Page 12 of Under His Protection

His phone rings, a sharp, insistent ring that cuts through the room. Harvey glances towards the other desk, a frown creasing his brow. “Right, I have to take this.” He picks up, his voice gruff and clipped. “Yes—okay—I’ll be there soon.”

He hangs up the phone and narrows his eyes. “Seems like there’s a situation down at the harbor, possible murder.” His gaze shifts to the Veles file on his desk, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface. “It’s always the same story, isn’t it?”

I freeze. My mind races, linking the news of the murder to Alexander, to Michelle. Alexander had left to find her. So he shouldn’t be in town, right? But the harbor? That’s where he brings in the ships carrying stolen artifacts. Could he be there and caught up in this?

“Anything to do with Veles?” I ask. My hands start to tremble as I tuck them under the table. I don’t want Harvey to see.

He shakes his head. “Not that I know of,” he replies. “But it’s a good reminder that this city is never truly safe.”

He takes a long sip of his coffee, the sound of the liquid sloshing in the mug a jarring noise. I relax the tension in my shoulders, focusing on Harvey’s words. Maybe it’s just a coincidence.

“I need to ask you something,” I say. “Do you know anything about a man called the Raven? Someone who works alone, pulling strings. A man behind a network—”

Harvey’s gaze darkens, the lines on his face etching deeper. “The Raven?” he says, his voice a low growl. He takes another long sip of his coffee. “I don’t know anything about a Raven. There was a criminal many years ago, someone who worked on his own, a ghost. His nickname was the Specter.”

I swallow, and for some reason, my throat is parched. The Specter. Why that name?

“You think it can be connected?”

“Honestly, I don’t know, Ava— everything is descending— I have to go.”

“Yeah, sure, thanks, Harvey,” I say. “For everything.”

I push my chair back from the desk, standing up. My heart is pounding in my chest, and my body buzzes. I want to leave, to get out of this place, but at the same time, the file with my name on it beacons to me.

Take it, take it.

I step toward Harvey, reaching out to thank him again, but I lose my balance. My fingers clench into a fist. I stumble, reaching out, and I end up gripping his shoulder.

I look at him, my cheeks burning with my fake stumble, and my eyes widen. “I’m sorry,” I stutter.

I didn’t get close enough to the file to grab it, and it’s still on the table. Damn it.

“It’s alright,” he says, his voice gentle. “I can see you’re rattled. Take it easy.”

I step back and try to relax my grip, but my fingers can’t seem to let go. I give him a tight smile, a feeble attempt at composure. “Give my best to Tyler, hope he’s well.”

He cracks a smile, the first time he has smiled since I came in. “He’s doing good, my boy. He’s got a girlfriend, a lovely young woman.”

“That’s great,” I say, nodding, forcing a smile. A good, safe life is just what Tyler needs. He’s not a wreck like me, not someone who’s been dragged into this world of crime. I shake the thought away, trying to focus on the present.

“They’ve actually moved back to Port Haven,” he says.

I freeze for a moment, “Oh? Well, that’s – that’s interesting.”

A sense of unease, cold and sharp, makes the hairs on my neck rise, and I have no idea why.

I turn to leave, my gaze lingering on Harvey’s desk. He’s turned his back to me now. It’s my chance. My fingers, driven by an instinctive need to know, reach for the file. I feel the cool, smooth surface of the paper, and I grab it; it’s just a moment too late.

“What are you doing with that, Ava?” Harvey says, his voice sharp, his gaze piercing. He stands up, his hand reaching out, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface of his desk.

I flinch, my heart hammering in my chest. My hand instinctively pulls back, the file dropping to the floor.

“I’m sorry,” I stutter. “I just—”

“Ava, you know this is confidential,” Harvey says, his eyes fixed on me. “I wouldn’t want to see you get into any trouble.”

He glances over his shoulder as if checking for someone before straightening up and gesturing to the door.

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