Page 24 of A Walking Shadow

He checked the time, and she wondered briefly where he was going next. “Are you sure?”

She leaned up to kiss him. “Positive. And you don’t have to bring me home. I’ll get a ride with Naya or Ellie.”

He frowned. “Will you try to leave before it gets dark?”

“I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises. I have a hearing to prepare for.”

He captured her hands in his and pressed them flat against his chest. She felt his heart beating under her palms.

“I understand, but try.”

“I will.”

They kissed again, and she walked inside. As the door swung shut behind her, a balding, freckled man ran up the stairs behind her. She caught it and held it for the man, belated recognizing him as Gray Simmons.

“Thank you,” he breathed.

He was nearly an hour early for their meeting. Instead of entering the stairwell and walking up to her office, she detoured and followed him into Jake’s. She got into line behind him, pulled out her phone, and bent her head over the screen, pretending to scroll.

When he made his way to the counter, Jake greeted him jovially and asked what he wanted. Simmons ordered a flat white and a scone. After he paid and stuffed his change into the tip jar, he stepped to the side to wait for his order and jerked his chin toward the espresso machine behind the counter. “I was here earlier this week. Best flat white I’ve had outside of Australia.”

“Thanks, man.” Jake beamed.

Sasha grudgingly considered that Simmons might actually just be a coffee aficionado.

Jake turned toward her. “Did you hear that?”

“I did. High praise.”

“It sure is. What’ll it be for you? You know Ellie already placed a catering order for your meeting, right?”

She didn’t, but she nodded. “Just a black coffee, Jake.”

He gave her a disappointed look. Maybe it was her imagination, but his gaze seemed to linger on her black-and-blue cheek. “I thought you liked the ristretto macchiato.”

“I loved it,” she assured him. “I’m just in the mood for a plain old coffee this morning.”

He harrumphed but held out his hand for her travel mug. She passed it over the counter. He filled it then handed it back.

“Thanks.”

He nodded.

She felt Gray’s eyes on her and turned to smile at him. “Free coffee’s a perk of being a tenant. Sasha McCandless.” She stuck out her hand.

Jake must have sensed something was about to go down because he disappeared into the kitchen.

“Uh, Gray Simmons.” He gave her hand a reluctant pump.

“I know.”

He shifted his weight and threw a desperate look toward the kitchen. “Just getting a coffee before our meeting.”

“Late night last night?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Were you up late? You know, preparing for the hearing? Or maybe fielding a call to let you know the attack on me didn’t go as planned?”

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