Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Benedict arrives seconds later, his expression dark and unreadable. “Did he see you?”
“I don’t know,” I breathe, my voice trembling. “But I can’t stay out there.”
“No, you definitely can’t.” Benedict strides toward the bank of surveillance screens, his fingers hovering over the controls as he scans for any sign of the Delgado party. His brow furrows in concentration, and the soft glow of the monitors casts shadows across his sharp features. “Maybe it’s best for tonight we both stay out of sight.”
I nod, the knot in my chest tightening with every second. “Yes. Good idea,” I agree, moving closer to the monitors, my eyes scanning the footage as if the answers are hidden there. “What do you think he’s doing here?” My voice is soft and quiet.
Benedict glances at me, his expression unreadable, but there’s a flicker of something in his eyes—a hesitation, like he’s holding back. It’s subtle, but I catch it, and my stomach twists. He knows something. Something he’s not saying.
My mind starts racing, trying to piece together the scattered puzzle of information. Christopher was involved with Gregory Saunders—of that I’m sure. And Gregory Saunders was connected to the Delgados. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that Christopher is, too. But why? How deep does this go?
The realization hits me like a sledgehammer, the weight of it knocking the breath from my lungs. My eyes widen as the truth slams into me. Of course. It’s all connected. Saunders’ death, Christopher’s sudden appearance. It’s not a coincidence.
“Well, we know Christopher knew Gregory Saunders,” I whisper, the words barely audible. My heart pounds in my chest, and I can feel the walls closing in as the gravity of the situation sinks in. “He could know the Delgados too.”
Benedict turns fully toward me now, his expression more serious than ever. He doesn’t have to say anything. His silence speaks volumes. He knew this, or at least suspected it. The cold, hard truth of it sits between us, and I feel the ground shift beneath my feet.
I want to drown in the flood of possibilities, to lose myself in the endless questions swirling in my mind. How long has this been going on? How much does Christopher know? And most terrifying of all… what does this mean for me?
“I need answers,” I mutter, my voice shaking. But I don’t know where to begin.
Chapter 23
Benedict
I watch Eva, her eyes wide with fear and suspicion as she stares at the surveillance screens. She’s piecing things together, I can see it in the way her expression shifts, her breath catching. She’s smart—too smart, really—but there’s only so much I can let her figure out. The truth, the full scope of what’s going on, would tear her world apart. And that’s a risk I can’t take.
I can’t tell her everything I know. I can’t tell her about the shell corporation we’ve been tracking, or how I think Christopher is tied to the Delgados in more ways than she’s realized. The connections between the money laundering, the trafficking ring, and her ex-husband are staring me right in the face, but I’m trapped. I can’t blow my cover. Not now, not when I’m this close.
She’d never understand. How could she?
I feel the weight of the priest collar around my neck, as if it’s a noose tightening with every lie I tell, every truth I bury deeper. She thinks I’m just a priest, bound by the church, privy to nothing more than whispered confessions and the odd piece of gossip. And that’s exactly what she needs to keep believing.
If she knew the real reason I’m here, everything would fall apart. She’d look at me differently, with the same mistrust and betrayal I’ve seen in the eyes of too many before her. The facade of Father Benedict—the calm, collected priest who offers nothing but guidance—would be shattered. And the undercover agent beneath? He’s a man with blood on his hands, secrets that could burn everything to the ground.
I glance at her again. She’s pacing now, nervous energy spilling out of her in waves. “What do you think he’s doing here?” she asks, and I can hear the tremble in her voice, the desperation.
I want to tell her everything. God, I do. I want to tell her how Christopher is tied up in something far darker than she could imagine, how I’ve been watching him, trying to piece together his role in this twisted web of crime.
But I can’t. As a priest, I’d have no reason to know any of this. And as an undercover agent, I can’t risk it.
She wouldn’t understand the choices I’ve had to make. The lives I’ve had to sacrifice in the name of justice. She’d never look at me the same way again.
So instead, I stand here, my hands clenched into fists at my sides, and lie through my teeth. “I don’t know,” I say, keeping my voice steady. “But we’ll figure it out.”