Page 4 of Shadow Operative

A chill washed over her.

Nia couldn’t think clearly.

She only knew she needed to hurry.

She walked back to Rob and frowned, fighting nausea as she looked down at him. “I’m sorry. One way or another, I’m going to figure out who did this to you.”

Nia rushed to the door. On a whim, she grabbed a baseball cap left on the table and pulled it on over her head. Then she slid on the aviator sunglasses she also found there.

Dragging in a shaky breath, she cracked the door open and searched the hallway.

It was empty.

She had to leave.

Now.

Before the killer returned.

Gage Pearson stretched as he climbed from his rental car and hoisted his bag over his shoulder.

Flight delays had landed him in Miami four hours later than scheduled.

He’d almost gotten a hotel in Atlanta for tonight.But finally, his flight had departed. Now he was getting to his friend’s place in the middle of the night.

He didn’t think Rob would mind.

The two knew each other from high school, and they’d remained close since then.

After graduation, Gage had joined the military while Rob had gone on to work in private industry. Eventually, his friend had started his own successful technology business. When Rob had invented Water Splat, a game app, he’d hit it big time.

Meanwhile, Gage had left the military and had been recruited to work for a private security firm.

Gage was curious why his friend had asked him to come. What he’d wanted to talk about that they couldn’t discuss over the phone.

Rob’s message had been urgent, so Gage had requested permission to take some time off work. Alan Larchmont, Gage’s boss, had said it was fine, especially since he was in between assignments with the Shadow Agency.

Gage wound his way from the parking garage and stepped inside the high-rise apartment building. The doorman was distracted helping two intoxicated young women as they stumbled around the lobby.

Perfect.

Gage bypassed the man and headed to the elevator instead.

Rob had given Gage a code to get into his apartment in case he was sleeping when Gage arrived. He’d tried tocall his friend when his second flight departed, but Rob didn’t answer.

He’d tried to call when he landed as well. Rob still didn’t answer.

Gage hoped everything was okay. His friend usually had his phone glued to his ear.

Gage took the elevator to the twelfth floor, walked down the hall, and paused by door 1218.

He punched in the code Rob had given him and opened the door, trying to be quiet in case his friend was asleep.

He paused in the entryway and glanced around.

An amazing view of Miami stared at him. His friend really had done well for himself, all the way down to the marble floor beneath his feet and the ultra-modern furniture decorating the place.

Good for him. Rob deserved all the best. The man would bend over backward to help someone in need, sacrificing his own comfort to do so. Rob and his family had practically adopted Gage when he was a teen, knowing he had a hard home life. Gage was eternally grateful for their kindness.

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