Page 95 of Disarming Caine

Then the auction in August and the thefts from Pompeii. And every time, it ended with the same question:When are you coming to work for me?

He tilted his head, surprised. “You weren’t expecting this, were you?”

“This is a personal letter, not an application form…” I slowly took the pen from him, staring at the paperwork.

“And there’s one from me that will accompany it. I’m not leaving it up to chance that someone may flag you for resigning the first time.” When I didn’t move to sign it, he continued, “You didn’t actually think I’d share details about an ongoing FBI investigation you have no part in, just because you asked nicely?”

With a shrug, I said, “You’ve been feeding me information about the Scott case, and now this pawnshop.”

“Trust me, there’s more that you don’t know than you do.” He folded his arms, face tightening. “We’ve been dancing around this for seven years, Sam. I pulled strings to get you into the first class at Quantico after you met the qualifications because I thought you’d have a bright career with us.”

So did I. My mom’s face came back to me. Her words:The next time I see you, I’ll be calling you Special Agent Caine.

“I had hoped that you texting me meant you were ready to come back.”

I closed my eyes and took in a slow breath, trying to calm my racing heart. The shootings, fighting with Antonio, the future of Foster Mutual—all on my shoulders. Now this. Everyone wanted a piece of me, and all I wanted was to be left alone. Climb some rocks. Look down on the world from the top of a mountain or an airplane.

No responsibilities, except to myself. Not letting anyone down. No one leaving.

Mom’s words echoed in my head.Special Agent Caine.

One deep breath. Swallow it all down. Calm.

I pushed the sheet back to Elliot. “Not yet. Sorry.”

“Unfortunately, that’s what I expected.” When I offered the pen, he ignored it, swapping the sheet for another from his briefcase. “How much does Dr. Ferraro play into this decision?”

Dinner and dancing Wednesday. A candlelit bath Sunday night. The almost-disappointment of finding keys and a necklace in the jewelry boxes. My heart calmed just thinking about him and everything he’d done this visit.

I scanned the sheet, another letter with space for my signature. “Authorizing background check and security clearance?”

“I’ll be damned if you wake up one day and realize you’re ready to join my team, and we have to wait on all this red tape.”

My eyes rose to meet Elliot’s. He’d been a mentor of sorts, despite how short our formal working relationship had been. I looked up to him, trusted him. Had wanted to do what he did for a living. “Can I be completely honest?”

He nodded. “I wouldn’t expect anything else.”

“Antonio plays a large part in it, but so does my sister. She’s sick and I can’t leave town until that’s over. And if she doesn’t get better…” I put the pen down, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I promised I’d stay here to help my brother-in-law with the kids.”

“So, you can’t go back to Boston?”

“Even Detroit might be too far. And I can’t tell you when I’ll know either way.”

He tapped the sheet in front of me. “For consulting, I might be able to work with you remotely, but that’s not my call in the end. Between the auction, the Chagall, and your experience in Naples, you’re building a reputation. That’ll influence the decision when you’re ready.”

“But consulting wouldn’t be full time, would it?” Could I do thisplusSpecial Investigations at Foster?

He shrugged. “Also not my call. But for now, why don’t you sign that, and we’ll continue building that reputation together.”

That I could do. “And in return?”

“If you’re not here to join my team on the smuggling ring, what do you want?”

To be a shitty girlfriend and have my friend at the FBI spill Antonio’s secrets. “Nathan Miller told me Antonio has a dangerous uncle and that if I wanted to know more, I needed to ask you about it. I suspect it’s related to the smuggling ring.”

The corner of his lips twitched. “That sounds an awful lot like asking about the smuggling ring itself.”

It wasn’t, but it confirmed the uncle was related to the case. “I know, but I’m asking anyway.”