want to talk about Gianni Russo, or the gallery, or sex trafficking. I didn’t want to see her face fall when I told her what we thought Gianni was up to. I didn’t want to bring her in to Berkeley, who would surely threaten her career to get her to cooperate with our investigation.
I wanted to kiss her, to tangle my fingers into her hair and taste her lips. To feel her body pressed against mine and hear the soft moans that would fall from her mouth. To kiss her skin and drink her pleasure until we were both sated. To forget about the world and escape somewhere with her.
Instead, I took a deep breath. “I work for the CIA.”
Her eyes widened. Those perfect, pink lips dropped open and my cock throbbed.
I looked away, forcing my body back under control. “We’ve been investigating the Russos for a couple of years now.” I was breaking all kinds of protocol right now. For all I knew, she’d run back to Gianni and the Russos would pack up and be gone within twenty-four hours.
Berkeley would have my head if he knew what I was doing, but I didn’t care. I owed it to Hailey to be honest with her—to give her a choice. Ten years ago, I made the wrong choice and she’d lost everything.
She shifted on the bench, folding her hands in her lap. “What… What are you investigating them for?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Am I in trouble?”
“No,” I answered quickly. “No. But you shouldn’t get involved with them.”
She snorted. “A little late, isn’t it? Gianni is about to pay me tens of thousands of dollars for the paintings I’ve sold. I have half a dozen commissions to make because of him—including yours, by the way. I’ve just left my boyfriend and I’m staying in my best friend’s guest room. I have seventeen dollars in my savings account and three thousand dollars’ worth of credit card debt.” Her eyes shone with tears and she shook her head. “I can’t exactly walk away from him.”
I gulped. “I’m sorry.”
“What did Gianni do?”
“I can’t tell you, Hailey.”
She swung her eyes back toward me, frowning. “You can’t tell me? You expect me to give up my entire career just because you apparently work for the CIA? Come on, Freddy.” She scoffed.
“Hailey…”
“No, don’t Hailey me.” She stood up, and I did the same. We faced each other. Her eyes had gone from scared to angry in an instant. “You show up in my life, unannounced, at the worst possible time. The only thing I have going for me right now is my art. That’s the only thing that’s going well, and you’re telling me to give that up? My relationship is over, I’m homeless, I’m broke, and you think that just because I let you kiss me that I’ll ruin my life for you? I’ve already done that once, Freddy, and we both know how that ended. With you being a hero and me being thrown out of my fucking family.”
She turned away from me and I caught her hand. Hailey’s fingers squeezed mine even though her face stayed angled away from me. Tears brimmed in her eyes, and I brushed the fingers of my other hand over her cheek. Tilting her chin up toward me, I took a step closer to her. Her chest brushed mine.
I slid my fingers over her jaw and leaned my forehead against hers.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Hailey,” I said softly. “I want to help you.”
“You’re nothing but trouble.” She leaned into me, her hands resting on my chest.
I took a deep, shuddering breath, wrapping my arms around her waist. “You used to like a bit of trouble.”
“I used to like a lot of things that were no good for me.” She lifted her eyes up to mine and stared into them. Her gaze penetrated deep into my soul and I knew that I would do anything for those eyes. I tightened my grip on her waist and felt her relax into me, her hands slowly wrapping around my neck.
“I’m not asking you to give up your career, Hailey. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“So what are you asking?” Her lips brushed mine, her breath warm as it washed over my skin. My whole body stiffened and she backed her head away from me, arching her eyebrow. Answer the question, her eyes said.
I dropped my shoulders, exhaling. “My boss wants to talk to you.”
She stared at me for a few moments, and then her arms loosened around my neck. She dipped her chin down. “Okay.”
15
Hailey
Freddy and I walked into a plain, brick building together. With every step I took, my nerves frayed more and more. When Freddy first told me he worked for the CIA, I believed him—it’s what he’d always wanted to do, even when we were kids. But now that I was walking in to talk to his boss…
I was nervous. Torn. Scared.
For the first time since I met Gianni, I wasn’t sure I trusted him. He’d given me a gallery exhibition, a name, a career, a studio space—everything. He was my fairy godfather.
But judging by the set of Freddy’s jaw, I wasn’t sure that was a good thing. Freddy and I walked down a long, beige corridor until Freddy stopped in front of a door. He opened it to reveal a small room with a table in the center.
An interrogation room.
My eyes widened and I glanced at him. “Am I in trouble?”
Freddy shook his head. “No. But I do have to follow protocol.”
“What does that mean?”
“Do you want something to drink? Coffee? Water?”
“Am I allowed to leave?”
Freddy took a deep breath and brought his hands up to squeeze my upper arms. “You’re not in trouble, Hailey. Try to relax. We just want your help. You can leave whenever you want.”
“I don’t know anything, Freddy,” I whispered, glancing up and down the hallway. It was still deserted. “I can’t help you.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Drink?”
“Black coffee.”
He nodded and gestured to the room. With a deep breath, I stepped inside and jumped when the door clanged shut behind me. I whipped around, trying the door handle. It turned freely and I breathed a sigh of relief. My heartbeat slowed a tiny bit. The door wasn’t locked, and I could leave anytime I wanted.
Glancing around the room, I took stock of my surroundings. The walls were cinderblock, painted a dirty off-white color. The table in the middle was made of steel, with two uncomfortable-looking chairs on one side of it, and one chair on the other. A bar was welded to the table on one side, about two inches off the surface.
My eyes widened when I realized it was designed as an anchor to attach handcuffs. I wondered how many people had been interrogated in this room. I looked up at the corner of the room and saw a camera with a little red lig
ht staring back at me. They were filming me.
Who ‘they’ were, I still wasn’t sure. Did I trust Freddy when he said he worked for the CIA? What if he was a criminal, and this was all a ruse? What if Gianni was a good guy, and I was in trouble? What if, what if, what if…
My mind was racing. My heart bounced around my ribcage as panic clawed at my throat. The seconds ticked by, one by one, as I nearly hyperventilated.
I was an artist. A painter. That was all. I wasn’t supposed to be here. What was I going to tell them anyway? I didn’t know anything.
My thoughts flicked to the delivery that I witnessed, to Gianni tearing the canvas. Is that something they would want to know?
Memories flooded my brain. Freddy and I, young and in love, two months after getting his driver’s license. We drove home after spending an evening under the stars at the park near my house.
The crash.
The horror.
Me, taking the blame.
I wanted to help him then, too. I knew that if he was the one behind the wheel, he’d get kicked out of our prep school—he’d never be able to afford the legal fees.
How simple things had been, and then everything changed.
I still remember the look in my father’s eyes when I told him I was the one driving. I remember the promises Freddy made to me—that he’d be by my side, he’d never leave me, he’d never forget what I did for him.
But he did leave.
Within a couple of weeks, he was gone, and I never heard from him again.
He saw what the community did to me—how I was shunned, shamed, ostracized. He couldn’t be with me after that. He turned his back on me, just like everyone else in my life.
And that was the man I was supposed to trust? I was supposed to work with him?
The Protector: The Complete C.I.A. Romance Series Page 43