Page 97 of Unexpected Redemption

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt y’all’s performance. Riveting shit, really. You should take the act on the road someday.” I fix my sights on Mia. “Before Tomer returns, I need to ask you about the uh...” I lower my chin to my chest and telepathically implore her to finish my thoughts. I don’t know if Klein knows about the email from Viktor, but I bet he does.

“It’s okay, Lettie. I told him about it.” Mia jabs her elbow toward her boyfriend. “Only the two of us know.”

“For now,” Klein amends. “I’ll be honest with you, Lettie. I’mnoton board with hiding shit from him. Especially when it comes to Viktor fucking Lenkov.”

I blink twenty-seven times at him in Morse code, telling him to shut the fuck up.

Just kidding. I don’t know Morse code. It would be cool if I did.

However, I did blink at him a lot because I don’t know what to say. He has a point. Why hide communications with the enemy from Tomer when he’s essentially in charge of this shit?

Yet Icannotlet himsee those photos.

Random thought. Morse code is another skill that would have been more helpful than square dancing. But I digress.

I’ll figure out what to do about Klein later. For now, I focus on Mia. “Did you figure out what to do with the email? Can you make it disappear or whatever?”

Aside from avoiding staying alone in the bunkroom where my worries could fester, I came up here to ensure Mia didn’t tell Tomer about the email.

She pulls a chair out, wordlessly sitting beside me. Cupping her hands over mine, she locks me in her gaze. With a voice dripping in kindness, she says, “Lettie, I’ll do what I can to protect him from seeing those photos. But I need to tell him about the email. Hiding it would be a disservice.”

Ready to plead my case, I start, “But?—”

She cuts me off, squeezing my hands and sharpening her stare. “I cannot hide a clue this significant from him. Not for this case. And certainly not one pertaining to Viktor or you.” She angles her head slightly. “At least, not indefinitely.”

I bite my tongue and seal my lips, intent on hearing her out.

“This email needs to be an item on the whiteboard. It factors into the bigger strategy, and we need to analyze it for technical forensics. At some point, I may need his help with that.” She exhales pointedly, making it clear this decision isn’t one she’s made lightly. “More importantly, it’s evidence. Not only proof of the horrific crime that happened to you, but the photo of the text implicates him in Yev’s murder. If I can prove Viktor sent the email to you, it gives us even more ammunition to get himthrown in prison forever. Murder charges carry longer sentences than sexual assault and trafficking.”

“Can’t you just take out the photos of me and leave the rest of it? Those pictures aren’t necessary because I could testify against Viktor in court.” I stifle a gag at the sound of his name on my lips.

Mia shakes her head while I rattle on, so I switch gears and attempt to reach her compassionate side instead. “If Tomer sees those photos, it’ll destroy him. Icannotdo that to him. Not again. You should have seen him when he saw the video of Yev hurting me. It broke him.” My words get stuck in my throat, so I pause to swallow them. “Please don’t do this to him. He’s so happy now.Please. I’m begging you.”

Mia’s chin wobbles, and her eyes search for Klein as if he’s the strength she needs.

He takes the seat on the other side of me. “Lettie, we fully understand what you’re saying. And believe me, we don’t want him to hurt either. But this... well, it’s not that simple. Mia and I already discussed modifying the email. We can’t do it.”

My gaze darts between the two of them. “Why not? Aren’t you like... super hacker people?”

Manipulative? Maybe. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Therefore, if I see a straw, you can bet both your ass cheeks I’ll be grasping at it.

A sad smile tugs at Mia’s lips. “It’s not that I cannot physically alter the email because I could. With my eyes closed. But modifying evidence for a case of this magnitude isn’t wise. If they find our digital footprint on there, it’ll be thrown out immediately. Then it’s useless.And besides, everything he said in the email is connected. If I took out the photos of you, then the verbiage he included wouldn’t make sense. Plus, any modifications I make will render anything we find on his computer invalid. We need the sent copy and received copy to beexact matches; otherwise it’s shit. The entire email needs to stay intact.”

“Then don’t use the email at all. Surely, there’s other evidence. Right?” My voice trembles, replete with fear over the idea of Tomer having to look at photos of the first time I was assaulted. “Do youreallyneed this?”

Neither of them answers right away. The whir of the computer fans is the only sound while I await an answer.

Her grip on my hands loosens as she leans back in her chair. Through perfectly rounded lips, she exhales. “Lettie, we don’t have enough on Viktor without this. Not yet.”

My eyes search the whiteboard where so many things have been checked off or completed in theTraffickingcolumn. “How can that be?”

One of those people they’ve arrested must be willing to stand against Viktor, right? And I bet there’s tons of digital evidence or a paper trail. Something.Anything.

Klein raps his fingers on the table in a soothing pattern. “We have no concrete evidence to tie Viktor to the trafficking. He’s a masterat covering his tracks. And not a single person they’ve arrested will name him as leading the ring.” He bangs his fist lightly against the table. “Not a damn one.”

“Except Yev,” Mia adds. “And he’s not talking to anyone.”

“Not anymore,” Klein adds morosely.

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