"After a week of Camacho bird-dogging Tamara, she finally agreed to go out with him." This succinct explanation came from Lash.
"That doesn't explain why you're all out here," Bianca said.
Thank you,
Bianca. Now there were three words she hadn't expected to be thinking right about now. Giving up on the pretense of typing, Tamara sat still in her chair, straining to hear the response.
"You really think we'd miss this?" Lexie asked.
A half sigh, half chuckle from Bianca. "Explain to me again what I'm paying you to do."
"Be amazing." This from Vivi—of course.
"The Swan paperwork is on your desk and the research is done on the Snyder case," Marko said.
Bianca stopped in front of the doorway. "We have a flamethrower. Do you want me to clear them out?"
It was tempting. God knew she'd considered setting off the fire alarm. Only the fact that this group was a lot more likely to run toward the flames than away from them had stopped her.
"It's okay," Tamara said. "I can take it."
"I believe that." Bianca strolled inside Tamara's office as if there'd never been anything between them but a simple employer/employee relationship.
They both knew that wasn't the case. Tamara had shown up in Fort Worth with the express purpose of extorting a million dollars out of Taz, telling everyone that she was still married to him. In the process, she'd almost ruined Taz's still new relationship with Bianca. Sure, it had been a desperate move done so she and Essie could go underground and escape Jarrod, but that didn't make it right. It had been easier to justify when she didn't know the team, didn't know Bianca. Now that she'd spent time with the former bad little rich girl made good, the shame of what she'd done twisted her into knots. Bianca had every reason in the world to hate her, but instead of whacking her over the head with a shovel and burying her out in the boonies, she'd given Tamara a job and breathing room to figure out a plan to keep Essie safe.
It was nice while it lasted, but with the bounty hunter showing up at the engagement party she couldn't pretend that Jarrod had forgotten about her and Essie anymore. It was time to take the little stash of money she'd managed to save and get off the grid. If Jarrod couldn't find her, then Essie would have a chance.
It was time to go.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her laptop. "Bianca, I really appreciate everything you've done for me."
Bianca leaned one shoulder against the doorjamb and crossed her arms across her chest. "Why do I hear a ‘but’?"
"No ‘but’." At least not one she could say. They'd find everything tomorrow, and by that time, she'd be on the road for places unknown. "I know how I came here was wrong. I shouldn't still be here. I'm sorry for that."
"I'm not." Bianca shrugged.
Tamara tried to process what that meant, but couldn't. Of all the people at the B-Squad, Bianca and Taz had more reason to want to see her ass hit the road than anyone else, and she couldn't blame them.
Outside in the hall, the murmurs went silent. The elevator binged its arrival.
There was only one reason for that.
Isaac.
"He's a good guy," Bianca said. "You can trust him."
"How do you know?"
The other woman gave her an understanding smile. "Taz trusts him and that's enough for me."
Tamara tried to imagine what that was like, trusting another human being so much. It was like trying to imagine what sunshine tasted like—a silly fantasy she didn't have time for.
* * *
Isaac
The elevator opened up to reveal a human gauntlet. Isaac should have expected it. They'd been giving him shit all week about Tamara. There was no way in hell they were going to miss the chance to bust his balls. It was okay, he had big brass ones.