Chloe Wallace needs a new start. When she lands in Washington, D.C. she hopes for the best. Finding a new job, meeting new people, and living a normal life away from her abusive ex-husband.
She moves into the Capital Plaza Apartments, right across t...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CW: Descriptions of murder and body disposal sites.
Please vote and comment on the chapter!
spencer.
"I'm nervous," Chloe whispers as the elevator doors open and she spots the glass doors with the FBI logo on them.
"You're going to be fine," I assure her. "Hotch said the case was local, so there's no danger of me having to leave you."
She's dressed in a pair of tight black jeans, a t-shirt, and my navy blue cardigan with the white and baby blue trim. It's the warmest one I own, and it's my favorite. It was the first thing she gravitated toward when I was trying to find something to wear.
"Can I wear this? It makes me feel safe."
I couldn't say no, and it looks a lot better on her than it does on me. Even with her messy, frazzled ponytail and the dark circles under her eyes, she's still the most beautiful woman I've seen in a long time. Just thinking about her makes my heart race.
"Yeah, but... this is..." She takes a deep breath, eyes flitting around the BAU as we step through the doors.
I grasp her hand and pull her aside, the two of us standing on the edge of the bullpen. Chloe looks so nervous that, at first glance, some of the other agents are looking at her like she's a suspect. My hands rest on her the sides of her face and I lean in to kiss her softly.
"I know this is overwhelming, but..." I press my forehead against hers. "I'm not going to leave you."
"You're going to have to take a case out of state some time."
"And someone will be with you keeping an eye on you."
"What happens if they have to leave?" Chloe asks.
"Agent Reid." Strauss's voice and her heels clicking on the floor slice through the tension between Chloe and I. "What are you doing here?"
I pull back and wrap my arm around Chloe, keeping her as close to me as possible. Strauss raises a brow and Chloe stiffens. I'm not in the mood for this. Chloe's already terrified, there's no reason for Strauss to try to intimidate her even more. Irritation stings the back of my throat. Why is she here at 3:00am? She's carrying her fake Prada bag with her black wool coat slung over her forearm which means she's on her way out.
"Paperwork," I lie.
"And you're bringing... sorry, are you an agent?" Strauss asks.
"No, I'm—"
"You'll need a security clearance."
White hot anger blooms in my chest. I'm neutral about most people, but Strauss sticks her nose where it doesn't belong. She doesn't understand what we do and she doesn't seem to care.
