Page 145 of Maddox

It would take months to sort through the information from the jump drive. I felt a sense of calm that this part of my life was almost over. Time to begin a new chapter.

He held out his hand, giving me a look that was centered around respect. I’d been open and honest, cleansing my soul and in the process determined to keep Maddox from being blamed for certain decisions he’d made.

He’d left DC days before and I missed the hell out of him. But he had a barn to rebuild and a life to return to.

“Are you planning on returning to investigative reporting?” he asked with a smile on his face. “You’re very good at it.”

I had to laugh. I’d had a long conversation with Maddox about that very subject. I think the last words had been that he refused to allow me to. Why was just thinking about his dominating personality created a wave of heat? “Honestly? I think I’m going to write a book. Don’t worry. Not about the past few months.”

He laughed. “You’ll do well. I’m sorry about Brian. From what I heard, he was a good man.”

“I wish he’d been honest with me.” At least I hadn’t been stonewalled in learning how helpful Brian had been to an ongoing investigation. My ex had agreed to help the Feds in gathering evidence on two of the partners in his firm. They’d been bought off by the Bratva, various cases brought in front of them riddled with issues. While Brian had cheated on me, he’d been a hero. The fact he’d stumbled onto Alfaro and the Raptorhad been by accident, or so it seemed. He’d been killed by a man he’d worked with for years.

While I certainly hadn’t been allowed to learn every detail, it was easy to read between the lines. I shook the agent’s hand. “I’m still surprised he brought me into the situation.”

“Yeah, unfortunate, but Brian knew what he was doing. He was feeling the pressure. The partners discovered they were being set up. At least the Chicago police caught his killer.”

“That doesn’t make it any less difficult.”

“No, but at least he has justice.”

My chest felt heavy and had since I’d realized Brian was killed. He’d been my husband, someone I’d thought I could trust. We’d had good years. I’d decided to remember those and not his betrayal.

In a way, doing so was allowing me to move on with my life.

The notoriety had been overwhelming. I’d just wanted to get my life back, not see my face plastered on every news program. My fifteen minutes of fame needed to be over.

“Incidentally, I understand your parents have no desire to return to Illinois?”

Now I laughed. “No. They are enjoying Colorado more than I thought possible.”

Even my mother, God love her, had started volunteering at the horse sanctuary Kage and his fiancée owned. My mother who’d told me throughout my life that she didn’t like animals.

Miracles never ceased.

He scratched his head and walked me to the door. “Maybe I need a change in venue. DC is crowded.”

Somehow, I knew he was talking about more than just the traffic. “I’m sure they’d love to show you around.”

“I might take them up on it. Take care of yourself, Ms. Douglas.”

“You won’t need me to testify?”

“I doubt it. I’ll talk with Mr. Price, but you’ve been more than helpful. Plus, your article has been a perfect blueprint.”

He opened the door and I walked into the corridor. “I’m glad it could help. One last question. What about my friends who died for the cause?”

“Alfaro provided information about where their bodies had been taken in exchange for leniency.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Not at all. Unfortunately, Mr. Alfaro has yet to realize neither the CIA nor the FBI make deals with criminals.” He winked. It was good to see the man had a sense of humor.

“Thank you for facilitating that. I appreciate it.”

“Certainly, the least I could do. Go enjoy your life. You’ve earned it.”

I backed away, taking a deep breath as I headed down the hallway. For all the years I’d been so enthusiastic about journalism, I realized I’d been searching for something more fulfilling in my life.

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