had quietly been shoved into the Cyber Division. Handed a Cyber Action Team nobody expected to succeed, he’d been expected to keep his mouth shut and put in his time for the next twenty years until his retirement, never to be heard from again.
Fortunately, her new boss wasn’t wired that way. He was given a job to do, and by God, he was going to do it.
“He should have gotten recognition after the Reaper case. Not to mention support and resources for the team.” Brandon sounded as frustrated as Lily felt when the subject came up.
“I know.”
But it hadn’t happened. Oh, they’d gotten credit for solving it, but the investigation hadn’t been deemed entirely successful. The team had known someone was going to be killed and had how it would happen, yet they hadn’t been able to prevent it. Plus, once they’d identified him, the perpetrator had leaped out of the hands of justice by leaping into his own noose.
“So what’s with you and Anspaugh?” Brandon asked as they walked down the corridor. “You cheating on me? Messing around with somebody else’s hard drive?”
She laughed softly. Brandon was hot, but he was also young, probably no more than twenty-five or -six. Not to mention a player. Their relationship was strictly platonic, meaning she could appreciate his hotness without actually being burned and enjoy his playfulness without being played. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Seriously. What’s up?”
“I’ve been lending a hand now and then on the Lovesprettyboys investigation.”
His didn’t try to conceal the sympathetic look in his eyes. Brandon knew Lily’s story; everyone on the team did, except the new guy, Lambert. “I see.”
Immediately defensive, she explained, “I asked Wyatt if I could work it on my own time before we caught the Reaper.”
She should have known Brandon wouldn’t leave it alone. One brow arched in frank disbelief. “And he said yes?”
Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, she hesitated before replying, “Yes. He did.”
He pressed harder. “Recently? Even after the site went dark and the investigation turned to the users of it, not the owners?”
She didn’t answer. Here was where it got particularly sticky.
“I get it. And begging forgiveness is easier than asking permission?”
“Something like that.” She didn’t ask Brandon to cover for her. She wasn’t totally sure she’d done anything wrong, but just in case, she wasn’t about to drag him into it with her.
“Okay. I guess you know what you’re doing. Please, though, don’t let it get to you.” His handsome face growing more serious, he added, “If it starts to get in your head, promise me you’ll walk away.”
A laugh, small and bitter, escaped her mouth. “Oh, my friend, you don’t even want to know the kinds of things that go on in my head.”
She began walking again, telling him without words the subject was closed. Though Lily appreciated his warning, and knew it came from a good place, she was far beyond being warned. He hadn’t worn her shoes, lived what she’d lived. Few people had or ever would in their lifetime.
I’m doing okay. As long as I have the job, I’m fine .
Yeah. The job. It kept her moving forward, one foot at a time, one case at a time, one scumbag at a time.
There would be more than that someday. There had to be. They said after every nightmare came another dawn, and Lily Fletcher believed it.
She had to. Because God help her if it wasn’t true.
Sixteen and dead.
Sixteen and murdered.
Sam couldn’t speak for a moment after the FBI special agent in her kitchen broke the news. In fact, she couldn’t quite breathe. Or hear. Or think.
She walked as if in a daze to the sink. Turning on the faucet, she splashed cold water on her face, needing to clear her head and get a grip on her emotions. Sam kept her back to the man whose professional expression had not hidden his sympathy. He knew she had barely known Ryan Smith. Yet he also knew she was
Fortunately, her new boss wasn’t wired that way. He was given a job to do, and by God, he was going to do it.
“He should have gotten recognition after the Reaper case. Not to mention support and resources for the team.” Brandon sounded as frustrated as Lily felt when the subject came up.
“I know.”
But it hadn’t happened. Oh, they’d gotten credit for solving it, but the investigation hadn’t been deemed entirely successful. The team had known someone was going to be killed and had how it would happen, yet they hadn’t been able to prevent it. Plus, once they’d identified him, the perpetrator had leaped out of the hands of justice by leaping into his own noose.
“So what’s with you and Anspaugh?” Brandon asked as they walked down the corridor. “You cheating on me? Messing around with somebody else’s hard drive?”
She laughed softly. Brandon was hot, but he was also young, probably no more than twenty-five or -six. Not to mention a player. Their relationship was strictly platonic, meaning she could appreciate his hotness without actually being burned and enjoy his playfulness without being played. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Seriously. What’s up?”
“I’ve been lending a hand now and then on the Lovesprettyboys investigation.”
His didn’t try to conceal the sympathetic look in his eyes. Brandon knew Lily’s story; everyone on the team did, except the new guy, Lambert. “I see.”
Immediately defensive, she explained, “I asked Wyatt if I could work it on my own time before we caught the Reaper.”
She should have known Brandon wouldn’t leave it alone. One brow arched in frank disbelief. “And he said yes?”
Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, she hesitated before replying, “Yes. He did.”
He pressed harder. “Recently? Even after the site went dark and the investigation turned to the users of it, not the owners?”
She didn’t answer. Here was where it got particularly sticky.
“I get it. And begging forgiveness is easier than asking permission?”
“Something like that.” She didn’t ask Brandon to cover for her. She wasn’t totally sure she’d done anything wrong, but just in case, she wasn’t about to drag him into it with her.
“Okay. I guess you know what you’re doing. Please, though, don’t let it get to you.” His handsome face growing more serious, he added, “If it starts to get in your head, promise me you’ll walk away.”
A laugh, small and bitter, escaped her mouth. “Oh, my friend, you don’t even want to know the kinds of things that go on in my head.”
She began walking again, telling him without words the subject was closed. Though Lily appreciated his warning, and knew it came from a good place, she was far beyond being warned. He hadn’t worn her shoes, lived what she’d lived. Few people had or ever would in their lifetime.
I’m doing okay. As long as I have the job, I’m fine .
Yeah. The job. It kept her moving forward, one foot at a time, one case at a time, one scumbag at a time.
There would be more than that someday. There had to be. They said after every nightmare came another dawn, and Lily Fletcher believed it.
She had to. Because God help her if it wasn’t true.
Sixteen and dead.
Sixteen and murdered.
Sam couldn’t speak for a moment after the FBI special agent in her kitchen broke the news. In fact, she couldn’t quite breathe. Or hear. Or think.
She walked as if in a daze to the sink. Turning on the faucet, she splashed cold water on her face, needing to clear her head and get a grip on her emotions. Sam kept her back to the man whose professional expression had not hidden his sympathy. He knew she had barely known Ryan Smith. Yet he also knew she was
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