Chapter 28
Ispend all of Sunday with Owen. He takes me out to lunch by the beach, and we talk and laugh. I almost believe that this could be our future.
Almost.
He gives me back my job, telling me it’s to keep an eye on me. Whatever his reason, I’m grateful. It means I can continue figuring out how to save him.
Owen relents when I beg to help him. He gives me access to his company account. That’s where I start, hoping that both Gray and I can find a lead somewhere in this mess.
“I think I’ll keep you, Miss Riley,” Owen says, leaning against my desk with two cups of coffee in hand on Monday morning. Having spent the night together and not wanting to come in early to work out, we find ourselves starting the morning a little later than usual.
I smirk, keeping my focus on my research, combing through company documents and emails from the first victim. “Why’s that, Mr. Mills?”
“Because I actually sleep with you around.”
I finally turn away from the computer and reach for the cup. “Shockingly, I do too.”
Owen winks. “I tire you out.”
I roll my eyes at the insinuation, but this time I’m smiling. Instead of playing into his hands, I switch tactics. “That’s because you don’t protect your left side, so I have to hit you over and over again just to get it through your thick skull. It tires us both out.”
Owen lets out an exasperated sound, but I catch his dimple staring at me over the computer screen. “Perhaps that’s why my skull is so thick. Been hit too many times.”
Shaking my head, my gaze catches on a company email from the first victim. Opening it, I scan the contents, and my eyes snag on a few select phrases—unauthorized funds and shady business dealings.
I’m about to read the whole email in detail when we’re interrupted by the office door swinging open and Noah yelling something from down the hall.
I can’t hear what he's yelling as a dozen CIA agents swarm the office, guns raised and aimed at Owen.
Shooting to my feet, I instinctively put myself in front of Owen. He clutches my arm, and I back up into him until my spine is plastered to his torso. He’s tense but oddly steady.
Declan walks in a moment later and notices me first. Surprise briefly crosses his face before he schools his features.
“Don’t do this, Dec,” I plead, staring only at him, shaking so hard I might collapse.
Declan’s face falls when he hears the raw desperation in my voice. “I have to, Nova. I’m sorry. We have the evidence. It’s over.”
What? How?
“I didn’t send the evidence!” I scream. “Give me more time!”
Declan shakes his head sadly. “You don’t have more time, Nova. The success of this mission will help the vote go your way in your trial. The panel will look the other way.”
“I don’t give a shit about my trial!” My voice is breaking now. All my hopes fall with his admission that I’m out of time. That I failed—not the assignment but Owen.
I wanted to save him. I wanted to prove that he isn’t the one who should be behind bars.
Everyone wants to capture the villain. No one understands that sometimes the villain isn’t the one who should be locked up.
This is not how I imagined my secret being revealed to Owen. I wanted to tell him when I had all the information I needed to get him out of this mess, when I had something to save him with.
I realized my mistake too late.
“I care, Nova.” Declan sounds almost as broken.
Declan knows. All it took was one look at Owen and me. How easily I forget how well he knows me.
“If you take him, Dec, I’m going down with him. I don’t care what you say. This is wrong!”
Declan’s gaze falls to his feet, unable to look me in the eye as he gives the signal.
The agents surround us, prying me from Owen. I shout, or I think I do. I claw at the hands separating us, desperately reaching for the man I’ve come to love.
They pin Owen’s hands behind his back and cuff him. He doesn’t struggle like I do.
I want to shout at him to fight, but he won’t. I know he won’t.
Owen finally turns his head to look at me. He gives me a sad smile, before turning away as the agents lead him out of the office.
He doesn’t say a word, his silence hurting more than his anger would.
As the door shuts behind them, the remaining agents release me, and I drop to my knees. The tears I held back begin to fall from my eyes.
A warm hand presses on my shoulder. I look up to find a concerned Declan.
“You got the wrong bad guy, Dec,” I say through my sobs.
“He committed murder, Nova.”
“And how many people did those men kill? How many humans did they traffic? How many died indirectly as a result of their dirty businesses?” I want to shout, but it comes out as a croak, my voice dry and spent.
“I can’t change the laws.” Declan sounds defeated as he crouches beside me, hand still on my shoulder.
“I didn’t send the evidence, Dec. I wanted more time to figure out how to get him out of this. I’ve learned too much. It isn’t fair.”
Declan stands and takes a few turns around the room before stopping. “The evidence came from your channel, Nova. If you didn’t send it, whoever did knows how to access your network.”
“There are only two people who have access to it.”
“Ella and I,” he says before I can.
“She wouldn’t.” I shake my head.
“Nova, I know you won’t take my advice, but you need to let this go. It’s a dead end. You can’t get him out of this, and you risk not only your career but also jail time. As a friend, I’m asking you to please not pursue this.” His voice is now the one that’s pleading.
I stand, already knowing what I have to do. “No, Dec. I’ve seen the bad guys. The true bad guys, and he’s not one of them.”
With that, I walk out of the office. I don’t look back, and Declan doesn’t follow me.
The instant I’m out the door, Noah falls into step with me. “What do you need from me, boss?” he asks, his voice laced with concern and defeat.
“Find Parker. I need to speak to him. I have to make sure the company and charities have been transferred.”
Noah nods. “Anything else?”
I stop abruptly before the elevators and face him. I know my cheeks are red and streaked with tears, but I don’t care. I meet Noah’s narrowed gaze and instantly fold myself into his arms. “Someone sold me out.”
Noah nods again, lightly stroking my back.
I pull away and steel myself, wiping away the last of the tears.
“Oh, and Noah? Find me Peyton Radd. He has some explaining to do.”
With that, I turn and head for the elevator, dreading the call I know I have to make. Afraid that my best friend may have stabbed me in the back.
Ella picks up immediately.
“Nova!” she shouts. “Are you ok? I saw Dec leave the office with a dozen agents. Rumors are that they got the evidence needed to arrest someone. I feared it might have been Owen.”
I can’t help the accusation that spills out of my mouth. “So you know nothing about it?”
There’s a long pause on the other end of the phone. “Why would I know anything about it?”
“I think you know.”
“If you’re accusing me of something, Nova, just say it!” she shouts.
She rarely gets angry.
“I trusted you!” I yell back. “You’re the only one who knows about this case. The only one. And other than Dec, you’re the only one that has access to my network.”
I hear a sharp intake of breath, but Ella’s voice comes out as a shaky whisper. “I would never. You may have reassigned me, and I will admit I was angry at first, but I knew it was out of love. It wasn’t personal. So why would I do that to you?”
Fuck.
I don’t know what to believe anymore.
I don’t respond. I don’t know how.
“Nova? I won’t waste my breath defending myself.
You can believe what you want. All I care about right now is you.
I’m shaking. I feel powerless to help you, and despite what you think, I still want to help.
Please. How can I help you?” Her voice is on the edge of breaking, but it’s not her that breaks.
It’s me.
I sob into the phone for probably five minutes, and Ella does nothing but listen.
When my rasping sobs become quiet whimpers, she asks more forcefully, “How can I help?”
I’m not sure why I believe her, but I do. I always have. So, with a shaking voice, I say, “Get Eagan and bring him to my apartment. One hour.”
“Done.”
“Please tell me the paperwork was finalized?” I beg Parker as he sits in Owen’s office chair, looking like he spent the last thirty minutes crying.
He probably did.
“Everything is signed, but still needs the final approval from the board,” he says at last.
“Will they give it, considering what’s happened?”
Parker shrugs and hangs his head. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I’m no CEO. I have no idea what I’m doing. Those papers were only a precaution.”
“Parker, look at me.”
He obeys, raising his bloodshot, baby blue eyes to mine.
“You won’t have to, because I’m going to get him out,” I say.
“How?”
Parker looks so broken, which is precisely how I feel, but I also know who I am and what I’m capable of.
“I’m an undercover CIA agent who was sent here to put your brother behind bars for murder. But when I learned more, I realized your brother isn’t the villain in this, and when I decided to help him instead, I was set up.”
Parker's eyes widen at my blunt confession. “Holy shit.”
“Listen, you don’t have to trust me, but I’m going to get your brother out of this, and I need your help. I need to know if the company will pass to you. If the charities are protected. That’s what he wanted.”
Parker studies me for longer than feels comfortable, and I wonder if he’s going to kick me out on my ass after my confession.
After my betrayal.
“Did he know?” Parker asks.
I shake my head, and the tears come unbidden once again. “I should have told him. I wanted to. I made far too many excuses not to. The biggest being that I wanted to find the evidence to save him first.”
“You love him?”
I don’t know how that’s relevant, but somehow the answer to that question feels like it might determine my entire fate. Without Parker’s help and access to Owen’s personal files and house, I may not get what I need.
I don’t hesitate. “Yes.”
Taking my first deep breath since Owen was aprehended, relief washes over me at the admittance.
Parker nods as if it isn’t a surprise. “You know, even if you get him out of this, he may never forgive you.”
I try to hold back the sob in my throat. I’ve been crying far too much recently. “I know.”
“And you’re still willing to risk your career for this?”
Once again, there’s no hesitation. “Yes.”
Parker stands. “Then let's do this. What do you need from me?”
A small sob escapes my lips again, but I’m smiling.
“Do whatever you can to make sure the board approves the transfer. I don’t care what you have to do to make it happen.
After, I need you to help me gather any and all physical documents related to the three most recent acquisitions.
Anything that I can’t find on the computer. ”
Parker nods. “I’ll do it. But Nova?”
I nod, waiting for him to speak.
“Did my brother really kill them?”
I knew I’d have to answer that question eventually, but I am not prepared for it. I don’t want to be the one to tell him, but I also don’t want him getting all his information from the media and rumors.
“The evidence strongly suggests he did, but I’m no lawyer.”
Parker inhales sharply. “And you still think you can get him out of it? You still want to?”
“Yes, I do. The men he killed had raped and murdered a lot of people, along with funding even more crime. Owen saved a lot of people by getting rid of those men, if he did kill them.” I pause and study Parker, who looks panicked.
“He’s not the bad guy in this, Parker. I think once you know more, you’ll believe that too.”
Parker runs a hand through his hair, looking away from me. “I hate him. I hate him for not telling me.”
“I know, but he was trying to protect you.”
“The bastard is always trying to do that.”
Smiling at the annoyance in his tone, I know Parker feels nothing but love for his brother, despite the situation.
“I need to go,” I say at last. “I’m leaving a few private security guards with you. If anyone finds out what we’re doing, they might want to stop it. Tell no one.”
Parker nods. When I turn to leave, his voice stops me. “Thank you, Nova.”
“Don’t thank me yet.”