𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐄 ━━ 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴

⠀⠀𝟬𝟵. ❛ HE HAUNTS ME ❜

     "Valentine?"

     Spoke too soon.

     "Hotch... maybe we should let her sleep." As soon as the voice had finished speaking, a soft hand landed on my shoulder. My body jolted awake at the simple touch and my eyes shot open only to meet the familiar blondes'.

     Grimacing at the slightly startled expression that briefly graced my features, Agent Jareau gave me a forced smile. "I didn't mean to startle you," she apologized, her eyes washing over my appearance. Nodding in response, I turned my head and tucked a strand of platinum blonde hair behind my ear.

     "We found Marcus Taylor and Flint Bradley's bodies at the Pink Dolphin," Morgan announced, causing my head to snap upward. "The entire place was emptied out. Every nook and cranny— scrubbed. There's no evidence of anyone ever being there." Not surprising. Taylor and Bradley were simply collateral damage. Pawns in the middle of an intense chess match.

     "There wasn't anything at the mansion either. It was empty and clean, just like the club." Rossi added, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants.

     "All the places you gave us turned up empty," Hotch said, and I sighed, turning my gaze to where he, Blake, Rossi, and Spencer stood by the door.

     Raising a brow, I glanced between the four of them. "Even the storage unit?" I clarified, and the man nodded.

     "I want to take you to the Pink Dolphin," Hotch said, tilting his head the tiniest bit as he stared down at me. "You know what to specifically look for. We don't," he added after he'd noticed how still I'd become.

     My eyes were trained on the grey wall in front of me and I held my breath for a solid ten seconds before letting it go. "As soon as I exit this building, I'm a dead girl walking. Don't you remember?" I asked. There was an edge in my tone and it was noticeable.

     "You'll be in disguise and we'll keep you safe. No one is going to lay a hand on you," Blake said reassuringly, but she didn't sound convinced. "We have clothes for you and there's a bathroom down the hall that you can use to change in," she added, and I blinked solemnly, running a hand through my hair.

     "All right." Pushing off the floor, I felt myself becoming lightheaded and a wave of dizziness hit me as I followed behind Agent Jareau. Fight it off. I couldn't let them know something was up; that I wasn't okay. Focusing my attention on the floor, I nearly smiled at the coldness of the tiles against my bare feet as we made our way out of the room and down the hall.

     There was an awkward but tense silence between the two of us, and I could tell by the way she laid her hands in her pockets that she felt uneasy. Her left hand was clenched while her right was tapping against her leg repeatedly. "Stay there," she instructed, eyeing me as she walked over to a police officer's desk, grabbing a plastic bag. Gesturing for me to follow her, she led us to a bathroom that was located right across from what I was assuming to be a conference room.

     "Clothes, along with a pair of shoes, are in the bag." Jareau clarified, handing me the bag after she'd taken off the cuffs. I nodded and turned my back to her and locking myself in a stall. Opening the bag, I saw a pair of black leggings, a very worn out and faded light-blue Prince tour t-shirt, new underwear, a black beanie, white socks and a pair of converses. Disguise my ass. They were obviously going for an outfit that was the exact opposite of what I'd been wearing; ripped black skinny jeans, a silk white long sleeve blouse, and a leather jacket with black stilettos.

     After changing, I used the bathroom for the first time in hours and shoved my other clothes in the plastic bag. Unlocking the stall, I could feel Agent Jareau's eyes locked on my figure as I began washing my hands. "Have you been completely honest with us?" she asked as I dried my hands off with a towel.