boot.
“Anthony and you have nothing on me,” Coop fired back. “Neither does Hector McClendon.”
But Jamie only shrugged. “You’re investigating the wrong people, Agent Ryland. You need to be looking closer to home. You need to investigate Agent Cooper.”
Bree huffed and stepped around Kade, between Coop and him. But she didn’t say anything. She just studied Jamie from head to toe, and Kade had to wait just like the others to hear Bree’s take on all of this.
“Are you the woman who held me captive all those months?” Bree asked.
With all the other accusations flying around about Coop, Kade certainly hadn’t expected such a direct question from Bree. But he waited for Jamie’s answer and watched her expression. He wished he could strip those glasses off her so he could see her eyes because he was certain that question had hit some kind of nerve.
Jamie shifted her posture and folded her arms over her chest. “I did nothing wrong,” she insisted.
Kade looked at Bree to see if she believed Jamie, but Bree only shook her head. It made sense. After all, Bree had said her kidnappers had kept on prosthetic masks, but he’d hoped that she would recognize something about Jamie or Anthony.
Of course, maybe there was nothing to recognize because they hadn’t been the ones to hold her captive.
“Did. You. Hold. Me. Captive?” Bree repeated. Her anger came through loud and clear.
Jamie shifted again. “No.” She paused. “Are you accusing me so you can protect your boss? My advice? Don’t. Because accusing me won’t do anything for your safety. Or your baby’s safety.” Jamie leaned in and lowered her voice as if telling a secret. “Investigate him, and you’ll learn the truth, even if it’s not what you want to hear.”
That got Coop started again. “I want to see this so-called proof of my guilt,” Coop demanded.
Anthony lifted his hands, palms up. “You think I’m stupid enough to bring it with me? Right. Then you just kill me and take it.”
“I’m an FBI agent,” Coop fired back, “and I’m not in the habit of killing people just because they’re telling lies about me.”
“I’m not lying, and you know it.” Anthony turned to Kade and Bree. “I have an eyewitness who’ll testify that Agent Cooper here had a meeting with my father at the clinic, less than an hour before your cover was blown.”
Oh, that was not what Kade wanted to hear, and by God, it had better not be true. If so, Coop would pay and pay hard.
“That witness will also tell you that Cooper took money from my father,” Anthony smugly added.
It took a moment for Kade to get his teeth unclenched. Bree had a similar reaction. She was hurling daggers at Anthony with a cold glare, but she wasn’t exactly giving Coop a resounding vote of confidence, either.
“Sounds like I need to talk to this witness,” Bree commented.
“No, you don’t.” Coop walked toward Jamie and Anthony with his finger pointing at the man who’d just accused him of assorted felonies. “I’m not going to let you get away with this.”
Because Kade didn’t want Coop to do something they’d both regret, he grabbed his fellow agent. He held on until he was sure Coop would stay put.
“We’re not dealing with this here at the ranch,” Kade informed Anthony, Jamie and Coop. He shifted his attention to Anthony. “Bring the witness to the Silver Creek sheriff’s office. And while you’re at it, both of you come prepared to answer some more questions because this investigation is just getting started.”
Jamie groaned softly and mumbled something. “I’ve had enough questions to last me a lifetime.”
Kade tossed her a glare. “Then you’ll get a few more. Be there when Anthony brings in this secret witness.”
Much to Kade’s surprise, Anthony nodded, and his smile wasn’t so little now. The man was smirking when he headed back to his car. “Come on, Jamie. We’re finished here, for the moment.”
But Jamie paused a
“Anthony and you have nothing on me,” Coop fired back. “Neither does Hector McClendon.”
But Jamie only shrugged. “You’re investigating the wrong people, Agent Ryland. You need to be looking closer to home. You need to investigate Agent Cooper.”
Bree huffed and stepped around Kade, between Coop and him. But she didn’t say anything. She just studied Jamie from head to toe, and Kade had to wait just like the others to hear Bree’s take on all of this.
“Are you the woman who held me captive all those months?” Bree asked.
With all the other accusations flying around about Coop, Kade certainly hadn’t expected such a direct question from Bree. But he waited for Jamie’s answer and watched her expression. He wished he could strip those glasses off her so he could see her eyes because he was certain that question had hit some kind of nerve.
Jamie shifted her posture and folded her arms over her chest. “I did nothing wrong,” she insisted.
Kade looked at Bree to see if she believed Jamie, but Bree only shook her head. It made sense. After all, Bree had said her kidnappers had kept on prosthetic masks, but he’d hoped that she would recognize something about Jamie or Anthony.
Of course, maybe there was nothing to recognize because they hadn’t been the ones to hold her captive.
“Did. You. Hold. Me. Captive?” Bree repeated. Her anger came through loud and clear.
Jamie shifted again. “No.” She paused. “Are you accusing me so you can protect your boss? My advice? Don’t. Because accusing me won’t do anything for your safety. Or your baby’s safety.” Jamie leaned in and lowered her voice as if telling a secret. “Investigate him, and you’ll learn the truth, even if it’s not what you want to hear.”
That got Coop started again. “I want to see this so-called proof of my guilt,” Coop demanded.
Anthony lifted his hands, palms up. “You think I’m stupid enough to bring it with me? Right. Then you just kill me and take it.”
“I’m an FBI agent,” Coop fired back, “and I’m not in the habit of killing people just because they’re telling lies about me.”
“I’m not lying, and you know it.” Anthony turned to Kade and Bree. “I have an eyewitness who’ll testify that Agent Cooper here had a meeting with my father at the clinic, less than an hour before your cover was blown.”
Oh, that was not what Kade wanted to hear, and by God, it had better not be true. If so, Coop would pay and pay hard.
“That witness will also tell you that Cooper took money from my father,” Anthony smugly added.
It took a moment for Kade to get his teeth unclenched. Bree had a similar reaction. She was hurling daggers at Anthony with a cold glare, but she wasn’t exactly giving Coop a resounding vote of confidence, either.
“Sounds like I need to talk to this witness,” Bree commented.
“No, you don’t.” Coop walked toward Jamie and Anthony with his finger pointing at the man who’d just accused him of assorted felonies. “I’m not going to let you get away with this.”
Because Kade didn’t want Coop to do something they’d both regret, he grabbed his fellow agent. He held on until he was sure Coop would stay put.
“We’re not dealing with this here at the ranch,” Kade informed Anthony, Jamie and Coop. He shifted his attention to Anthony. “Bring the witness to the Silver Creek sheriff’s office. And while you’re at it, both of you come prepared to answer some more questions because this investigation is just getting started.”
Jamie groaned softly and mumbled something. “I’ve had enough questions to last me a lifetime.”
Kade tossed her a glare. “Then you’ll get a few more. Be there when Anthony brings in this secret witness.”
Much to Kade’s surprise, Anthony nodded, and his smile wasn’t so little now. The man was smirking when he headed back to his car. “Come on, Jamie. We’re finished here, for the moment.”
But Jamie paused a
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