“One that avoids jail time, given my pristine record, but I won’t be able to be a DEA agent anymore.” Her voice sounded strained. “I have no idea what I’ll do.”

“Why don’t we take it one step at a time?” Just the revelation that she wouldn’t have to face jail time was huge and took a big burden off his shoulders. They could figure everything else out.

Her dark eyes widened. “We? You can’t seriously act like you’re going to stand by me through this. I’ve hidden things from you, and let’s not even get into the other stuff I tried to pull.”

“Yes, Cass. We. We’re stronger than that. Yeah, you messed up, but that doesn’t change our friendship. Our partnership.” And whatever else there might be to come.

“It does, though. We’ll never work together again. I’m done.” Her voice got much louder.

“You might be done at the DEA. That’s a harsh reality, but it doesn’t mean your life is over. If you’re able to take some sort of deal, you could start fresh. The DEA might be off the table, but there are other options.”

“You mean in the private sector,” she said.

“Yeah, totally, or there might be other agencies willing to overlook one lapse of judgment.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’re talking CIA.”

“You know I am.” He couldn’t help but smile.

She sighed. “Like you said, I’m not really in a position to make any plans right now. We can focus on one day at a time.”

“Good.”

She studied him for a moment. “Why, Zane? I don’t get it. You had every right in the world never to speak to me again.”

He took a deep breath, not sure what to say or how to say it. “You know, I’m not even sure myself. I just know that I really care about you.”

“As a friend.”

“For sure.”

“As anything more?” she asked softly.

He stilled at her words. He didn’t want to avoid the issue. That wasn’t his style, but this was difficult. “Honestly, Cass, I’m not sure what I feel.”

She nodded. “That’s fair.”

“We don’t have to sort all of that out today, but I wanted you to know that I’m here for you.”

Her eyes misted.

He couldn’t believe he was seeing this from tough-as-nails Cass. That let him know she was really having a rough time, and seeing her in this weakened state broke his heart.

After Layla’s discussion with Nick, she realized she wanted to be a part of questioning Bryce. At first Nick had pushed back against the idea, but once she agreed not to be in the room, he had relented.