Page 98 of Only the Devil

“Couple hours. Stay put with Noah until then.”

“Jake?” The worry slips out.

“Yeah?”

“Be careful.”

A low chuckle. “Always am, darlin’.”

The line goes dead, and I’m left staring at my reflection in the tinted window, wondering when exactly I fell–if there was a specific day, or a moment. We haven’t talked about what comes next, but we need to. Long distance isn’t easy, at least, based on what I’ve read. He moves around with his assignments, but maybe I can convince him to stay with me on his downtime. Chicago in the summer is pretty fantastic.

Back at the condo, I pace; too wired to sit. My laptop is open on the dining table and the screen shows news feeds and social posts.

“This is incredible,” I mutter, watching the view counts climb on the leaked presentation. “Someone got HD video. The audio is crystal clear.”

Noah settles in a chair with a clear view of the entrances. “We’ve got a good team. KOAN’s good at what we do.”

“Did you know the presentation would be recorded?”

He smiles. “Boss is thorough. In this day and age, someone getting video was a safe bet. Check the posts — angles all over the auditorium.”

My phone buzzes.

* * *

Brie

You’re a legend.

* * *

We all are. Team effort.

* * *

Brie

I’m bringing champagne.

* * *

I glance at Noah, who’s checking his own phone, and give him a heads up. “Brie’s on her way.”

“Copy that. Jake’s fifteen minutes out.”

I can’t stop watching the feeds, can’t stop refreshing social media to see the latest posts. Financial analysts are calling for investigations.

We did this. We took down a man related to one of the Wall Street untouchables. The sensation feels like reaching the highest level in a game. Mental confetti floats all around us.

The front door opens, and Jake walks in, still in his black suit but with his tie loosened. He looks tired but satisfied, like a predator who’s finally cornered his prey and partaken.

“How bad is it for him?” I ask without preamble.

“Bad.” Jake moves to the window, checks the street below out of habit, then turns back to me. “His lawyers are talking about damage control, but the crypto evidence you embedded in that presentation? That’s federal crime territory. Wire fraud, securities violations, potentially money laundering.”

“And murder? The suspicious deaths?”

“Cases will be opened. Guaranteed. Quinn’s contact thinks the FBI will want to investigate or at least assist with the local authorities. Multiple states means it’s FBI jurisdiction.”