Chapter 6 Sacrifices #6
“You and Ori. Y’all will work well together because you both have similar attitudes on how to deal with authority.
” Alec’s milk chocolate brown eyes were flecked with gold and filled with curiosity.
As he studied my face I wondered what he knew about that night at Explicit.
I didn’t see any judgement in his eyes so I could only assume he was none the wiser.
“I wouldn’t say that. Judging from his attitude the other day I wouldn’t say I agreed with your assessment.”
“He’s one of the most effective people here so he’s more than earned the right to be an asshole. You get used to it.”
“Not if I have any say about it.”
I thought I’d muttered my sentiments but Alec’s chuckle let me know he’d heard me. I didn’t feel bad about it at all even if that was his friend.
“He’s not all bad. Trust me, we’ve seen the worst of humanity in this building and with our jobs. I wouldn’t deal with him if he weren’t a good person.”
“There’s one flaw with your comment.”
He was smiling but curiosity infused his features. “And what’s that?”
“Your argument is based on the assumption that I believe you’re a good person.
Or at the barest minimums, a moral one. I don’t think anyone who joins an organization like this is inherently good.
The ones who are normally leave because their ideals are being eroded from what they see or how they’re forced to work. There’s a reason you’re still here.”
His eyes danced at my comments not at all insulted as he should’ve been. “You’re right. But it’s not at all what you think.”
“I’m sure that I’m not privy to that information so I won’t ask. It’s not my business.”
He only grinned as the doors to the elevator opened and he put his hand in the void to allow me to step out.
“Maybe not yet, but soon.”
Instead of elaborating I felt his hand hovering behind my upper back.
Not touching but close enough to let me know he was there.
Almost protectively but high up enough so that I wouldn’t misconstrue his intentions.
I snuck a peek at him again and his face was now more impassive.
We had to be getting closer to where I was going to be introduced to everyone and I knew that meant we were tucking away the pleasantries, at least for now.
His retrenching from his typically jovial nature alerted me that I was about to walk into a war zone.
One where he was going to be standing between me and bullshit.
Which again, I appreciated. The hall could’ve belong in any office building in the country except for the photos of people lining the walls.
The directors of each unit and others of importance were framed and given their places of honor.
My brain was doing everything I could to not wonder where he was. I had glanced around waiting to catch a view of him but none came. We reached a door and instead of him allowing me to walk in before him; he stepped through the door and held it open enough for me to walk in at his side.
I don’t know what I expected but it wasn’t this room of random-looking people clustered together in cliques around a table.
A man with dark brown hair looked up from the table and then did a double take, seeing that I was standing next to Alec. That immediately had me ready to cuss him out but the eager way he bounded up from his seat solidified it.
“Introduce me to your friend here, Alex.”
My eyes narrowed at the way he’d purposefully called Alec Alex. It was one version of the way to shorten his name but not the one he chose so that shit felt like a microaggression. Judging from the way Alec laughed to keep from punching this man in the face I could only assume I was right.
“This is—”
“Agent Anderson, pleased to meet you.”
When my skin connected to his my soul recoiled from his, and I snatched my hand away.
He frowned at the motion and Alec moved closer to me almost instinctively.
Anderson was slightly taller than me in my heels and kept straightening up like he wasn’t used to having to look women in the eye.
I was even more thankful that I’d worn So Kates for the extra height.
I’d done it so I didn’t look like a child standing near Ori and Alec but the ability to intimidate some faux alpha male was a bonus.
“Charmed. Dr. Avery.”
Alec glanced at me confused and I had to bite back my smile. I’d turned off my accent again and I’m sure he was trying to understand where the hell it had gone.
“We’ve been hearing good things about your work. Hopefully, this is something that will propel your book to the bestseller list. This type of publicity would be vital to the success of your work.”
Alec’s posture sharpened his distaste at Anderson’s words matching mine. It sounded like a bribe or a veiled threat and either way it was disturbing.
“You think I’d hinge the success of my publication on the untimely death of someone? I’m not into that type of marketing. You know using death as a means to drive sales. I think that type of outrage marketing is vile.”
Anderson stared at me attempting to suss out the validity of my words and I stood tall under his scrutiny. Everything I’d said was valid and I refused to use this collaboration with the FBI as a way to boost my professional prestige off a tragedy.
Sensing I was nearing the end of my patience, Alec spoke up to run interference. “Cochran has already said—”
“Come on, you can’t think that she’s going to work solely with you. How is that even fair?” Petulant. That was the only way to describe his reaction.
I smiled sweetly at the frown on his face relishing how I was already ruining his day.
“Contrary to what you might seem to believe I’m not a tool that’s going to be passed around to whomever wants a turn.
I’m a person with autonomy and I might have been directed to assist but I still have the free will to refuse. ”
“You think that you have the type of pull that will allow you to tell the government no? Who do you think you are?”
Alec was now more in front of me getting closer to the other man and I battled my initial reaction to get in between them. “Anderson!”
“Who she is isn’t important to you but you’ll be a lump of flesh on the carpet once I pull your spine out of your neck for getting in her face like that.”
I’d thought the tingle I’d felt wash over me was rage at how Anderson was speaking to me but clearly it was because he was near.
Hearing the way his voice seemed to move from the soles of his feet and echoed from where they were trapped in the depths of his chest I was too afraid to even look at Ori.
My fear was that if he saw even the smallest measure of discomfort that he would want to step in and that would ruin his professional career.
No way in hell would I continue to work on this if I didn’t have these two to use as shields.
“Of course you and your partner think you run shit here so I’m not surprised that you believe you can monopolize her time.”
“Her time is her own as are the conclusions that she might draw based on what we discuss. Right now she works with all of us even though you clearly feel like you’re somehow entitled to access her exclusively.
Those are not the terms in which she agreed to work with us and that’s not how we work. The fuck is wrong with you?”
He’d started walking up on Anderson by the time he got done speaking and instinctively I’d reached out to grab his arm to prevent him from doing something crazy. His anger had his muscles tense and they didn’t relax even when I touched him.
“Of course you’re the one here causing trouble, Ori. I shouldn’t be surprised.”
I tore my eyes from Ori’s profile to look at the woman who had chided his behavior. She did it playfully so I assumed they had that type of rapport. What I didn’t know was how he was going to handle her teasing him at a time like this but when Alec’s face broke into a grin I felt myself relaxing.
“You always think we’re the problem children, Cochran.”
“If y’all are always the suspects at the scene of the crimes then what other conclusion do you expect me to draw?
” Cochran was smiling but Ori still hadn’t moved from glaring at Anderson.
“Introduce me, Nakoa, so that we can get on with the day. The last thing we want is to hold up progress. You can hit something later.”
“Director Cochran, Dr. Asha Avery.”
I stuck out my hand and she did the same but I couldn’t return her smile.
“Pleasure to meet you despite these circumstances. I’m going to tell you now that we might be an annoying bunch to work with because of the circumstances so please don’t hold it against us.”
“I understand the situation is delicate so no pre-apologies are needed.”
Ori gave me the same slightly confused look at how my voice had changed and even glanced at Alec to confirm he was hearing me correctly.
“We appreciate you. You can find a seat, and we can discuss a few things as a team. If you don’t mind I’d like to pick your brain with what we know so far.”
“You’re worried this isn’t isolated aren’t you?”
I looked up from the autopsy that had thrown me back into my memories. I was thankful for the interruption grounding me in reality. “What gave you that idea?”
“You wouldn’t need me if it were. There’s something that you found at the site or that you’ve seen somewhere else that makes you think there’s more to this than just Ms. Rawlins.”
“You’re extremely observant. Funny how your true accent is out now. Passionate about this are you?”
“I have a tendency to revert to how I normally speak when I’m more comfortable in a situation. Anderson’s presence wasn’t conducive to my comfort. But here, studying this information and having your insights I feel more relaxed.”
Alec, Ori and I had been sitting around going over what they knew for hours after the latest briefing. To Anderson’s dismay Ori and Alec were chosen to get me up to speed on what was going on.