Page 46 of Justified Lies

“I don’t like my crazy hair.”

“I think it’s sexy,” he said.

“Ugh, stop,” El said. “I don’t want to have to beat the crap out of you.”

Kap rolled his eyes.

Adam came striding out with Graeme on his heels. “Ms. Carlyle, you haven’t been as forthcoming as you should have been.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry, but I was worried about putting anyone else in danger.”

“Bullshit. You thought there could be a leak, so you didn’t trust us.”

Adam wasn’t usually so blunt. She felt Kap bristle next to her, but Eden didn’t want him getting in trouble for insubordination. “Okay. That too.”

“Well, at least you’re being honest.”

Before she could respond to that, the front doors opened. Eden blinked. Emma Delano came striding into the room. Del’s wife was a certifiable genius. As in, gaming companies and government agencies hired her regularly. Eden knew that Emma sometimes helped with TFH investigations, and that was how she had met Del.

“I hear we have patterns to look at,” she said.

“Yeah,” Kap said. “Do we have the information set up for Emma to look over?”

“Yeah,” Drew said, rising out of his chair and hitting a few things on his tablet. A screen on the wall came to life, displaying all of Eden’s research. “Sam sent us all the info you had.”

“Okay, I need some caffeine, and then I will get to work.”

Seth came out and nodded to her. “We have the personnel files for everyone up there, but I think we need more info.”

“Wait, how did you get those?”

“Sam sent them.”

“You and El need to sit down and go over them,” Adam said. “There might be something there that clicks with you both. Something that we might overlook.”

“Like what?”

“Their files don’t have the gossip. And I know there is always gossip—among other things—that happens at the office that might not make it into the files. You and El might think of something.”

She nodded. That was actually an excellent idea.

“You can use conference room B.”

Once she and El were settled, Kap seemed to linger for a moment before saying, “I’ll be in the common room.”

Then he slipped out of the room. It was stupid to feel deflated. It wasn’t like they were back together or that he would stay with her, but it didn’t mean she didn’t yearn for that.

“Oh, stop mooning over him,” her brother said, disgust dripping from his voice.

“Get bent, El.”

“I don’t get it.”

“What do you mean?”

“He broke you three years ago.”

Anger raced through her blood. She didn’t usually have a quick temper, but she was exhausted and stressed.