Zane wasn’t born yesterday. Cass was definitely flirting with him. But what did he do about it? He hated facing that topic right now and would rather just keep shifting the conversation. “Have you talked to Layla?”

“Yeah. She’s at an Agency safe house, but we’ve decided to keep the locations from each other for extra security. So she doesn’t know where we are, and we don’t know where she is.”

Zane nodded. “That’s a really good idea. I’m glad the Agency finally gave her some protection. Did she say anything about the IG?”

Cass shifted a bit closer to him. “Yeah. It didn’t seem good at all. She didn’t want to get into details on the phone, but it sounds like someone is trying to insinuate that she’s working with Al-Nidal.”

“That’s even crazier than thinking I’m involved with the cartel. She’s one of their brightest up-and-coming experts. Why would that make any sense?” He didn’t like this development. The web of danger just kept expanding all around them.

“Beats me. But it shows that all of us are being targeted. Once the cartel has in its mind to screw up someone’s life or kill them, we know how that plays out. Which is why I’m still worried that, in the end, Mason is going to push to have me put in WITSEC.”

Zane shook his head. “That’s extreme. Let’s not cross that bridge until we have to.” He wanted to ask her about something else too. “I know you had your first counseling session this morning, but you didn’t say how it went.”

She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I don’t know how much talking to psychologists you’ve done, but it’s always the same questions. They wanted to make sure I’m not going to lose my mind or hurt myself or someone else, and that I am directly dealing with my feelings.” Her voice rose with each word that came out of her mouth. “I am dealing with my feelings. I’m not one to lock my emotions up in a box. Just the opposite. She encouraged me to find someone I trust and talk to them. Which I guess, considering the only person I trust is you, would have to be you. So that’s what you get for pushing me into it.”

Zane felt himself falling deeper and deeper into this hole. But regardless of anything else that was going on, he wasn’t going to turn his back on her. She’d been there for him a lot over the years, never questioning anything. So now he was going to be there for her. “Whatever you need, Cass, just name it.”