Page 106 of Whistleblower

Tipping my glass to the ceiling, I debate another round that will surely push my buzz to drunkenness. I hold my empty cup out at Callen. “Callen, get to the point. What are you saying?”

“You don’t see it?”

“See what?”

Callen scoffs and I’m tempted to smack the smug look off his stubbled face. He looks tired. We all look tired. We’re all angry for Eden. We’re all worried for her, too. “Linc you’re unrivaled as an operative, but you don’t think like a detective.”

“Because I’m not one.”

He taps his temple twice. “Why, oh why is a man, who was accused of intentionally inciting terrorism and trying to provoke a civil war, serving out a life sentence in a cushy minimum-security prison?”

“It’s still a life sentence, isn’t it?”

“He’s at Hanesville. They don’t even have guards at the front doors. Everyone there has less than ten years, and most get out on parole within a fraction of their sentence. He’ll be back in his McMansion with his Barbie doll wife in less than a year, I guarantee you.”

“So what, Callen?” I bite out. “What the hell does this have to do with Eden? You think worse is coming for her? Because I won’t work another fucking job for you until I’m sure she’s safe. If my entire life purpose is to lock her behind a door and gun down anyone who approaches it, so be it. This won’t happen to her again, mark my words.”

“Linc!” Callen thunders. “Think. About. It. Pierre’s sentence isn’t just leniency, it’s a cover-up. Look at all the pieces. Eden went to the FBI about Empress. The FBI gives her a job. An FBI agent attacks her. Are you seeing a trend?”

I let his words sink in as I finish debating and pour another drink. “Well, wouldn’t you know what’s going on then?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” he responds distractedly, “but I have to be careful about who I ask. I don’t want to flip on the wrong switch and put her in danger. Just because I’m not sleeping with Eden doesn’t mean I don’t care about her. I care about all of you guys. You’re my team now.”

Ah, fuck. All this camaraderie bullshit Vesper’s been preaching about… It’s kind of nice. I haven’t been scared of anything since I was a teenager, but then again, I didn’t have anything to lose, until now.

When the alarm went off letting me know Eden pushed the panic button, the world stopped spinning. I froze. My instincts, my reflexes, and my quick reaction is everything when it comes to my job… And I fucking froze. It was jarring to realize my life’s not my own anymore. Eden has quickly become the nucleus of everything important to me, and I almost lost her. I almost lost everything. I can’t let that happen again, and I’m desperate enough to accept all the help I can get. Even if it’s from Callen.

“I know you’re not sleeping with her, Callen,” I say with a dark chuckle. “Because you’d be dead.” He rolls his eyes as he lets out an awkward forced chuckle. “But thank you,” I add, trying to remedy my threatening joke. “I only want to help.”

“Then be patient, sit tight, and don’t do anything stupid. I will figure this out. I’m going to—”

“Ahem.” Callen and I both whip around to see Eden standing behind us with her arms crossed. She wrinkles her nose as she laughs lightly. “It’s a little concerning how unobservant you both are.”

Callen laughs and hastily shuts the laptop.

Eden throws her hands up and scoffs. “No need to tiptoe around me, I’ve already seen it.” She makes her way past us and over to the coffee maker, then spins around to watch us both staring at her. She’s in sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, but her hair is curled and her makeup is done. The light scent of her sweet-smelling perfume lingers as she walks by. She’s making a point.

“I’m fine,” she insists.

“Eden,” Callen says, hopping off his seat at the island. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you that you did really well. You stayed calm, you kept your head. I am incredibly impressed with how you handled that situation. And I’m also very sorry.”

“Thank you. And, for what?” she asks over her shoulder, filling a coffee mug.

Callen rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “I should’ve walked you home after breakfast. I just… I was trying to be respectful of…” he trails off after glancing my way. You were trying not to get your ass kicked by me.

Eden breathes out heavily. “All right, I’m just going to say it for the record. I was held at gunpoint, and it’s not your fault”—she points at Callen—“for not walking me home after a breakfast meeting. And it’s not your fault”—she points right at my chest—“for being away on a job. And someone please tell Lance to stop texting me and apologizing for the fact that he was so late. It was less than ten minutes from when I pushed the button to when they showed up. It was well before he would’ve…”

For the tiniest moment, she trips up. Her whole façade is nearly over as her eyes grow wide and almost fill with tears. But she recovers so quickly.

Eden continues. “The only person at fault is the man who broke into my home and threatened me. And he’s gone now. Everything is okay. So, everyone stop apologizing. I’m grateful for you all.”

She flashes us both an overenthusiastic smile as she disappears into my walk-in pantry. Callen raises his shoulders at me and I shrug mine in response. I don’t know. I can’t figure out why she’s acting so nonchalant.

Eden reappears with a box of cereal in her hand and a pout on her face. “I’m so sick of cereal.”

“What do you want to eat?”

“Can we go out? To a restaurant. I want to speak to other human beings even if it’s just to order something.”

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