I quit?
Had those words just come out of her mouth? I quit?
Before he could say anything else or she could sufficiently freak out, she turned and strode out of his office. Numb. Trembling. Ears buzzing.
“Olivia…”
She heard her name but didn’t stop. She passed the coffeepot on the table outside and, in a daze, tapped the button. The thing sputtered to life as she went to her desk on autopilot. A few of her coworkers remained in the industrial-style open office even though the lights had been turned low. From the outside looking in, it looked like it’d be a fun place to work—toys on people’s desks, a basketball net above the trash can, bright comic book artwork on the exposed brick walls. But she glanced around at those who were still at their desk—headphones on, eyes glued to their screens, Red Bull cans on their desks—and just felt hollow.
Just keep moving. Just keep moving.
The words repeated in her head like she was channeling that forgetful fish from the Disney movie. Just keep swimming. She gathered a few personal things, dumped them in a bag, and then walked out of the office. Keep moving. No one even looked up. And Preston never came out of his office to chase her.
Only when she hit the thick evening heat outside did the reality of what she’d done smack her in the face. She sat down on a bus stop bench, her bag o’ crap at her feet, and let the wave she’d set in motion crash over her, splashing reality all around her and pooling anxiety in her gut.
Her big risk this summer was going to be spending time at Finn’s and knocking the dust off her camera. That was going to be her toe in the water. Instead, she’d fallen off the dock into the ocean.
She’d quit her job. Her only source of income. A job she’d dedicated years to. A job that was…
Her life.
Holy shit.
She’d just quit her life.
chapter
NINETEEN
“Did you get the photos?” Finn asked in between sips of beer as he leaned back in the chair, the view of the lake black at this hour and his mood the same.
“I did,” Billings said. “Barely recognized you.”
“Yeah. I shaved off the beard and cut my hair. Didn’t want to take any chances.”
Billings sniffed. “It wasn’t that. It was the goofy smile on your face. Not sure I’ve seen you with one of those before.”
Finn grunted. “You usually aren’t telling me things that inspire smiling.”
“Well, that and I’m not half as pretty as your lady friend. What’s her name again?”
“Olivia.” Finn closed his eyes and rubbed his brow. He couldn’t think about Liv right now. She’d been gone almost a week, and he hadn’t heard a damn thing from her. He’d fucked it up and scared her off by moving too fast, by letting his dick commandeer his brain. “And don’t fool yourself, boss. You’re a beauty.”
“Kissing up will get you nowhere. But I’m glad to see you looking human again. Keep the pictures coming, and keep up those weekly calls with Doc Robson. They’ll help your case.”
“My case?”
“Yeah. I have a big operation shaping up that I know you’ll want to be in on, but I’ll have to go to bat for you to convince the higher-ups that you’ll be ready that soon.”
Finn straightened in the chair. “What kind of operation?”
Billings didn’t respond for a few seconds. “Can’t give details yet. We’re still in surveillance mode.”
Finn frowned, frustrated that his boss insisted on keeping him in the dark. But if Billings thought Finn would want to be in on it, there was a chance it was a lead on the Long Acre guns. Finn’s heartbeat ticked up a notch. “When would it start?”
“September is my goal. Would need you up here before that to get you prepared.”
“Got it. If you send me the files, I can start—”