that she was still married to him. In the process, she'd almost ruined Taz's still new relationship with Bianca. Sure, it had been a desperate move done so she and Essie could go underground and escape Jarrod, but that didn't make it right. It had been easier to justify when she didn't know the team, didn't know Bianca. Now that she'd spent time with the former bad little rich girl made good, the shame of what she'd done twisted her into knots. Bianca had every reason in the world to hate her, but instead of whacking her over the head with a shovel and burying her out in the boonies, she'd given Tamara a job and breathing room to figure out a plan to keep Essie safe.
It was nice while it lasted, but with the bounty hunter showing up at the engagement party she couldn't pretend that Jarrod had forgotten about her and Essie anymore. It was time to take the little stash of money she'd managed to save and get off the grid. If Jarrod couldn't find her, then Essie would have a chance.
It was time to go.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her laptop. "Bianca, I really appreciate everything you've done for me."
Bianca leaned one shoulder against the doorjamb and crossed her arms across her chest. "Why do I hear a ‘but’?"
"No ‘but’." At least not one she could say. They'd find everything tomorrow, and by that time, she'd be on the road for places unknown. "I know how I came here was wrong. I shouldn't still be here. I'm sorry for that."
"I'm not." Bianca shrugged.
Tamara tried to process what that meant, but couldn't. Of all the people at the B-Squad, Bianca and Taz had more reason to want to see her ass hit the road than anyone else, and she couldn't blame them.
Outside in the hall, the murmurs went silent. The elevator binged its arrival.
There was only one reason for that.
Isaac.
"He's a good guy," Bianca said. "You can trust him."
"How do you know?"
The other woman gave her an understanding smile. "Taz trusts him and that's enough for me."
Tamara tried to imagine what that was like, trusting another human being so much. It was like trying to imagine what sunshine tasted like—a silly fantasy she didn't have time for.
----
Isaac
The elevator opened up to reveal a human gauntlet. Isaac should have expected it. They'd been giving him shit all week about Tamara. There was no way in hell they were going to miss the chance to bust his balls. It was okay, he had big brass ones.
"You're all a bunch of assholes." He flipped off their grinning faces.
"Camacho." Taz stood in the middle of the scrum, looking every bit like the heavyweight championship boxer he'd been. "Let's chat."
Fuck. Now this he had been hoping to avoid. "Sure, man."
He ducked into Lexie's empty office. The whole place was covered in cats. Inspirational posters on the wall. Figurines. Stuffed animals. Even a life-sized cardboard cutout of a cat in mid-swipe with its claws extended, blood dripping from the edges. The woman had some crazy cat lady shit going on, no doubt about it. He made a mental note not to piss her off. Shit, that could be applied to everyone at the B-Squad.
Taz closed the door behind him and then leaned against it with his arms crossed and a grim look on his face.
Oh, this is going to be a good time.
"You're going out with Tamara?" Taz asked, his eyes narrowed.
Isaac sat down on the corner of Lexie's desk, careful to maintain an unconcerned air even as guilt seeped in. "Was I supposed to ask permission first?"
Okay, Tamara was Taz's ex-wife and the guy code was pretty clear on this, but the rules had never been something Isaac had overly concerned himself with. It was one of the many things that made him a shitty team player.
"No." Taz clenched his jaw tight, obviously as uncomfortable with this chick flick moment as he was. "She's a grown woman who can make her own decisions."
Isaac's shoulders relaxed a few millimeters. He wasn't a part of the B-Squad team. He didn't belong so much as he was B-Squad adjacent, just the
It was nice while it lasted, but with the bounty hunter showing up at the engagement party she couldn't pretend that Jarrod had forgotten about her and Essie anymore. It was time to take the little stash of money she'd managed to save and get off the grid. If Jarrod couldn't find her, then Essie would have a chance.
It was time to go.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her laptop. "Bianca, I really appreciate everything you've done for me."
Bianca leaned one shoulder against the doorjamb and crossed her arms across her chest. "Why do I hear a ‘but’?"
"No ‘but’." At least not one she could say. They'd find everything tomorrow, and by that time, she'd be on the road for places unknown. "I know how I came here was wrong. I shouldn't still be here. I'm sorry for that."
"I'm not." Bianca shrugged.
Tamara tried to process what that meant, but couldn't. Of all the people at the B-Squad, Bianca and Taz had more reason to want to see her ass hit the road than anyone else, and she couldn't blame them.
Outside in the hall, the murmurs went silent. The elevator binged its arrival.
There was only one reason for that.
Isaac.
"He's a good guy," Bianca said. "You can trust him."
"How do you know?"
The other woman gave her an understanding smile. "Taz trusts him and that's enough for me."
Tamara tried to imagine what that was like, trusting another human being so much. It was like trying to imagine what sunshine tasted like—a silly fantasy she didn't have time for.
----
Isaac
The elevator opened up to reveal a human gauntlet. Isaac should have expected it. They'd been giving him shit all week about Tamara. There was no way in hell they were going to miss the chance to bust his balls. It was okay, he had big brass ones.
"You're all a bunch of assholes." He flipped off their grinning faces.
"Camacho." Taz stood in the middle of the scrum, looking every bit like the heavyweight championship boxer he'd been. "Let's chat."
Fuck. Now this he had been hoping to avoid. "Sure, man."
He ducked into Lexie's empty office. The whole place was covered in cats. Inspirational posters on the wall. Figurines. Stuffed animals. Even a life-sized cardboard cutout of a cat in mid-swipe with its claws extended, blood dripping from the edges. The woman had some crazy cat lady shit going on, no doubt about it. He made a mental note not to piss her off. Shit, that could be applied to everyone at the B-Squad.
Taz closed the door behind him and then leaned against it with his arms crossed and a grim look on his face.
Oh, this is going to be a good time.
"You're going out with Tamara?" Taz asked, his eyes narrowed.
Isaac sat down on the corner of Lexie's desk, careful to maintain an unconcerned air even as guilt seeped in. "Was I supposed to ask permission first?"
Okay, Tamara was Taz's ex-wife and the guy code was pretty clear on this, but the rules had never been something Isaac had overly concerned himself with. It was one of the many things that made him a shitty team player.
"No." Taz clenched his jaw tight, obviously as uncomfortable with this chick flick moment as he was. "She's a grown woman who can make her own decisions."
Isaac's shoulders relaxed a few millimeters. He wasn't a part of the B-Squad team. He didn't belong so much as he was B-Squad adjacent, just the
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