3. Gia

How is it that in all of the places I could have chosen to stay, I choose the one that Ryder Lafferty owns?

I'll be damned if I remind him that I was once a one-night stand for him. I don't need him thinking that it can be repeated.

Even if I'm finding it hard to concentrate on anything but the thought of him kissing me.

Screw him.

Damn, I'd like to do that again.

Nope, stop. Stop thinking about him. He ghosted you once, what makes you think that he won't do it again?

The salty tang of the ocean air fills my lungs as I step out of the car and onto the sandy path leading to the tiny beachfront house. The sound of crashing waves echoes in the distance, a soothing melody that welcomes me to this secluded paradise.

The house itself is a charming little structure, weathered by the sea breeze and bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun. Its whitewashed walls and turquoise shutters blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, while a small wooden deck beckons me to come closer.

I unlock the door and step inside, greeted by the cozy embrace of the beach-themed interior. The walls are adorned with seashells and driftwood, and large windows offer breathtaking views of the ocean stretching out before me. A comfortable couch sits in the corner, piled high with colorful cushions, while a rustic dining table occupies the center of the room.

I make my way through the house, taking in every detail with a sense of wonder and excitement. The bedroom, with its soft linens and plush pillows, promises a restful night"s sleep, while the kitchen, though compact, is well-equipped with everything I need to prepare a simple meal.

"This is perfect," I breathe.

I busy myself by unpacking and organizing all of my things. My brain flits back to the reason I took this trip in the first place.

"You're on a leave of absence, Gia," Rodney, my boss, had told me with a disgusted shake of his head. "I find it hard to believe that you and v were such good friends and partners and that you had no clue she was a traitor."

"I didn't. I had no clue. I thought she was dating a married man."

It was the truth. She led me to believe that she was having an affair with a married man within our ranks, and I wasn't about to delve into learning more. I didn't want to be a part of it.

He rolled his eyes.

"None of this looks good for you, Gia. She's left information behind that points to you being the mastermind behind it all. With your history…"

"You mean, my father's history," I snapped. "Not mine. I've never been anything but open and transparent. I've always done everything by the book, but one bad apple points a finger at me and I get slapped with the crimes of my father."

"What do you expect?"

"Respect and trust, the same respect and trust that I've always extended to you. This is bullshit and you know it. I'm the scapegoat because Allison is MIA and you need someone to pin this to."

"Give me your service weapon and badge. You're indefinitely on administrative leave. We'll contact you when we learn something. If Allison reaches out to you, it would be in your best interest to let us know immediately."

"She's not going to reach out to me or anyone else. She got busted, if the CIA hasn't killed her, I bet Christoph Muller already has."

"He's not in the country. Do you know something we don't?"

"I know enough to believe that if Christoph is searching for Allison, we'll be the last to learn about it," I rolled my eyes. "Let me find him. Let me find her. I know everything there is to know about Christoph and Allison, neither of them can hide from me."

"And yet they did."

I audibly growl before he takes my gun, and my badge, and hands me the paperwork putting me on indefinite administrative leave.

The most infuriating and humiliating moment of my life.

I will never understand how they could fall for this. It was clear that Allison was using me as the scapegoat, redirecting their attention elsewhere so that she could get away.

I shake my head and try to clear my thoughts. My brain flits back to how gorgeous Ryder still is and I let out a long groan.

I've spent the last five years of my life following Christoph and learning everything there is to know about him.

He's a German operative, a spy. He has a lot of people working for him. I believe he is a drug and sex trafficker, but every time I come close to a lead, I lose it.

Christoph had contacted me before to add me to his payroll and I turned him down vehemently. It seems that my best friend and partner did not.

How could I have missed all of the signs? How could I have not known that she was capable of such treachery?

How could someone I considered family throw me under the bus with lies so that she could escape, and I would pay for her sins?

It just proves that you really can't trust anyone in this world.

"Bitch," I breathe out loud. "I will find you and I will arrest you my damned self."

I need to clear my head and the best way to do so is to go out to the beach.

I slip out of the house and onto the soft sand below. The moon hangs low in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the water, and the gentle rhythm of the waves lulls me into a trance-like state.

But my mind is far from peaceful. It"s consumed by thoughts of Ryder, his touch still lingering on my skin, his words echoing in my ears. I replay our encounter over and over again, each memory igniting a fire within me that refuses to be extinguished.

It's been eight years, Gia. Get over it. He didn't even recognize you.

I didn't check in with my real name. Because of my job, because I believe that Christoph and Allison will be looking for me, I made all of my travel arrangements under a man's name with his credit cards.

He's not a real person, just a fake man that I had an operative make up for me for this exact reason. Sometimes, it's not as dangerous to travel alone if people believe that you're married or that your husband will arrive soon.

My thoughts flit back to Allison and how she deceived me and so many other people. I never saw it coming and I'm usually really good at reading people.

Not this time. I didn't want to believe it because we were such good friends. We bonded over our shitty childhood and so much more.

I blow out a breath and cross my arms in front of my chest as I continue walking.

Lost in my thoughts, I fail to notice the figure lurking in the shadows until it"s too late. Before I can react, strong arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me into a tight embrace. I struggle, my heart pounding in my chest, but my attacker is relentless.

The next thing I know, everything goes black.

***

When I finally regain consciousness, I find myself tied to a chair on a small boat, the sound of the ocean churning ominously below. Panic grips me as I take in my surroundings, the harsh glare of the overhead lights illuminating the faces of two menacing figures standing before me.

Bruno and Adolf.

They"re German, their accents thick and guttural, their expressions cold and calculating.

Christoph's henchmen.

"She wakes," Bruno growls.

"Pretty, pretty, Gia. You've been slacking."

"I was knocked out by your smell. When's the last time you boys showered?" I ask as I make a face.

Bruno rolls his eyes as Adolf nonchalantly smells his armpit.

"So funny," Bruno says drily. "Christoph wants his money."

"I don't have Christoph's money. Maybe he should find his girlfriend, Allison."

"You know where she is."

"No, I don't, but if you find her, I have a bone to pick with her."

Bruno reels back and slaps me across the face. I barely feel the sting. I spit out blood while continuing to give him a dirty look.

I am slowly trying to ease my hands and feet from the binds that are wrapped around me.

"Tell us where she is."

"I don't know."

"Bullshit," Adolf coughs. "You know where she is. She gave you the keys to the locker where the money is."

"She played your ‘daddy' the same way she played me and everyone else. That bitch is long gone."

Bruno slaps me again.

"What has she told you?"

"Absolutely zero," I hiss as the binds start to loosen, finally.

"Bullshit. You're her partner. She gave us the proof that you have everything."

"I have nothing. I lost my job because of that bitch. If I had anything or knew where she was, I'd give her up in a heartbeat."

"You lie!" Adolf screams as he pulls a pistol and points it in my face.

I don't flinch. I stare back at him, ready to take whatever he's about to give me.I have nothing to give them. I"m just a pawn in their twisted game, a bystander caught in the crossfire of their sinister machinations.

I remain silent, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing me break. But their patience wears thin, and soon they resort to violence, their fists raining down on me with brutal force.

Still, I refuse to yield.

As the boat rocks violently beneath us, I feel the binds around my wrists loosen ever so slightly. It"s a small victory, but it"s all I need to ignite a spark of hope within me.

Adolf pushes the chair, making it teeter backward. He laughs when I don't flinch.

"You're a crazy bitch. I knew Christoph should have chosen you instead of that dumb one. You're loyal, she's a cunt."

Bruno aims his gun at me, finger on the trigger.

"If you won't tell us where your friend is, then you must die."

"I can't tell you what I don't know!" I hiss.

And then, with a deafening roar, they shoot. The world explodes into chaos as I rock backward and dump myself into the water.

I sink beneath the waves, releasing the ropes that bind my hands and feet together. Bullets ricochet into the water. I swim deeper to get away.

Searing pain shoots through my body just as I feel myself being pulled further down into the water. I can't swim upward, it's like something or someone else has taken over my body.