“I’ll get on it.” He turns around and types away, bringing up three different computer screens. I don’t pay attention because it’s not like I understand what he’s doing.
“Well, well, well.”
“What is it?” I’m standing and then leaning over his station with my hand on the back of his chair with his face glued to the screens.
“It seems that her name isn’t Angel Ryan and she’s not quite the out-for-hire PI she claims to be. She’s a Fed.”
“What? Do you think she was here to spy on my land and operations?” Is that why she was around and then let me go around thinking she was after Sammie?
“I don’t know what her business is.” The computer starts beeping. “Shit. I’ve been flagged.”
Cyber’s phone starts ringing a minute later. “Hello, Agent Olsen. How are you?” he asks, smiling, but I can sense the tension in his shoulders. Whoever called him isn’t happy.
“As a matter of fact, I wasn’t aware she was an employee until a minute ago. This information was a personal request.” He nods as if this Agent Olsen can see him. I can’t hear the person on the other line, but it’s clear they aren’t pleased. “Yes. Okay. I understand. Will do. Yes, take it easy.”
He ends the call and then clears his search for Angel. “What the fuck?”
Spinning around in his chair, he shakes his head and says, “Look, my guy says that she’s an undercover federal agent and digging into her background could bring us some serious heat.”
“She’s an undercover agent?” I ask. That one night popped into my head when I scared her inside her apartment and she pulled a gun out on me, ready to go toe-to-toe with whoever she believed snuck into her place.
“Yeah. And it’s for her safety that we don’t go digging any further, so her cover story doesn’t get blown.” Fuck, cover story? Has everything she ever told me been a lie? Did she really lose her family or was that some fucking detail from her fake past? Was the fact that she gave herself to me just a game she was playing?
“Did he say anything else?”
“No.”
“Did you learn anything else before you shut off your screens?”
“Her real name is Phoenix Angelica Carnigal.”
“Thanks. I need some time to think.” I head out and go back to my ranch, riding my bike faster than I should given the slick conditions. Still, I made it home in one piece. I can’t fight the love I have for her as the thoughts go through my head about the brief moments we spent together. The answers aren’t coming to me.
Chapter Nine
Angel
“We’re coming in,” I hear in my earpiece. We’re inside a warehouse and I realize I’ve bitten off more than I could chew. I was led right into a sex trafficking ring and I was about to be added to the crew. The words coming from my section chief ease my soul.
The doors boom loudly as the swat team storms in with their guns. Two men open fire on the agents, but thankfully, they’re dropped really fast and the rest of us surrender. Cox and I are arrested while the women are led out of the warehouse and transported to the hospital.
“We got ‘em,” my section chief cheers as I’m loaded into the back of the vehicle, glaring at me.
As soon as they pull away from the scene, they smile and say, “Congratulations Agent Carnigal. You nailed them.”
“Thanks. You know it’s not the only one and we still have to arrest Richter and get a conviction.”
“They’re nabbing Richter right now.” That’s what I hoped would happen, but I wasn’t sure they’d have enough to nail him to the wall.
“Are you okay, Phoenix?” Agent Russell asks.
“Yes. I can’t wait to get out of these,” I grumble.
“We have to keep them on until we get you inside.” We make the fifteen-minute drive to the station where everyone will be booked, processed, and questioned. As soon as I’m inside and away from Cox, they undo my cuffs.
I rub my wrists and Agent Reed hands me a bottle of water. “Girl, you’re one hell of an undercover agent.”
“Thank you.” Honestly, I was in over my head today and it could have gotten me into a world of danger if it wasn’t for the raid.
“We need to debrief you and then you can head to the hotel. Tomorrow we head back to San Antonio.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“You’re the one who has been working on this case, getting the insight needed to take down these pieces of scum.” Just then Agent Phelps and Agent Moreno bring Richter in cuffs. He sees me and it’s clear he’s pissed.
“Don’t believe a word she tells you. She’s a terrible employee who spent her time screwing a cowboy instead of doing what she was hired to do.” I arch my brow because he knows something went down with Cowboy and me, but how, unless he was spying on me.