29. Let Him See
LET HIM SEE
“Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you,” Avery said on Saturday morning. “Damn, this place is sweet.”
He wouldn’t address her last comment. “I know you’re busy.”
And he appreciated Avery coming to his condo this morning.
But the way she was looking around said she got a better idea of how much he’d upgraded from the FBI.
“Yeah, but if you’d told me what was on that file, I wouldn’t have put it off.”
“So you cracked it?”
“Never fear there,” Avery said, slapping her hands together as if she was dusting them off. “That’s my jam. I got your voicemail Thursday, got home around eight and pulled it up. It wasn’t as easy as you thought it’d be.”
“Really?”
He didn’t expect that place to be that sophisticated.
Which only meant there had to be something important on it without Avery making that comment.
“Yep. Had one of my programs running it all night, then yesterday morning I woke up and there it was. A bunch of numbers. Like a ledger.”
“And?”
“And I ran those numbers against things in our database because if it was locked up that tight, then there had to be a reason for it.”
He closed his eyes. “It’s like pulling teeth with you.”
Avery was shaking her head. “I’m telling you. Even gone from the FBI, you can’t let a case go, can you?”
“Avery!”
“Sorry. Remember Ivan Petrov?”
“Russian organized crime,” he said.
He couldn’t forget it. It was one of the last cases he had.
He hated walking away from it when he left, but if he stayed until all his cases were solved, he’d still be there.
Solve one, two more pop up.
“That’s right. About ten months ago, we were really digging in. Brought it down about four months ago completely. But there were still accounts out there we could never trace back to. Money they were laundering through businesses.”
“Fuck,” he said. “And that file I gave you, it’s connected?”
“Yep,” Avery said. “I haven’t passed that on yet. I found out last night right before I was leaving. I guess I need to know what was going on before I do it.”
“Nothing illegal on my end. I told you, it’s a client.
She was hired as a strategic planner.” He filled Avery in on what had happened and the results of the last communication on Thursday.
“It all lines up now. They showed money issues right about the time the feds were really closing in on Ivan and his organization.”
“I’ve got to let your replacement know. I’m giving you a heads up. Not sure where or how that’s going to come back on your client.”
He sighed. “She’s in the clear. I told you, she didn’t even know she had the file. And once she discovered it, she couldn’t get into it.”
“Does anyone know she has the file?” Avery asked.
“Just the HR Director who gave it to her. Debra Holding. She says she didn’t know what was on it.”
“Probably not if she couldn’t access it.”
“I’ll call Robbie myself,” he said of his replacement. “I’ll keep your name out of it.”
“Nah,” Avery said. “You asked me for a favor. I did it on my own time. I’m good with it. Maybe it will get me a nice commendation in my file for the future.”
“I’ll make sure of it. I owe you for this, Avery.”
“Yep, you do.” She looked around his place again. “Damn. I mean it. If you need someone, you know where to call.”
“First on my list.”
He let her out, picked up his phone and called West.
“What did you find out?” West asked.
“Not much I can disclose. The file was cracked by an old employee of mine, and accounts tie back to a case I had.”
There was silence after that. “Does Paris have anything to worry about?”
“I don’t think so, but I’m going to bring it right to the head of Organized Crime myself. She’ll be questioned.”
“She’ll have Braylon and Spencer with her. Most likely her father too.”
Good Lord. “I’m not sure she needs that much legal protection.”
“She’ll still get it and we’ll cover the costs of anything else if it’s a conflict.”
He expected nothing different. “I’m going to make the call in a few. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Are you going to tell Paris?”
“Not yet,” he said.
She’d be pissed, but there was no reason to explain something he didn’t know the answers to.
If he were still in that position at the FBI, he’d bring her in for questioning, but nothing more.
He’d want access to the files she had and that would be where her attorneys would come into play.
He was torn between his duty to service at his previous job, his new employer, and his girlfriend.
He’d balance it the way he always did and protect everyone.
Thirty minutes later when he hung up the phone with Robbie, he called Braylon, then texted Paris and asked if they could meet.
His phone rang five minutes later to see her calling.
“Are you feeling horny?” she asked.
He looked around to make sure Ian was still sleeping. Even having Avery over so early was fine, because his kid would sleep through an earthquake, thunderstorm, and tornado at once.
“When it comes to you, always. But this is about those files.”
“Oh. What did you find?”
“It’s best to talk in person. I can be there in twenty.”
“I’ll be waiting... maybe with bells on.”
He shook his head, hung up, found the pad in the drawer and scribbled a note for Ian. He’d probably be back before his son even woke up.
Being able to let himself into Paris’s apartment was more convenient.
“Are you alone?”
“Yep. London is with Spencer. We are all breathing a sigh of relief that we know who sent the notes.” She looped her arms around his neck. “Especially me. I hope you don’t have bad news.”
He wrinkled his nose. He was sure she’d think that.
Maybe.
No maybe about it.
“Depends.”
Her arms dropped, her shoulders with it. “Don’t ruin my weekend,” she pouted.
He liked this playful side of her. The one she only let him see.
He caught her wrists before she could step away completely.
“Hey,” he said quietly. “I’m not here to ruin anything.”
Her eyes searched his face, reading him the way she always did. Quick, intuitive, sharp. But there was caution added in. He hated that the most.
“Then why do you look like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re about to give a briefing.”
He huffed a small breath. Fair.
It was why he was here.
“I talked to someone this morning. Avery. The person I gave the file to. She cracked it.”
Her posture shifted instantly. No more teasing, no more bravado. “And?”
“And the numbers tie back to an old, organized crime case.”
He wouldn’t give her more. The less she knew the better. He’d be right there with her. He knew how it’d go down. He had Robbie on his side.
Her face paled just slightly. “Okay…”
“It doesn’t mean you did anything wrong,” he said quickly. “You didn’t. From everything I can see, you had no access to it and no idea what was in it. I made sure that was known. Avery will back it that she cracked the file and she made the connection. You saw nothing.”
“But?” she pressed.
“But because it connects to a federal case that was brought down months ago, it’s going to get flagged.”
Her lips parted. “Flagged how?”
“I spoke to my replacement at Organized Crime this morning. And because your name is attached to the chain of the device, they’ll want to talk to you. It’s procedure. I’d do the same thing Robbie is.”
She stared at him. Wariness present.
“You’re saying I need an attorney.”
“I’m saying it would be smart to have one present when they ask questions,” he corrected. “This is procedure. Not an accusation. You have nothing to fear and I got it all lined up for you. They will reach out on Monday and we’ll set a time to talk.”
Her arms folded over her chest. She was defensive now. “So you went to West first.”
There it was. The warning in her eyes said he was going to get roasted.
He was doing his job first and she was going to have to accept that.
He didn’t dodge it. There would be no reason to. “I went to the person responsible for your security. Yes.”
“You didn’t tell me. Again. I’m the last to know. Again.”
He blew out a breath. “I didn’t have answers yet,” he said evenly. “I wasn’t going to panic you over half-information.”
Her jaw tightened. “I don’t need you deciding what I can and can’t handle. And you knew right away what was going to happen because you’ve been in that position yourself. Don’t try to pacify me.”
He should have figured she’d take that stance. He’d always been told that London was the argumentative one, but he was getting plenty from Paris. “This isn’t about handling it. It’s about managing it correctly.”
The silence stretched between them.
He hoped he was getting through to her.
That she was seeing reason and not acting on impulse.
“You really think I’m in the clear?” she asked finally.
“Yes.” There was no hesitation in his answer. “From everything I’ve seen. Your name will be on a chain, not the architect of anything. They’ll ask questions. They’ll want access to the files you were given. That’s it.”
She turned away, pacing now, her version of processing. When she opened the cabinet and snagged a bag of chocolate out, he knew he might be in trouble.
“My father is going to lose his mind.” He didn’t argue that. “He’s going to fly in. He can practice in New York. You know that. Braylon is probably already on the phone with him.” She blew out a frustrated breath.
“You’d rather he not know?”
She shot him a look. “He’s probably waiting on my call right now so he can reassure me the same as you are. But he’s going to talk to me like I’m his client, not his daughter.”
Fletcher stepped closer but didn’t touch her yet. “Paris. You have nothing to worry about. And that’s me talking to you as my girlfriend. Not as my job. But my experience in my job is also telling you, there isn’t anything to worry about. It’s just tightening this all up.”
“I didn’t do anything,” she said, almost to herself. “So of course I shouldn’t worry. Or will it come back to me I had the file? That I turned over this information? Am I in danger?”
He was shaking his head. “No. There is no danger. It won’t get out where the file came from. Debra will be questioned. She knows that and she’ll have to answer for more than you. It went a long way that you decided not to press charges against what she did to you.”
“It didn’t feel right after I heard it all. She was scared, she was trying to help, just went about it wrong.”
“Agreed. But you’re part in it, getting the file, that will be redacted from the case. Your name will be removed.”
Which was what Robbie had promised once Paris was interviewed and in the clear.
“I’m glad. I really am. But that doesn’t stop headlines. Or assumptions. It could come out that they were our client just recently. That maybe I had something to do with it. The timing of it is going to bring speculation.”
“No. It won’t. That’s why we get ahead of it.
They don’t know which of the owners this is.
Remember. Michael is going through a divorce.
His wife’s attorney is combing through everything.
Several staff that were let go are talking and will be questioned.
There could be a lot of sources. But in the end, this was still open and you don’t need to know tips that come in and how the FBI can watch people for years.
The case hasn’t gone to trial yet; they are still building it.
Lots of balls in the air. It could be months before anything happens.
Trust me. No danger. You’ll be out of the picture. ”
“So it’s not about banging down their doors for arrests?” she asked.
“From what I could see of the file and my conversation with Robbie, whatever they were doing for this case actively stopped months ago.”
There wasn’t any activity. This was more about closing the case for good and getting witnesses for the prosecution. Not anyone’s problem in this room.
She turned back to him. “We. You said ‘we’ get ahead of it.”
“Yeah,” he said simply. “We.”
Her expression softened just a fraction, then sharpened again. “My father is going to want to meet you when he gets here. I know for a fact he’ll come.”
He almost smiled. “I assumed that was coming eventually.”
“Not like this,” she muttered. “He’s going to see you as the former FBI agent who brought federal attention into my life.”
“I didn’t bring it,” he said calmly. “It was already there. I’m making sure it doesn’t spiral.”
She stared at him. He couldn’t read the look in her eyes.
Not fear. Not caution. Not even wariness.
More like... humor.
“He’s going to grill you,” she warned.
“I’ve been grilled before.”
“This isn’t interrogation-room grilled,” she said. “This is protective-father grilled.”
“That’s fine.” His voice stayed steady. “If sitting across from him means protecting you properly. I’ll do it.”
Her eyes flashed at that. It didn’t seem as if he could say anything right when she shoved another piece of chocolate in her mouth.
“I don’t need protecting.”
“No,” he said, sighing. “But you deserve backing.”
Her shoulders dropped slightly, tension bleeding out in tiny cracks. “I hate you went to West first. Just making that clear.”
“I know.”
“And I hate that you’re right.”
He gave her a faint smile. “I know that too.”
She stepped closer again, but this time it wasn’t playful. It was vulnerable.
“Tell me exactly what’s going to happen,” she said. “I want to get it all out. Then I’m going to call my father, and put it from my mind for the rest of the weekend.”
“They’ll request a meeting. You’ll have counsel present. They’ll ask about how you received the file, whether you accessed it, who else handled it. You answer honestly. Which works in your favor.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay,” she repeated. “But I want you here when I talk to my father. So don’t leave just yet.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m not letting you,” she said, walking to get her phone.
Because protecting her—officially or not—wasn’t something he planned to walk away from.
And the realization of that had his heart pounding for the first time since he was assigned to watch out for her.