It always worked like a charm. Everyone would understand when, a few weeks later, he unfortunately had to turn in his letter of resignation. He began laying the foundation for this excuse his very first week on the job, casually mentioning to a sufficient number of coworkers just how important his family was to him. Not a single person would be surprised when he made the hard choice to pack up and leave. They never were.

When it came to this particular job, it would be Dwyer’s call. If his boss decided leaving Trendsetters without a trace was the safest exit strategy, that’s how it would play out. A part of him wanted it to happen that way. At least then he wouldn’t have to see the hurt in Samiah’s eyes. Or, even worse, the hate.

Fucking coward.

Daniel shut his eyes, damn near gasping at the pain that pierced his chest just at the thought of having to explain to Samiah that he’d spent the past two months lying to her. She would despise him. How could she not? She’d become YouTube famous for cursing out a guy who’d lied to her about his true identity. It would be ridiculous to think she would easily forgive him for doing the same.

“You don’t deserve her forgiveness,” Daniel whispered.

He didn’t deserve her. Period. If he was a halfway decent human being, he would turn around right now, drive to that dull, sparsely furnished apartment, pack up his few belongings, and be on a plane to Virginia by tonight.

Any thoughts of doing that vacated his brain the moment he spotted her. She congregated with a group of at least a dozen women underneath the shade of a massive pecan tree. She’d told him to meet her at what was affectionately known as the Monkey Tree, one of the park’s landmarks, and a favorite for outdoor exercise enthusiasts because of the natural cover it provided from the blazing Central Texas sun.

The magnitude of this moment wasn’t lost on him. Introducing him to people outside of their work life was a significant step. It signified a level of trust he hadn’t earned. He was lying to her, dammit. All of this was a fucking lie!

His steps halted. He sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes again.

Walk away.

He could still do it. He could turn around this very instant, before she spotted him. All he would have to do is tell Dwyer that he’d been compromised. He could be back in his little cubbyhole at FinCEN’s headquarters by Tuesday morning. Samiah would be hurt and confused by his sudden, unexplained departure, but how much worse would it be if he allowed this to go on?

He opened his eyes and realized he couldn’t do it.