Honey Trapped

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Walking along the edge of the lake, Pria took in the beauty of the recent snowfall. The lake gave the illusion of being a placid expanse of ice and snow, hiding the danger of the frigid water beneath. The trees that lined the lake were beautiful in their dormancy. Mr. Borks would love it here.

The unexpected thought brought a pang to her heart. It wasn't the first time she'd thought of him over the last couple of years. She tried to keep those thoughts at bay, though, because every time she thought of Mr. Borks, memories of Drew followed close behind.

Brogue had sent her a text earlier that morning: We're going to have to talk at some point. Have dinner with me. We can go out or stay in, your choice.

Pria was tempted because he was right. They were going to have to talk. Except, she wasn't ready to tell him what she wasn't sure he needed to know. Having dinner with him was a complete no-go until she could gather her thoughts.

Licking her wounds until the end of trial had been her way of coping. She'd promised herself no soul-searching until it was over. Then the Donna thing had come up and she'd been forced to focus on that for her own safety.

She couldn't let the fact that Brogue was intent on a discussion distract her. Getting involved with Brogue before her head was on straight would only waylay that. And truth to tell, Brogue was far down on her list of priorities right now. Having just lost her job because of her part in helping the FBI, meant Pria needed to scramble together a plan for her immediate future.

Her cell rang and for a crazy moment, her heart jumped. "Hello?"

"Hello, Collati."

"Hi." She panted a relieved breath. "Um ... I'm not really sure how to address you."

"Rosario is fine, but everyone who works with me calls me Ma'am."

Pria made a sound that was supposed to be a laugh. "I've noticed. I wanted to ask about that but thought it would be rude. How can I help you?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to lend us a hand again."

Damn these suits! "Tony and Donati in over their heads again?"

Rosario laughed and Pria liked the sound. "No. Actually, we've been having one issue after another with our techs lately, and we had one up and quit this morning. You did really well with Donna Screnci, and with the way Williams and Tony have been singing your praises, I was wondering if you'd be interested in freelancing for a bit. We have quite a bit going on right now and since you now need a job, it might help to keep you occupied while you figure out your next steps."

She straightened, eyes going wide. Had she heard him correctly? "What about my connections to Sal? Wouldn't that look bad for your agency?"

"Let me worry about that. You should ask Tony about his sister sometime, or Williams about her uncle, or hell, even Donati about his little sister. It's very rare to find a squeaky-clean family these days."

Brogue had a little sister? So much for being an only child. She wouldn't let herself think of what else he may have lied about.

"Why don't you take a couple of days to think about it?" Rosario offered. "But just so you know, if this works, if you're a good fit, the offer will become a permanent one. I like you, Ms. Collati. You make Donati squirm, and I cannot tell you enough how much I get a kick out of that."

"I don't have to think it over. I'd be glad to help in any way I can."

"Fantastic. I'll see you in the office tomorrow morning at seven." He didn't wait for her to respond before hanging up.