Double Played: The Cassie Morgan Series

By Laura Teagan

Six months after Cassie Morgan faced the Assassin, it's time for her to get back to work. After a break from the FBI, Cassie arrives to find her first assignment: the death of her former informant, Maria Floures.

 

In order to bring justice to Floures, Cassie is assigned to work with a group of DEA agents investigating a drug ring that has ties to Floures and the man suggested of murdering her. One of those DEA agents is Seth Edwards, a man who recently stood Cassie up on a blind date.

 

While she tries to ignore the tension between her and Seth, the two must work closely together when Seth goes undercover to infiltrate the drug group tied to Floures.

 

Once he's in, Cassie realizes that this group may be connected to more than just Floures. As they peel back the structure of the drug ring, Cassie realizes a figure from her past is at the head of it, and Cassie may have just been double played.

 

DOUBLE PLAYED is a mystery novel with a (very) slow burn romance, and the second in a series.

THE CASSIE MORGAN SERIES
1. The Assassin
2. Double Played
3. Justice and Lies (coming soon

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laura Teagan
• Release date: Apr 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201794446

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Just take a deep breath. They can't be mad at you for taking time off. How often does someone discover your father is a serial killer?

Hopefully only once, I say. Honestly, I don't think I could take another bombshell discovery like that. Ever.

Jess brings my hair from behind my shoulder and drops it at the front. If they try to give you shit, just remind them they're the ones who always advocate that agents take time off for mental health.

I nod, because she's right. They do tell us that. "I don't think they anticipate a six month break for that."

You're just special, she says.

Special Agent.

You bet. Cass, you'll be fine.

God, I hope so. It's been six months since I left the FBI, and now I'm ready to get back to work. I think I am, or I feel like I ought to be. Six months is a long time, and things should be normal by now.

It's almost time for you to go in. Anything else you need to tell me? she asks.

The way she phrases her question, I almost wonder if she knows. I stare at her for a few seconds, trying to get a read. No. Just wish me luck, I say.

Of course. Jess gives me a brief hug before fixing my suit jacket. Always prepared to make everyone else look good. She's one of the best for a reason. You'll be awesome.

I spent three years preparing to become a special agent. I spent eight months doing basic things, had one assignment to track a suspected criminal, got thrown onto the Brent Rossett case....

And left the FBI.

What was I supposed to do? I had just faced the fight of my life. I needed to rest and recharge. And as far as I know, the FBI doesn't have a policy for what happens when one becomes the personal target of a serial killer. So, I left to figure out what was next, to get things in order.

Now I just have to convince The Director and his board that what I did was the right thing.

Okay, go. Jess gives me one last hug before shooing me into the conference room. It's a room I've never been in before, and I take a moment to take my surroundings.

They label it a conference room, but it looks more like a mini court room. Typical FBI. One table sits on the left side of the room, and a single chair accompanies it. The other table is longer, two or three tables pushed together. That's where The Director and his board are sitting. The larger table suggests more power, even though that's not always the case.

The Director looks up from his notepad on the table and smiles, but the smile doesn't quite make it to his eyes, and I'm just a tad suspicious. Cassandra, it's so nice to see you, he says. The way The Director always uses my full name almost leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. At one point, I considered him a mentor, and it almost felt like a term of endearment. After six months, I don't know what to feel anymore.

You too, sir. After being away for so long, it's a bit strange to be back here, facing the man who unintentionally set me up to meet my father.

Well, I met the man who led me to my father.

And I then I met my father, too.

I shake my head. I'm not going to worry about that anymore. It's been six months since that happened. When I think about all of it (which is most of the time), I can't believe I somehow made it out with just a few scars on my leg and a heart that was utterly confused.

Still, dealing with the fact that my father is a serial killer? I think most people would agree that it would take a long time to fully recover from that, especially since he tried to kill me. Other people mourn the death of their parents, and mine tried to bring death to me. The fact that I'm still dealing with that feels okay, but still dealing with feelings for a man I haven't seen in that amount of time? Get over it, Morgan. It ain't happening. Never thought I would fall for a man who had abandoned the FBI, but I also never thought I would meet my father, and I had both happen to me in one case.

Please, sit down. Everyone else will join us in a moment. The Director points to the one chair sitting by itself. Everywhere I go lately, it feels like it's me against the world. My chair versus a table.

Thank you. I walk over and sit down. In a few minutes all eyes will be on me. After the Rossett matter, I realized that I'm not a fan of everyone looking at me. The press wanted to eat me alive, and that was a big factor in my decision to leave. Being an FBI agent requires a certain degree of secrecy, and with everyone and their mother plastering my face on the internet and on TV, it was hard to do my job.

So, I added it to my collection of reasons to get the hell out of D.C.

The back door opens, and I look up, watching the group of agents walk in. I only recognize one woman, Deputy Director Walker. She's new on her job, appointed when I was gone, but she looks confident in herself.

At some point, though, I'd like to think I walked like Walker did, confidently, and in control of myself. Now I operate in some weird no-man's land between a negative level of self-confidence and some neutral zone where I neither love myself nor hate myself. I go from moments of intense emotions to nothingness quickly now. All of my flaws from before Rossett have grown since Rossett.

The rest of the agents? No idea.

All the agents, including Walker and The Director, sit down at their long table and take a moment to look over some files. My fact sheet is in there, and it's probably accompanied by some press releases involving the Rossett matter and internal documents detailing my work with Connor Anders and how it led to finding Rossett.

Basically all my secrets from the end of the year are in their hands. Well, most of them. I held onto a few for later on when I actually need them.

After a moment, Walker leans over to her microphone. Ms. Morgan. Ouch. Not even Special Agent anymore. Thank you for joining us. As I'm sure you know, coming back to the FBI after a leave of absence is a detailed process. You've taken all the appropriate steps, but we want to make sure that your return is at the right time and that you're ready for it. So in your words, tell me exactly why you left.

Oh, where do I even begin?

I had a bit of an identity crisis, I guess. I grew up for twenty-two years not knowing who either of my parents were. My whole life people told me my father was a deadbeat, and I knew my mother was just dead. No one ever told me that my mother was dead because my father was a serial killer.

So you had no idea that The Assassin was your father? Walker asks.

I bite my lip, because I hate this question. They've asked me this under a polygraph, they've asked me under oath. They've thought of every way to try and trick me into admitting I knew ahead of time, but there was no way for me to know what I didn't know. You know, I really hate that term. He's technically not an assassin, he's just a murderer. But that would be correct. I had no idea. Just like I had no idea Sarah Marlay was my mother.

An agent at the end of the table writes down a few notes, and I'm hoping that this reminder will work in my favor. The world knows about Brent Rossett, the murderer who escaped from jail. But in the FBI, my mother is just as infamous, but in a better way. Rossett is a monster, but what I've learned in the past few months suggests my mother was a badass.

What a peculiar situation to be in. You find out your father kills people, but your mother was one of the top special agents in the history of the Bureau. And you expect us to believe that you had no idea until Rossett was out of jail? Walker asks.

I shoot a look at The Director. I don't know why he's letting her do all the talking, but so far, I don't like her.

Ma'am, I grew up in a string of foster homes. Now knowing what I know about my parents, it's easy to see that none of the foster families would have clearance to have access to files about Sarah or Brent. It was lost in the paperwork shuffle. By the time I was old enough to really push for answers, I didn't think I cared anymore. What good would knowing who my parents were do? My mother has been dead for almost twenty-three years, and my father obviously didn't want me.

Walker takes the moment to jot down some note.

Ms. Morgan, you took a leave of absence three weeks after the events with Rossett. Six months is a long time. How do we know that you're ready to join the FBI again?

The big question. It got to the point where instead of feeling peaceful at home, I became restless. I needed to get out of my apartment. That's when I knew it was time to get back to work.

Special Agent Morgan, forgive me, but you must understand why we're worried. There isn't typical special agent training for these sorts of things. Did you have any sort of repercussions after the incident?

I try not to let my face falter at the question. Play it cool, Morgan. Well, yes. I think after what happened, it would be natural to have some sort of setback. It's not often one finds herself on the floor with her father trying to stick a knife in her. That was six months ago. He's in jail, and I've made forward progress in putting the situation behind me. What happened that night will make me a better agent.

How so? The Director asks.

Brent Rossett got inside my head. I survived a case that was personal, even though it shouldn't have been. A personal vendetta is a strong thing. I survived. The people who are out there now will have nothing compared to that. I read people faster. I see what's coming quicker.

This time it's The Director who scribbles down his notes. I've waited months for this day. Jess even helped me prepare for the questions we knew the board would ask. All of these things are questions I've answered time and time again. Yet, I feel scared inside. What if the FBI doesn't want me anymore? What if, at twenty-three, I'm damaged goods? I passed the physical. The scars on my leg don't slow me down, at least not until I look at them.

I look around the room, at the line of top special agents who are either looking back at me or taking notes. Coming back after a leave of absence is worse than what it took to get hired on in the first place. Special Agent Morgan, is it true that you left to go to Texas for five months? If so, why? The Director asks.

A few reasons. Texas is home, and I needed a safe place to recover. There was also intense press coverage of my life here in D.C. So, I escaped for a few months. Took some time to heal, both emotionally and physically. Look, I get it. An agent leaving after her first big case looks horrible on paper. But keep in mind, this wasn't just any ordinary case. This was personal on so many levels. I'll never have another case like this again. If I can survive that, I can survive any case you throw at me.

In your testimony after the fact, you discovered that Rossett was your father because of a picture? Explain that again, Walker says.

"I have this photo of myself as a baby. I don't know the details behind it or how I've managed to keep it all these years. After Rossett escaped, People Magazine did an article about him and Sarah. There was a little inset box about their baby, including a picture. That was the same picture I have. I recognized it immediately."

So someone else has a copy of this picture?

Yes. That's the only logical conclusion.

But you don't know who? Walker asks.

No, I don't know.

Have you contacted the magazine to see who submitted that photo? The Director asks.

No, sir, I have not. I don't know if I want to know who has that photo. The agent in me says I need to follow the potential lead, but the woman who almost died at the hands of her father? She wants nothing to do with it. For now, I'm listening to the woman, not the agent.

Walker and The Director begin talking in hushed tones, and I wonder if I said something wrong. All right, thank you, Ms. Morgan. That's all for now.

CHAPTER 2

Hey, waiter! Can we get another? He raises his hand, trying to flag down the bartender. When the bartender turns and makes eye contact with me, I simply shrug and send my apologies. A tiny part of me suspects that my date has ulterior motives for ordering more drinks, and I need to decline.

Yep, date.

Oh, no. I'm fine. If I have another drink, I won't make it home from this date. The real reason I want to get back to work? I won't have all this free time to go on dates. I arrived back in D.C. about two weeks ago to start the process to go back to work. Since then, Jess has set me up with a few dates. Every excuse I've ever made about not dating has been related to working, and since I'm not working, I really don't have an excuse not to go.

Jess is only trying to help. The whole ordeal with Connor Anders was a mess, only made worse because we worked so closely together on catching Brent Rossett. Jess just wants me to find someone to move on with, but I don't know if that's possible. Not that I don't believe I'll get over it. In some ways I feel like I already have. But the idea of finding someone to date and move on with? It's weird to think about.

Originally, I was investigating Connor for insider gambling and a few other things the FBI was suspected him of. Turns out, The Director didn't give me all the information. Eventually, instead of arresting Connor, I ended up making a deal with him to bring in Brent Rossett. Whether this deal landed me on Rossett's radar or not is hard to know since my team helped with the FBI investigation. While Connor had always been considered a rogue agent, working with him almost made me feel like I went a little rogue. I lied and hid things from my team, worked around the FBI, and I had no one who knew exactly what was going on. Except Connor.

So of course, for the girl who basically never had feelings for a guy before (foster child who moved every year of her childhood, and I didn't see it necessary to even try and make relationships), I would fall for the one man that I ought to run away from.

And because FBI ladies have to have balls sometimes, when I knew that I wasn't going to see him again, I made sure he'd at least remember me.

Six months later, Jess still thinks I need someone to move on with.

But, even if I do meet a man that I end up having a relationship with, it sure won't be with this guy. The moment I told him I worked for the FBI, he put the news coverage from December and my job together, and he hasn't shut up about it since.

What, you survive your dad trying to kill you and you can't take another drink? he asks.

A tad bit obsessed with the whole Assassin thing, that's for sure. I never expected that I would go on a date with a fanboy. I didn't even know being an FBI agent would get me a fanboy. If he wasn't so excited, I might consider another date. But this is a deal breaker.

Brandon, I say, praying that I got his name right. Being attacked by a guy with a knife and having alcohol are two totally separate things. And if you're implying that I can't handle my alcohol, you're sadly mistaken. I'd drink you under the table if I wanted to.

That sounds like a challenge.

Oh my goodness. This whole date has sucked. If he isn't asking about the Rossett incident, he's droning on about his job in financing, and now he wants to have a drink-off? I mean, after my last date I did complain how it wasn't entertaining to Jess. So she gets back with me by setting me up with this guy? While he's slightly crazy, at least it's not a total bore.

I'll admit, maybe I'm being picky, but it's so hard to date. While I didn't actually suspect this would be a problem, I'm realizing the fact that I'm suspended in this half famous state where people realize they know me from somewhere, but they don't know where, is indeed a problem. So I always run the risk of being noticed, and it goes against my nature of being an FBI agent to acknowledge that people recognize me. Not that I believe FBI agents go around in secrecy all the time, but our main job while investigating cases is to blend in.

Can't do that when you're on the news every night. And after the crazy case of Brent Rossett, my life has been anything but calm. Going on dates with people like this Brandon guy, with his boring job, makes me realize that I can't find a balance. I'd love a person who didn't have a life like mine, but all the people who have calm lives come off as bored.

I didn't even know you could talk about financing so much, and yet here he is doing so.

Of course, I know why Jess picked him in particular. I can just hear everyone I know now, telling me that we'd make such cute little redheaded babies. But that won't happen.

It's not a challenge. I can't take this anymore. Look, I think it's time for me to leave.

Like you're saying the date is over? Brandon looks at me with sad little eyes, almost like he's a little boy. If he starts crying, I may shoot him. I still have my personal piece.

That is exactly what I am saying. Thanks. I grab my purse and scoot out of the booth before he can say anything. Thankfully, I sat at the end