Rebecca’s story
Leaving so immediately as soon as we got home intrigued me so much, but I wasn’t too worried. Declan was his best friend, and I really wasn’t that concerned.
Anyway, today, even though I was tired from so many hours of flying, I intended to meet up with Eve. I really wanted to involve her in my next project. Plus, I really needed a little fun. But before I met Eve, I had to see Logan. He just phoned to tell me there was a new assignment. I couldn’t go to the agency yet, so I was going to meet him at my apartment.
“Welcome, Logan. Please, come in,” I urged as soon as I met him at the door.
“Wow, you’re so tanned! I see you got your Bali sun right,” he couldn’t help his comment or smile.
“Hey, cut the jokes and come on in. We have things to talk about,” I replied breathlessly, slamming the door behind him. “Tell me, I know you followed the case of the rescued girls in Bali. I want some updates”
Logan made himself comfortable on the living room couch, sipping from the coffee I just poured.
“Luckily, they all receive psychological counseling. Local authorities have reunited them with their families and have all the support they need. Now, if you ask me, this human trafficking network is much more widespread, which leads me to believe that we will have to do more digging.”
“Fair enough. I take it no one has been arrested?” Although it was hard for me to bring up this question, I still had to ask it. The shit was getting worse and worse and somehow, I felt I had no support from the authorities in Bali. I really didn’t want to believe that those who were supposed to protect citizens could be involved in something like this. It made me sick to my stomach.
“Unfortunately, you are right Rebecca, no one has been arrested. I tried to establish a link between our authorities and those in Bali, but each time I ran into closed doors. Either there weren’t enough resources, or their superiors were nowhere to be found. This is getting on my nerves.”
“I understand. But yes, from what you’re telling me, it’s pretty serious. As I unfortunately can’t go to the agency yet, as I’m undercover, I’ll try to do some outside research. Now tell me, is there anything else I should know? “
“Unfortunately, yes. It’s a gang of outlaws about whom we have reliable information that they want to smuggle drugs into the country.” I faced such missions almost daily, but my major concern remained Tom and what he was involved in.
And since, unfortunately, they killed him before I could get much out of him; I was now working with what I had. The only one who could have unraveled any of this was Zack, but this werewolf needed to be tracked a lot. If it was easy before, now that I knew what kind of beast was inside him, it made the job a dozen times harder.
“Fill me in on everything, Logan!” I ordered him imperiously, walking towards the wide-open window. I could feel the cool air blowing through my hair. It was like a new beginning, one that perhaps I desperately needed.
Immediately after my words, Logan pushed two folders onto the coffee table. I walked over and picked up the first one to study it.
“Oscar Hunt, the head of the network, which, by the way, is a small network, but one with infinite resources, will get shipments of drugs sometime next week. We still don’t know the location and time. That’s what our undercover agent is working as we speak. We’ll have the information in a couple of days. Hunt’s right-hand man, Freddy Hill, is actually a cousin of his. So, these things run in the family.”
“But why, Logan? What is the reason for bringing the drugs? You said yourself they’re a small network. Is there something else going on? I don’t know why I get the impression that somewhere up there is this mission demanded of them and these poor guys are just a scapegoat. How much stuff are we talking about?”
“About three shipments, fairly large boats. That’s what our agent could find out. He’s infiltrated well, and Hunt trusts him. I’ll see him in a couple of days to give me the last details.”
“Perfect. Now get the files and take them to the agency. I wouldn’t want Dominic to see them around here.”
“Speaking of Dominic. How was Bali?” Logan suddenly changed the subject.
“Bali was fine, magic…”
His question and my answer brought an involuntary smile to my face.
“Oh, I see. According to your face, everything went according to plan. I hope you didn’t...”
“No, clearly not. We’re still undercover with a lot of tasks on our shoulders, so it’s not time. After all this craziness is over, I’ll tell him. I’ll be honest with him.”
“You love him, right, boss?” I couldn’t say no because it was a lie.
“Yes, Logan, I love him,” I said firmly in my words, dropping gently onto the back of the chair I had sat on in the meantime.
“Hey, you deserve the best. Ever since the Agency, you have had no time for yourself. Missions upon missions and you when? Maybe I’m not the one to tell you that happiness was made for people like you too, but that’s the way it is” I liked Logan’s words. They made me happy, but he didn’t even know part of the truth. Suddenly, I fell into thought. I loved him and it seemed like he felt something as well. Then why didn’t he mark me as his? And to think that a few months ago I didn’t even believe in such a thing and now I was clinging to something so normal for people like Dominic. It was bound to claim me if I really was his Luna and he loved me.
“Thank you, Logan. Now go to the Agency and don’t stop investigating until we shut down that shipment. I’m really curious who’s actually behind the deal,” I voiced out loud the last sentence. Although I kind of had a hunch. “In the meantime, I have something else to do” My surface job also took time and if I was honest with myself, I really liked what I was doing. I saw it as an escape from the hell I was in.
Without another word, Logan walked out with the files under his arm. I sighed deeply, pouring myself another big mug of coffee. I still hadn’t recovered from the hours of flying, but there was no time for rest.
I opened my laptop to see what type of event I needed to find the space for. And it was a book launch. I loved books. Too bad I never got the time to read one.
The author was none other than the bestseller Emily Parker. I knew her for a strong but sensitive woman who excelled in romance novels. Perhaps my life was worthy of a novel, too.
Somewhere in the email I received from the company was her phone number. I called her without hesitation and we set up a meeting at Serenade, perhaps one of the most luxurious restaurants in the area.
“Hello Mrs. Parker!” I politely greeted the woman who seemed to have arrived before me. “I apologize for being late...”
“Please, call me Emily. And it’s okay because you’re not late. I was the one who arrived early,” she replied in her warm voice, at which point I looked at my watch. I was so caught up in my own business that I didn’t realize that it was indeed the appointed meeting time.
Thank goodness in my spare time I had time to look up a few examples of large salons and make a few phone calls. Now we just had to choose one. One to Emily’s liking.
“Ok, Emily… It’s an honor to meet you. But I must admit I have read none of your books...” I was really ashamed to admit it, but I had no reason to lie to her. Surprised at first, it all culminated in a broad smile on her face.
“Don’t worry, I know you’re a busy woman. But I couldn’t resist the temptation to bring you a signed copy of my new book, My Wild Alpha. Now you’re the first in the world, after me, to own a hard copy,” she continued her oh-so-natural smile.
It pleasantly surprised me to receive the book and autograph and had a special feeling when she handed it to me. It was as if she handed me her most precious treasure. And in a way, it was.
“Thank you very much, Mrs. Parker... I mean, Emily,” I corrected myself as soon as her soft eyes held mine for a moment, surprised by my politeness.
“With all the love in the world. So, can we get on with our business?”
“Of course. So, I understand that in a week you will release the book. Great... look, here’s a portfolio of a few places that could host the event” Caught up in the discussion, I felt something strange. Like my senses instantly sharpened. I felt danger. I frowned and scanned the restaurant until I spotted him. Wonderful, he was the only one missing. “We have to get out of here. Now!”