“Yeah, it will be better if we’re both there. You know him, and I don’t. It will help with being able to read his reactions. I also made some progress on the background checks of your DEA support team while you were out.”

“And?”

“So far everyone is turning up clean.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“You always did see the good in people.”

“You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”

He shook his head. “No. It’s a good quality, but sometimes it can get you killed.”

Layla muttered something under her breath.

“I’m not trying to push your buttons,” he said. “I’m really not.”

“You always knew how.”

“Really? Is that how you remember our relationship?”

“No. What I remember is you cheating on me and breaking my heart.”

Talk about the truth hurting. “I can’t go back and change the past.”

She lifted her hand. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. There’s zero reason to dredge up the past. We’re both professionals and have jobs to do.”

“You have every right to be upset. If we need to get everything out on the table, you just tell me.”

Her dark eyes held so much pain, and it hurt him to think that he was the cause of it. He’d made decisions that had forever changed both of their lives. At the time, he’d acted based on his emotions. But now, years later, he wondered if he had made a terrible mistake.

“No,” she said. “There’s no point. We’ve both moved on.”

“If you change your mind, let me know.” He had a sinking feeling this conversation was far from being over.

CHAPTER
SEVEN

The next morning, Layla found out Hunter’s style was to waste no time as they walked up to the swanky DC consulting firm.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” she asked.

“Better a sneak attack.”

“But we might not even get past his assistant.”

“Yes, we will.”

“Do you know something I don’t?” she asked.

“Just watch and follow my lead.”

She held back a laugh. Hunter had always been a leader. They’d butted heads over that before, like a million other things. But last night when they’d been talking, so many memories—good and bad—had washed over her.

Hunter knew her, the real her, more than any other man ever had. Since dating him, she’d only let one other person in, and it hadn’t ended well. But she didn’t want to think about that right now.

She still couldn’t fathom what had caused Hunter to cheat on her. He was a man of self-control and discipline. He’d told her that he’d gone out drinking with some law school buddies and things had gotten out of control—hence his ending up in the arms of a girl he’d met at the bar.