Chapter 2

The look on Hector's face was something else.

It moved through shock, then suspicion, then — just barely visible beneath the surface — a flash of wild excitement.

"What makes you think you can?" he asked. His voice came out rough, strained from the ropes cutting into him.

"Because I'm The Apex's top agent — and you're my leverage." I said it straight.

I didn't give him time to think. I grabbed the knife from his belt and sliced through the ropes binding him.

"Your men will figure out something's wrong soon and come looking. We don't have much time." I stood up and dusted off my hands.

Hector rolled his wrists, working out the numbness where the ropes had cut in. He looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"What do you want?" Direct. That was one of the things I liked about him.

"I want to survive. And then I want revenge." My voice was calm, but only I knew what kind of rage was burning inside me.

"Deal." That was all Hector said.

He was smart. He knew the situation — working with me was his only way out.

It didn't take long before Hector's men followed the sound of gunshots and found us.

When they saw Hector standing there unharmed, with me at his side, everyone froze.

"Clean this up." Hector pointed to the bodies on the ground and gave the order to his right-hand man. "Nothing happened here today."

"Yes, boss."

I followed Hector back to his base — a fortified compound hidden deep in the rainforest.

He gave me the cleanest room available and told me to rest first.

I didn't argue. After three years undercover, it had been a long time since I'd slept properly.

But just as I was about to lie down, there was a knock at my door. It was Hector's right-hand man — a guy named Felix.

"Madam, the boss asked me to give you this."

Felix handed me an encrypted satellite phone.

"We'll use this to reach you when there's news."

"You already have something?" I asked.

Felix nodded, his expression a little off.

"Our people dug up some information about Nightingale. Turns out her so-called cover being blown was nothing — just a minor skirmish during an arms deal with Victor's crew. She barely got scratched."

Barely got scratched.

I repeated those words in my head. It felt like a sick joke.

Over a scratch. Zane had thrown away a three-year operation — and thrown me away with it — over a scratch.

"Also," Felix continued, "The Apex's Deputy Director, Silas, just got off a call with Zane."

My stomach tightened.

Silas was Zane's direct superior — and one of the most cunning operators inside The Apex.

"What did they say?"

"Silas told Zane he fully supported the decision to cut you loose. His exact words were…" Felix paused. "'Sometimes you have to sacrifice one to protect the whole.'"

Sacrifice one to protect the whole.

How noble.

So that's all I was to them — the "one" they could throw away whenever it was convenient.

I gripped the satellite phone so hard my nails were nearly digging into my palm.

"Got it."

I shut the door and leaned back against it. My legs gave out, and I slid slowly to the floor.

This wasn't abandonment.

This was a setup. A complete and total setup.

One that my lover and my own organization had built together — just for me.