Her Dark Web Defender. Dana Nussio

      Tony wound down the conversation, promising to talk again later when her computer was working better. The suspect threw in a parting comment that he hoped they’d get to meet, which Tony volleyed with the promise of “soon.”

      With that, he exited all the chat rooms open on the desktop. He turned to face her, crossing his arms just as she had earlier in the same chair.

      “What the hell was that?”

      Kelly stared at her clammy hands as she gripped them together. Her racing pulse refused to slow.

      “I’m sorry,” she managed to whisper.

      “I don’t want sorry. I want an explanation.”

      “I can’t. Not now. I need a minute.”

      Without giving him a chance to ask more questions, she hurried out the office door and down the hall to the public restrooms when she could easily have visited the facilities inside the office. She didn’t care if someone else saw her ruddy cheeks in the mirror or caught her splashing water on her face. As long as he didn’t see it.

      She had to get away from the chat rooms, from Tony and from the truth. It sounded crazy, sure, but she was convinced she’d just spoken to the man who’d ripped away her childhood and caused her best friend a lifetime of pain.

      “You’re going to have to talk to me eventually.”

      Tony followed a few steps back as Kelly hurried down the walk to the nearly empty parking lot. She’d barely given Dawson enough time to reach his car and drive off before she made her own escape, leaving Tony behind with the rest of the stragglers. He already would have asked his questions earlier if she hadn’t avoided him all afternoon.

      “That’s how we’re going to play it?” He picked up his pace.

      This time, she whirled to face him. “Oh, sorry. What were you saying?”

      “That you’ll have to talk to me,” he repeated, though he was positive she’d heard him.

      “Isn’t that what I’m doing?”

      “I meant about what happened this afternoon.”

      “You mean about the novice freezing up, just like you predicted I would? Or about the FBI agent swooping in on his white horse?”

      “Who’s giving away white horses? I didn’t get one.”

      His attempt at humor fell flat, but it gave him the chance to watch her. After the call, she’d been terrified. At least her flushed skin and wide eyes had led him to believe that. Now she lifted her chin and pursed her mouth, as if she dared him to question her. But he wasn’t going to let her off that easily, even if technically he already had.

      “What happened? Really?”

      “Does it matter? You probably told Special Agent Dawson your story the moment I stepped out of the office.”

      “Stepped out? You practically ran—”

      “I didn’t run. I walked. Anyway, when you did your duty to report that I froze and proved I shouldn’t be here, did you also tell Dawson that you’ve been trying to scare me off since yesterday?”

      “No.” Though he would have done the team a favor by exposing a possible weak link.

      “You didn’t share what a welcome committee you’ve been?”

      “I didn’t talk to him at all.”

      “I don’t understand.”

      That made two of them. “I was waiting to speak to you first.”

      “Now that you have, what are you going to do?”

      “I plan to stand here until you answer my question.”

      She puffed up her cheeks and blew out a breath. “I guess you got in my head. You set my nerves on edge after all those horror stories you told me.”

      “I was just trying to prepare you.”

      “Why? Did someone prepare you for this assignment?”

      “Not really.” It was the most honest thing he’d said all day.

      “Then I should feel privileged?”

      Tony shrugged. He could no more explain why he’d pushed her so hard than he could tell her why he hadn’t gone to Dawson over what had happened earlier.

      “It’s okay, you know. Some people just aren’t cut out for this assignment.”

      “You should know.”

      At first, he wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly. “Wait. What?”

      “You should know that some people aren’t cut out for this task force, since you don’t want to be here, either.”

      “What are you talking about? I don’t know where you got that idea.” He kept his expression neutral, but he swallowed involuntarily. Who’d told her? Would Special Agent Dawson have shared that information with her? No one else at the office knew.

      Kelly shrugged and continued down the walk. Could he blame her for not telling him how she knew so much about him? She was right. He’d set her up to fail, and he might have done it on purpose.

      “Wait.”

      She stopped and turned back, her posture stiff.

      “What now?”

      “Let me make it up to you. For messing with your head.”

      “You mean ‘start over’? We tried that. Guess it didn’t take.”

      He lifted a shoulder and lowered it. “Come on. Let me. Please.”

      “How?”

      “We could go for coffee. I’ll buy.”

      He could see the “no” in her eyes before she moved a muscle or spoke a word.

      “That’s not necessary.”

      “I think it is.”

      “I’m a police officer. Do you think this is the first time I’ve put up with crap from a male law-enforcement officer?”

      “Probably not.”

      “I’m used to having to do twice as much to be taken seriously. My colleagues respect me because I’ve earned it.”

      “Now I really feel like an ass.”

      The side of her mouth lifted this time. “You’ll get no argument from me.”

      “Please let me buy coffee. As a peace offering.”

      She blew out a breath. “Fine.”

      He decided not to analyze why he was so relieved that she’d relented.

      “Good. How about Casey’s Diner?”

      “Not there.” She cleared her throat. “I mean there’s no reason to go there when we’re only getting coffee.”

      “Okay.” He dragged the word out as he studied her. “You have another place in mind?”

      She waved her hand, but her elbow remained rooted near her rib cage. “There are plenty of coffee shops around.”

      “You pick, then. You lead. I’ll follow your car.” Technically, he wasn’t supposed to drive his FBI rental except on duty and to and from work, but this was on his way home. Sort of.

      She nodded and continued to her car. What had made her so nervous? And why did she want to avoid the diner? Those were just two small questions among many he had about Kelly Roberts. At a time when he should have been focusing on his final case and preparing