Page 25 of Cat and Mouse

I feel like I've been punched in the gut. This is it. This is when everything comes crashing down.

"Two of the men you were working with... they're dead."

For a second, I just stare at him, trying to process his words. Did he just say dead? As in not alive? No, I must've heard wrong. But his eyes tell me I didn't.

"Dead?" My voice comes out more like a croak.

He nods, and my world starts to spin. "Detective Tom Harrison and Captain Roberts from Milwaukee. They both died in separate incidents."

My mind flashes back to those men, the way they'd been tangled up in all that mess. But dead? This can't be real.

"What... what happened?" I ask, my voice barely audible.

"Harrison died in a car accident. His vehicle went off the road, crashed into a ravine. Roberts... well, he fell from his balcony. A freak accident, they're calling it."

But it doesn't feel like an accident. It feels like a warning. It feels like my Phantom's hand is all over this.

The captain leans forward, his eyes searching mine. "I know this must be hard to hear, especially with everything that went down. If you need some time off..."

"No." The word shoots out of me before I can think. "I'm okay. I'm good."

He looks at me, concern etched into his features, but he doesn't push. "If you're sure..."

"Yeah, I'm sure." I force a tight smile. "Thank you."

The captain nods, leaning back in his chair, looking like he's aged ten years in the past few minutes. "Has there been any progress on the Phantom case?"

The question catches me off guard. For a second, I consider telling him everything—about Leonardo, the kiss, the way he's been haunting me. But then I think better of it. He doesn't know about Milwaukee, not everything. And I'm not in the mood to rehash any of that right now.

"Not yet," I say, trying to keep my tone even. "But I'm chasing a lead. If it pans out, I'll share it with you."

He nods, but there's a weight in his eyes, like he knows I'm holding back. "My door's always open, Kane. If you need to talk."

I force another smile, standing up. "Thanks, Captain. I appreciate that."

He watches me for a moment, like he's waiting for me to say more. But I don't, and he finally nods, dismissing me with a wave of his hand.

I walk out of his office, feeling like I'm on autopilot. Everything around me blurs into the background as I head back to my desk. My mind is stuck on those two men. Harrison and Roberts. They're dead. And if my suspicions are right, they're dead because of me. Because of Leonardo.

What the hell does it all mean? Why would he target them? And more importantly, why the hell is he so obsessed with me?

I slump into my chair, staring blankly at my computer screen. The cursor blinks at me, taunting me with its indifference. I've got nothing. No leads, no answers, just a growing sense of dread.

What if Leonardo's not done? What if he's planning something worse? And what if... no, I can't think like that. I need to focus. I need to figure out who he is before anyone else gets hurt. Before he gets to me.

But for now, I'm stuck with a name and a whole lot of questions. And every time I close my eyes, I see him. Those intense eyes, that smirk, the way he made my skin burn with just a touch.

Why is he doing this? And why the hell can't I stop thinking about him?

Chapter 8 - Leo

I lean back in the plush leather chair, the one my father insists on keeping in his study like some kind of throne. My fingers drum absently on the armrest as I recount the events of the last two days. Two dead men, both tied to Detective Kane, my work, orchestrated down to the last detail. A car crash for Harrison, a fall from grace—literally—for Roberts.

My father's been silent the whole time, just listening. When I finish, he finally looks up from the papers on his desk, his expression unreadable.

"Why are you so invested in this, Leonardo?" he asks, his voice calm, but I can hear the underlying question—what the hell are you doing?

I shrug, though the question digs at me. "I'm not actually sure," I admit, the words coming out slower than I expected. "She's... interesting."

---