Page 59 of Close Protection

Pride surged in Julia's chest—unexpected and unfamiliar. For three days, they had executed their plan with surgical precision. Each carefully selected document release had peeled back another layer of Knox's criminal enterprise, exposing vulnerabilities that even his political connections couldn't shield. ThePhoenix Ridge Tribunehad run front-page coverage that morning: "Criminal Enterprise Suspected in Critical Infrastructure Acquisitions." The City Water Commissioner had launched emergency security reviews. The real estate market around targeted areas had plummeted.

And Vincent Knox was bleeding money.

Julia's phone vibrated with an encryptedupdate from Chief Marten. She scanned it quickly. "Increased activity at the Red Ridge compound. Six vehicles in the past hour. Knox is consolidating resources."

She watched Ivy's fingers fly across the keyboard, correlating surveillance data with financial movements. The forensic accountant's focus was absolute, honey-blonde hair pulled back in a practical ponytail, eyes sharp with analytical intensity.

"His legitimate businesses have lost nearly forty million in market value since we began," Ivy reported, not looking up from the screen. "The Board of Directors at Knox Enterprises is calling an emergency meeting tomorrow."

"You've done more damage in three days than the department managed in three years," Julia admitted.

"Wedid," Ivy corrected, looking up to meet her gaze. "Your tactical deployment made this possible."

Something warm unfurled in Julia's chest at the simple acknowledgment. For days, they had moved around each other with professional courtesy, the memory of shared intimacy carefully compartmentalizedbehind walls of work. She had retreated into tactical precision; Ivy had countered with analytical focus. Yet somehow, in the pursuit of Knox, they had found a rhythm—Ivy's financial forensics paired with her strategic mind creating something neither could have accomplished alone.

Julia's phone vibrated again. She checked the message, nodding at the confirmation. "Two of Knox's known enforcers have been recalled from field operations. Morgan just confirmed."

"They're pulling back the hunters." Ivy sat straighter, and Julia found herself momentarily captivated by the transformation—exhaustion giving way to triumph, vulnerability yielding to strength. "Shifting from pursuit to defense."

"Your prediction was accurate. Knox is retreating exactly as you projected."

Beyond the glass, Phoenix Ridge sprawled beneath a night sky, lights glittering like earthbound stars. The converted firehouse offered strategic views of approaches from three directions; one of many reasons Julia had chosen it years ago. Now, as she scanned the streets below, she foundherself distracted by Ivy's reflection in the window, watching her stretch muscles cramped from hours at the computer.

"We should celebrate," Ivy said suddenly. "Just for tonight."

Julia turned, surprised by the suggestion. "Celebrate?"

"Phase one success." Ivy gestured toward the screen where Knox's crumbling financial empire flashed in satisfying red alerts. "We've earned a moment to acknowledge what we've accomplished."

Protocol dictated continued vigilance. The Scott family legacy demanded unwavering focus. Three generations of Phoenix Ridge officers had built their reputation on discipline, not indulgence. Her grandfather's voice echoed in memory:Celebrate when the case is closed, not before.

And yet.

"I have something for occasions like this." Julia found herself moving toward a cabinet she rarely opened, extracting a bottle of champagne and two flutes. "Emergency supplies."

Ivy's laugh—bright and unexpected—sent a ripple of warmth through Julia's chest. "You keep champagne with your tactical gear?"

"Proper preparation includes all contingencies." Julia felt a smile tug at her mouth as she opened the bottle. "Even success."

The champagne was inexpensive but cold, its effervescence filling the glasses with golden promise. Julia handed one to Ivy, their fingers brushing in the exchange—a brief contact that sent awareness skittering along her nerves, a distraction she couldn't afford but couldn't entirely regret.

"To phase one," she toasted, raising her glass slightly.

"To partnership," Ivy countered, holding Julia's gaze over the rim of her glass.

Something shifted in Julia's chest—a loosening, a surrender to connection she'd been fighting since that night in the hotel. She touched her glass to Ivy's, the clink hanging between them like possibility.

"I wouldn't have predicted this," she admitted after taking a sip, words emerging unfiltered. "When I was assigned to your protection detail."

"That we'd end up hunting Knox instead of hiding from him?"

"That you'd transform from witness to"—Julia paused, searching for the right word that wouldn't reveal too much—"collaborator."

"Is that what I am to you now?" Ivy asked, her voice quieter than before. "A collaborator?"

The question peeled back Julia's careful defenses, demanding honesty she rarely allowed herself. She met Ivy's gaze directly, pushing past instinctual caution. "You're more than that."

The admission—so simple, so understated—felt monumental. Like crossing a line she'd drawn in sand, only to find solid ground beyond.

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