Page 44 of Carnival Master

“Got some intel about Sofia’s place,” Phoenix says, setting up his equipment. “Finally cracked back into her iMac.”

My head snaps up. “And?”

“She had it wiped clean. Took me hours to get back in.” He runs a hand through his messy hair. “But that’s not all. The computer’s facing the wall now.”

My jaw clenches. She must have moved it after I told her about watching her. Admitting that was a stupid mistake.

“Any activity?” I grip the edge of my desk.

Phoenix shakes his head. “No login attempts, no keyboard clicks. I’ve also been monitoring the house through the mic—complete silence.”

Ice floods my veins. “How long?”

“Two days now.”

“Fuck.” I push away from my desk, pacing the small space. Two days of silence. Two days since Jimmy found out about us. Two days since Paulie’s men left here in body bags.

My fingers itch to call her again, but I know her phone will ring endlessly into the void. Jimmy must have her locked away somewhere. I can feel it in my gut.

I run my hand over my jaw, stubble scratching my palm. “What about other devices? Her iMac must be linked to something else.”

Phoenix sits at my desk, his fingers dancing across his tablet screen. “She’s got quite the digital footprint:three iPhones, Two iPads, a MacBook Pro, even an older iMac.” He squints at the screen. The problem is I can’t tell which ones are still active. Some might be sitting in a drawer somewhere.”

“Try them all.” I lean over his shoulder, scanning the list of devices. “Every single one. I need to know she’s okay.”

“I’m already on it. Phoenix’s typing speeds up. “But breaking Apple’s encryption isn’t exactly quick. It will likely take hours.”

“I don’t care how long it takes.” My voice comes out rougher than intended. “Just find her.”

Phoenix nods, not looking up from his screen. “I’ll start with her most recently active devices first. The iPhone’s probably our best bet, assuming Jimmy hasn’t confiscated it.”

“And if he has?”

“Then we move down the list until something hits.” He pulls up another window filled with code. “Even old devices might give us a breadcrumb trail. Social media logins, cloud backups, location history—anything that could point us to where Jimmy’s keeping her.”

I grip the back of the chair, watching strings of numbers and letters flash across the screen. Each second feels like an eternity, knowing Sofia could be anywhere, trapped and alone.

I pace behind Phoenix like a caged animal, my breath hot on his neck as I watch him work. Every keystroke seems to take an eternity.

“Boss, if you don’t back off, I’m taking this back to my trailer,” Phoenix mutters, his fingers flying across thescreen. “Can’t concentrate with you breathing down my neck.”

“Just work faster.” I grip the back of his chair, knuckles white.

A smirk plays at the corner of his mouth. “Never seen you this worked up over a girl before. The mighty Tyson, brought low by a redhead.”

“Shut your fucking mouth.” Heat rises in my chest. “This isn’t funny.”

“Reminds me of when I first spotted Tilly.” Phoenix’s typing slows, his voice taking on a distant quality. “Couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. Just had to know everything about her. Had to have her.”

“I said shut up.” I slam my hand on the desk, making him jump. “This isn’t the same thing.”

“No?” Phoenix raises an eyebrow, finally looking up at me. “You’re stalking her through cameras, obsessing over her every move, ready to tear apart anyone who gets between you. Sound familiar?”

The truth in his words stings. “Focus on finding her.”

“Just saying, I recognize that look in your eyes.” Phoenix turns back to his screen. “It’s the same one I see in the mirror every morning.”

I slam my palms against my desk, rage boiling through my veins at Phoenix’s words. His smugness about keeping Tilly locked away in his trailer sets my teeth on edge. This obsession with Sofia - it’s different. It has to be.

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