Page 70 of H E R

I breathe out heavily through my nose. “Wouldyouwait if Jason had unlikely ties to someone who helped secure his phone and possibly hissecretproperty?”

She takes one long and hard look at him and then shakes her head. “Good point.”

Yea, I thoughtso.

“Liv cooked, the least you can do—”

“Alright, alright,” I interrupt him. I reach forward and plop a generous serving from each pot, take two loaves of bread, lean into my chair, and put a spoonful of everything into my mouth. “Happy?” I garble.

Jason fakes disgust at my eagerness, but smiles. “Yea, actually. I am.”

I motion for Olivia to begin talking. She watches me carefully under a guarded gaze and clears her throat. She takes one long swig of her cold beer and gently pushes a manila folder toward me.

“Sara Martinez, one of the best in the field. We met in college, when I was in my last year. She was a freshman andalreadyhad jobs lined up, top organizations chasing her. Last I knew, she worked for one that focused on finding and apprehending human traffickers.”

I’ve heard of her but hadn’t made the fucking connection. Sara, Jasmin’s girlfriend. Fuck!

I stop chewing and swallow the lump down and gulp the entire contents of the dry wine. I should’ve opted for water. I set the empty glass down and Jason dodges to the kitchen.

“I won’t touch the block. It’s the least I can do, the work she puts in…” Olivia shakes her head like she’s filled with inspired awe. “Out of respect.”

Jason returns and takes my glass, then fills it to the brim with more wine. I thank him with a nod. I don’t even care to spy on Jule’s phone at this point. What I can’t get past is the incredible twist of fate. I don’t believe in coincidences.

“And you trust her?Completely?”

Olivia puts down her beer. “With my life.” She points to the file and I open it.

A three-page document summarizes Sara’s work from when she was twelve years old to today, at her twenty-six years. She was a freshman in college at the age of sixteen and managed to graduate in three years. As Olivia pointed out, she works for a private organization that single-handedly brought down seven child predator sex rings, three politically affiliated human trafficking associations, two in the states and one abroad, all in one year. The coalition is rumored to consist of eight armed bodies and two tech workers, which includes Sara.

“Do we know how Jasmin met Sara?”

Jason dabs a napkin over his mouth. “As far as we know, looks like atNym-Pho.Sara was there on a job.”

My next question is an obvious one, and Liv puts her hand up and arches a brow at me. “I can’t be sure if Jasmin or even Justice are fully aware of Sara’s background. And youcannotinterfere.”

My mouth falls open, and I cough back the palpable threat of her scrutinizing glare. “Niki and Jasmin are taking her to the mayor’s party. Ineedto know if—”

“The best I can do is set up a meeting…here. Some common ground.”

The warning look in Jason’s eyes tells me I’ve reached a wall and that I’m treading on thin ice. I don’t give a fuck. I’ve seen him crawl toward his beloved,literally. Nothing they do will stop me from protecting mine.

“Fuck, Liv. You act like I’m going to carve the woman’s eyes out.” I just want to make sure Niki is safe.

Olivia rolls her eyes. “Please, I’ve seen you do worse for less.”

My face involuntarily scrunches up, and I rub my fingers hastily between my brows, smoothing out the tension. I let out a sharp breath through my tight jaw, agitated with the pair. “I invited myself to chaperone, and I’d like all of us to coordinate. I don’t want any surprises.”

Jason raises his brows at the same time Olivia leans back in her chair. “Chaperone?” she interrupts and raises her hands and then slaps them down on the table. “Youinvitedyourself to chaperone threegrown ass women?” She laughs and shakes her head. “Of course you did.”

“I don’t understand what the fucking issue is.”

“Nevermind the issue.” Olivia dismisses me with a shake of her hand. “I think this is the perfect place to stop and reconvene. Have usalllook over the plans.”

Impressive. “You have The Mansion’s blueprints?”

She turns to Jason. “Este pendejo que se cree—”

Olivia puts me through the shredder, spewing the entirety of insults in her book, all directed at me, and Jason smiles at her and then laughs. Great, what am I, muse to her fucking comedy show?

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