Page 22 of These Deadly Dreams

I shiver, and I’m not sure if it’s the fear of what Cade is going to say, or something else. I pull my arms inside the hoodie and wrap them around my middle.

“Do you remember when that elementary school on the outskirts of Altair sold without any warning?” Cade asks as he scrolls on his laptop.

“The one that closed and didn’t tell any of the parents until the day of?” Kai looks down at me. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving, actually.”

“I can get some food,” Sterling says as he stands from his chair and exits the library.

Cade sighs. “Can you guys focus?”

“Sorry,” Kai mumbles.

“Yes, that one,” Cade says as he picks up his story again. “I was able to find the realtor who was in charge of the sale. Hacking into his email was way too easy and the idiot kept all of the records and correspondence between the buyer and seller.”

“And …” Kai drawls.

“The seller was obviously the city of Altair. The buyer … one Samuel Morris.”

“How the hell did Sam buy a school when it wasn’t even for sale?” I ask at the same time I grab the blanket from the back of the couch and bury myself under it. I can’t seem to get warm. The pain in my neck and shoulders is spreading as well, and now my back and arms are achy, too.

“From the emails, it sounds like he blackmailed some city officials to make it happen and to keep it quiet.” He glances at me shivering under the blanket. “Are you okay, Ellis?”

“Yep. Just cold for some reason.” My stomach rumbles loudly, and I grimace. “And really hungry.”

Cade watches me for a second longer, brow furrowed, before Sterling comes back carrying a tray laden with food. While Sterling hands me a plate with grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn, Cade returns his attention to the laptop.

The aroma from the food makes my mouth water and my stomach rumble even louder. I dig in while the guys discuss this school building issue.

“So we know Sam owns this building, and we can pretty much assume it’s the warehouse he mentioned. Now, we just need to figure out what he’s doing with it.” Kai says.

“Were you able to figure that out, Cade?” Sterling asks as he sits with his own plate of food.

“Not yet. And knowing Sam, it will be a lot harder than hacking into emails to figure it out. He’s too smart. He’ll have covered his tracks really well. I’m honestly surprised he let the realtor keep those emails. And his life.”

I shudder. It would be so like Sam to kill the guy who sold the building to him. Less mouths to spread the tale.

“So how do we find out? He’s been using that building for ten years now for who knows what. We can assume it’s nothing good.” Sterling says between bites of chicken.

“Honestly, I think spying will be our best chance,” Cade replies. “I can hack into the street cams around the building, but I’m guessing it won’t give us any ideas. We’ll need to get in close, possibly inside, to get the nitty gritty.”

Sterling nods. “That’s what I was thinking, too. My friend in the pack, the one who was adopted, is a crow shifter. He might be able to get in easier than us.”

Cade purses his lips, and if I wasn’t shivering from cold, I’d be tempted to lean forward and kiss him.

“Think we can hook a go-pro around his neck to get a look inside?” he asks.

Sterling snorts. “Yeah, I’m sure we can, it might make him more noticeable, though.”

“Worth the risk,” Cade mutters.

“Is anyone going to eat that last piece of chicken?” I ask and point to the plate on the coffee table.

Sterling shakes his head and Cade eyes me, but says, “You can have it.”

I unbundle myself from the blankets and reach out to take it, grimacing as pain flares in my shoulder and arm.

“You sure you’re okay?” Cade asks.

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