seems to want Roy to purchase those letters tomorrow.”
“Maybe this is a distraction,” I said. “This secret society is in a fucking crisis. If they spend the night battling it out over money and alliances, you and I could sneak off with the letters.”
She tapped her chin. “That’s not a bad plan, partner. In fact, I’d say that’s the kind of plan an expert private detective would come up with.”
“You think so?”
She nodded. “We might lack Bureau resources, but we’re nimble as hell. We get close to people. Getting close to people opens avenues of justice I never thought possible before. I know the FBI feels like the only true way to fight crime, but Codex does a damn good job too.”
That buzzing in my veins was back and heightened—a combination of adrenaline, sleeplessness, and wild, backseat sex. We were close to our suspects—faster and more intimate than I’d ever gotten while working in Art Theft. There was a thrill to it I hadn’t expected. It felt personal. It felt fucking real.
“I concede your point,” I said slowly. “Codex has done excellent work.”
“I know we have.” She smirked. “My point is that you would make a damn fine PI.”
My hands gripped her hips, shifting her closer on my lap. “That might be true. But I’ve got a legacy to uphold at the Bureau and a father who’d like nothing more than to see me become Deputy Director when the time’s right.”
Her fingers sifted through my hair again. “I know it. I also believe that without the burden of Andrew Byrne’s legacy, your genius and talent could shine even brighter. No external pressure, just your motivation and drive. No one else’s.”
I wasn’t quite sure what to do with that revelation. The FBI might be the primary source of my emotional pain, but the thought of leaping from the nest—and disappointing my father—was too scary to contemplate.
But before I could overanalyze Freya’s words, my beautiful rival wrapped her arms around me and held on tight. A big, bold hug that melded our chests together and allowed her to rest her head on my shoulder. It was a hug of friendship, and compassion, and tenderness—a hug from a woman who truly saw me.
Maybe taking a leap with Freya by my side would make things less scary. Maybe I didn’t need the FBI after all.
I grazed my lips along the column of her throat. Licked deeply into her mouth for a lingering kiss that left us both breathless.
“Thank you for that,” I said. “For believing in me.”
“What are partners for?” she said.
“But let’s focus on those letters first, potentially life-changing decisions second,” I replied. “And we’d need Abe’s approval to go back undercover.”
“Do we?” She pouted.
I ghosted our lips together. “You know we do.”
“You can’t just kiss me to get me to agree with you, Agent Byrne,” she said dreamily. “But I agree with you.”
“Then we need coffee and sandwiches,” I said. “And to go find Abe. Is he at the Codex offices, you think?”
She shook her head. “It’s way too early for that. I think we need to surprise Abraham Royal at home. He’ll love it.”
34
Sam
Abe lived in a sleek-looking loft near Philadelphia’s City Hall. The lofts looked out of place jammed between two historic-looking brick buildings that Freya told me had been constructed before the American Revolution.
“Those gym shorts fit okay?” I asked, turning to Freya in the seat next to me. She’d tossed her ravaged dress and was shimmying into my clothing.
“They reach past my knees.” She laughed. “But I’ll roll them up twelve thousand times, and they’ll fit just right. I appreciate the outfit change, by the way. You look a little less sexed-up than me.”
I checked my bowtie in the mirror one last time, hoping Abe wouldn’t notice the missing buttons from my shirt. “Are you wearing those heels or do you want a ride to the door?” I asked, shutting off the car.
“Ride, please.”
I came around the car and opened her door. “Hop on my back,” I said, kneeling.
She wrapped her arms around me, and I hoisted her legs onto my waist. Stood and shut the door.
“Is this what it feels like to be superhero tall?”
“Why do you keep referring to me as a superhero?” I asked, secretly pleased.
“It’s your whole vibe, Byrne,” she said. “You’re telling me that if our planet was in dire peril from a mysterious archvillain, you wouldn’t suit up and save the world?”