Holly told her how Nick had been sent after her, misled by his corrupt supervisor into believing that Holly had betrayed her country. “His boss thought I knew something I didn’t know and wanted me dead. Nick didn’t know at first that I was with the Agency, too. He kidnapped me, interrogated me, and had orders to kill me. Thankfully, he had a conscience. To his surprise, not only was I with the Agency, but I had higher security clearance than hehad.”
“And you both got overthat?”
“Strange things happen when bullets startflying.”
Mia knew that was true. Then something Holly said sparked a thought. “Do you still have high-level securityclearance?”
Holly nodded. “I need it for the work Ido.”
“What kind of work isthat?”
Holly gave her a sweet smile. “The kind I can’t discuss, not even with kick-ass former Armyofficers.”
“I figured.” Relieved to have someone she could safely talk to, Mia shared the entire story of Tell al-Sharruken with Holly from the first time she’d reported Powell for looting to the night Meyer had caught up with her andJoaquin.
“And they buried it—the looting, the mustardagent?”
Mia nodded. “It’s all classified confidential. Frank told me I couldn’t speak about Tell al-Sharruken with anyone. When I realized the murders probably had something to do with what had happened there, I told the police—Marc and Julian and Detective Wu—and then the FBI. Lives were on the line. I couldn’t take care of myself and let others die. But Meyer is dead. Powell is going to prison. Frank is dead. I guess it’s overnow.”
Holly gave her a mysterious smile. “We’ll see aboutthat.”
* * *
Nine days after the shooting,Joaquin came home from the hospital. His brother Antonio picked him up and drove him and Mia to Joaquin’s condo, carrying Joaquin’s shit for him as they made their way through the parking garage toward the elevator. The glass in the security door had been replaced. From a distance, it looked as if nothing terrible had happenedthere.
Joaquin slid his key into the lock. “Are youokay?”
Mia nodded, her gaze on the concretefloor.
He’d known this wasn’t going to be easy for her. Her nightmares—even the ones she’d had since the night of the shooting—all started right here with her standing in front of theseelevators.
Antonio held the door for the two of them. “Is thiswhere…?”
Joaquin shot him a look that shut his mouth, but Mia’s attention was focused on the elevator doors, where indentations from bullets pocked the steel. The wall hadn’t yet been repaired, either. He reached over, took herhand.
“I’m fine.” The tight lines on her face and her rigid posture saidotherwise.
Antonio got them settled, then went down to open the security door for José-Luis and one of his crew, who carried up Mia’s things—her clothes from Holly and Nick’s place and the new recliner she’d bought to sleep in until her chest healed. They put her clothes in Joaquin’s closet, set the recliner up next to Joaquin’s bed, and then moved Joaquin’s flat-screen TV and DVD player into the bedroom, speaking to one another in Spanish until Joaquin reminded them that Mia couldn’tunderstand.
“Mom has been here with Aunt Aleta, so your fridge should be full. Dad and I are going to pick up your truck tomorrow. Anything else,brother?”
Joaquin had to sit, the small amount of walking he’d just done exhausting him. “I think we’re good, man. Thanks. Thanks to you, too,primo.”
“De nada… er… You’re welcome,” José-Luis said. “Call if you needanything.”
Joaquin glanced around. “God, it’s good to behome.”
Mia sat beside him. “The realtor just texted to tell me that my condo is going to be up on their website this afternoon. She thinks it will sellquickly.”
“That’s good news.” Joaquin’s family had pulled together and taken care of her place in a matter of days, all of her things now in storage. If her condo sold quickly, she’d soon be free to move somewhere new. He had ideas aboutthat.
Joaquin took her hand. “I was hoping you’d stay here withme.”
Her face brightened. “Are you asking me to live withyou?”
He raised her hand to his lips. “I suppose that seems kind ofsudden—”
“No. No, it doesn’t.” She turned so that she could face him. “It’sjust…”