“I hope that too. Though I’ll have to get it through the grapevine.” He glanced back at the open door to the motel room, now teeming with local cops and not-local Feds, feeling the twist of disgust pull at his mouth. “Done with this shit.”

Nick sounded stunned. “You retiring early?”

“Job offer. Better money. And what I’m gonna be doing, likely not gonna end up in some tatty motel miles from home starin’ at a man with no face.”

“Christ,” Nick muttered.

“Not to mention, I got unfinished business I can’t take care of inside. That snake’s still in the garden, Nick, and I gotta get hold of the resources I need to deal with it. Those resources not bein’ in the FBI. One of my team got dead because of that. Nearly two. She’s avenged. But the job isn’t done.”

Even with Tucker and Sylvie Creed’s best efforts, they still didn’t know who’d turned on his team.

Eric Turner intended to find out.

“You need anything, you obviously got my number,” Nick offered.

In the new world where he’d be dwelling, that would be a number Eric could use for a variety of reasons.

And he would.

“Headed to LA,” Turner shared.

There was another beat of silence before he heard Nick Sebring bust a gut laughing.

That pissed Eric off.

So he said not a word and hung up.

Half an hour later, free to do it now, Nick called him back from his old cell.

And the asshole was still laughing.

* * * * *

Olivia

Hands to the deck railing, I stared at the trees.

“That wasn’t what I wanted to happen, Livvie,” Nick whispered in my ear, his front to my back, his hands at the railing beside mine moving to cover them, instantly warming them against the cold.

“I know,” I replied to the trees.

“Valenzuela dismantled her operations. She was expanding too fast. Getting cocky. Making deals. She owed people money. She was screwing with Valenzuela every chance she could get. They were on the run. I communicated I wanted her shut down. Way the scene read, Harkin turned on her. Witnesses say—”

I shifted a hand and laced my fingers through his.

Nick quit talking.

“Valenzuela would have eventually made his moves. He was stronger. She had no chance.” I was still talking to the trees.

“What I pulled expedited—”

I twisted my neck to look at him. He lifted his head and caught my eyes.