Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
"His information was in the newcomer dossier you were provided two weeks ago," Ace says.
I don't respond because it's apparent that I didn't read the fucking dossier. It would feel like an admission of guilt, and I'm already dealing with a ton of shit right now to add disappointment on top of the pile.
One, I never expected this man of all men to show up on the doorstep. When I left our hometown, I never looked back. I didn't Google his name or mention him the handful of times I went home after leaving. As far as I was concerned, it didn't matter where he went or what he did in life. He was a part of my past I had to forget. He was evidence of a man I couldn't be.
And two, it's not like I get an opinion about who Kincaid hires and who he doesn't. I couldn't change anyone in particular from showing up here, so I never waste my time reading over those damn things. There are so many other important things to do. Besides, I would meet them when they got here.
I trusted every decision Kincaid and the other guys in New Mexico made about who would be perfect for this team and the other chapter in Las Vegas. One turn of the fucking doorknob and that faith has been polluted.
"Everyone is vetted," Ace says, his voice tinged with a hint of insinuation.
I chance a glance in Zayne's direction to find the man smiling and laughing with a few of the other guys. The man never had trouble making friends. There was always a part of me that both loved that about him and hated that he could so easily fit into any crowd, whereas I always felt like the shadows were never dark enough for me to escape into.
When Zayne's gaze shifts in my direction, I do what everyone else in this room does when they look at me—I turn my attention away from him.
But looking at Ace doesn't feel any better. A hint of betrayal settles inside my chest at the implication.
"So the guys back in New Mexico would've known about our... connection."
"I don't imagine it was hard," Ace says, giving me a slight reprieve when he turns his eyes to the room instead of boring his gaze into mine. "Not many people from Darien, Connecticut."
Another wave of unease shifts through my body, drawing the muscles of my heart tighter, which in turn makes a wave of warmth crawl up my back and settle in my cheeks.
"Not that I know this for a fact, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't discover the connection first, and through your vetting process found him as a potential candidate for Cerberus."
Ace pulls in a deep breath as if he's preparing to say something he thinks might get a different reaction than the one he hopes for, but he exhales and falls silent.
"I didn't know they work that way," I say, rather than feeding into the urge to know what he was thinking.
"They found Jersey while vetting my life after I left Cerberus."
This shocks me. "They vetted you a second time?"
He swallows, a certain kind of sadness in his eyes that seems to run right through the marrow of him.
"My best friend made some questionable choices. Things the department would've encouraged if he were 'pretending' but were ultimately seen as insubordination when he fucked around while undercover and truly fell in love," Ace says, his voice reducing to a whisper. "They had to make sure that every step I'd taken since leaving Cerberus was on the up and up."
I knew most of this about him before this conversation. I guess trust is there, but Cerberus would need to verify. It's their level of verification and vetting that makes me start to wonder if joining in the first place was the right thing to do.
"Are you catching my drift?" he asks after a long beat of silence.
I turn to look at him, already lost in my own thoughts and more than a little confused with everything that has already happened this evening.
"I guess," I mutter, needing to shift my weight on the sofa once again and glance right back at Zayne.
"I don't know this for a fact," Ace says, leaning in a little closer for the second half of his statement. "But Zayne could be here simply because they found him while vetting you, and they think he could be a valuable asset to the team or..."
"What is that pause?" I ask, my voice nearly a growl.
"That came out wrong. Cerberus isn't in the business of adding folks to their teams if they aren't fully qualified," he corrects. "What I mean to say is that if he's here for any additional reason, then it wouldn't be the first time Kincaid decided to meddle in someone else's life because he thinks things should be a certain way."