Page 58 of Shattered Secrets

Scarlet frowned.

“I know,” Bean said on a sigh, leaning back in her chair. “The quality is shit. Hell, Martha’s security cameras are shit. But that’s the best I can enhance it.”

The photo wasn’t enhanced all that much. It was still super grainy. You could tell the guy had a light-colored buzz cut and was clean-shaven, but that wasn’t anything she hadn’t already been told.

“Does he look familiar?” Matt asked.

She continued studying the man, then shook her head. “No.” He truly didn’t. There was maybe something vaguely familiar about him, but honestly, he just looked like every biker she’d ever known. An average guy with that rough-around-the-edges bit. Even in the still images from the security camera, he projected that wannabe-tough-guy persona. Yes, some of the biker men she’d known were legitimately tough and scary. But this guy? Nope.

What could he possibly want with her?

Scarlet released Matt’s hand, leaned forward, and propped her elbows on the table. “None of this makes any sense,” she muttered, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. “My handler said?—”

She froze.

Holy. Shit.

She hadnotjust said that out loud. But the complete silence in the room told her otherwise.

Peeking out at the table, she glanced from Matt to Gavin to Bean, then back to Matt. The men looked at her intently; Bean’s head cocked to the side, her eyebrows pulling high in surprise.

Scarlet’s insides began to tremble. Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.Fuck.

“What about your handler?” Gavin asked, voice calm and controlled, soothing even. But Scarlet knew that was bullshit. He was like a shark who’d just scented blood in the water.

Sitting back in her seat, she fisted her hands in her lap. Her nails dug crescents into her palms. Not knowing where to look, she studied the table. “Um...”

In her peripheral vision, she noticed Matt reaching over. Her gaze shot to him when he pulled her chair closer to his. Without saying a word, he took her fisted hands and pried them open. Ran his thumbs over the grooves made by her nails.

“Breathe, sweetheart,” he murmured, attention fixed on her palms.

Some of her tension eased at his touch. When she met his eyes, she let out another breath.

He squeezed her hands. “We can’t help you unless you tell us what’s going on. And, Scar, I will doeverythingI can to keep you and Daisy safe.”

Her heart warmed, and she laced her fingers with his, holding on tight.He included Daisy.

A flush heated her cheeks as she realized what she’d done. “I’m sorry,” she said, attempting to pull away.

But Matt held on. He gave her a slight nod, his gaze never leaving hers, as he prodded, “Your handler?”

For a moment, she could only stare at him. Then she focused on their connected hands. What was she doing? Hell, was she even allowed to talk about this?Fuck it.“I don’t know where to begin.”

His hand was gentle as he tipped her chin up. The small gesture brought tears to her eyes, and she swallowed past the lump in her throat. No man had ever treated her this tenderly.

“Start at the beginning, Scar,” he murmured.

Nope. No way did Matt need to know her background. She loved how he talked to her, looked at her. Like she was a regularperson, someone he found interesting. If he ever knew about her past, about who—what—she’d been, that would all change.

But the recent past would be okay, right? After all, she’d already screwed up by letting the handler part slip.

The fingers beneath her chin slid along her jaw until they cradled the side of her face. She gulped, and her racing pulse had little to do with the topic at hand.

“It’s just us, sweetheart. You can tell me.”

She glanced at Gavin and Bean—but they weren’t there. Surprise had her mouth falling open. When had they left the room?

“So long as it doesn’t put your safety or Daisy’s at risk,” Matt said, “I promise that I’ll only share with Gavin and the team what you want me to. Trust me.”

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