Page 58 of The Shadows We Keep

I dial James up immediately. “Follow her.”

“You got it boss,” he replies.

I drop to my knees, my head heavy in my hands. Time passes slowly, my mind plays through the big reveal time and time again.

The street below get busier as the morning stretches on. My watch vibrates as the alarm goes off. I check the time; shit I’m going to be late if I don’t get my ass in gear. My body moves but my mind wanders, refusing to part from the thoughts of her regardless of what’s on my schedule.

I stepup to the same dilapidated building, this time the giant guard doesn’t wait outside.

My phone pings, a text from James.

Lost Her

My world tilts sideways.Schooling my features, I pull open the door and walk inside.

The same men from before sit waiting at a table in the back corner. The file drops with a thud against the surface in front of them. “Everything’s there. Check if you must.” The younger of the two slides it across to him and flips through the pages and pages of information I gathered for them.

“My transfer?” I ask.

He nods and pulls out his phone, typing something quickly.

“Done.”

I nod and turn to go, desperate to get back to my place and figure out what the hell I’m going to do about Keira.

“Sit down, Mr. Greyson.” A deep voice, raspy with age comes from behind me.

I spin in his direction not thrilled that he knows my name. “We have another job for you,” he states.

“Sorry. I’m all booked. No time for other jobs.” I quickly inform him as I make for the door again.

“Hmm, that’s too bad. We’ll have to let your father know you weren’t as helpful as he assured us, you’d be.”

What the fuck did he just say?

“My father? What does he have to do with this?”

The twinkle in his eyes tells me there’s more going on here than I know.

“Like I said, sit. We have another job for you.”

I can’t deny I’m curious, that little piece in my head that works in overdrive to solve puzzles is calling. Why can’t my brain just let the little things go and not harp on the smallest tidbits of information. Those details are what I crave to find out and put together to see the bigger picture. I drop into the booth in front of them. “Again, what does my father have to do with this?”

“Your father has been an associate of the families for years. He let us know you moved to the city a year ago and to reach out if we had anyjobsthat fit your expertise. This little job,” he taps the folder on the table, “was a test.” He looks to his accomplice and gets a nod. “And it looks like you’ve passed.”

“Look, I don’t know what kind of arrangement you have with my father, but that has nothing to do with me. I don’t work for him,” I inform them.

“Hmm,” he ponders, drawing out the moment with a scratch to his salt and pepper beard, “that’s really too bad to hear, especially since we seem to have a more in common than your dear old dad.”

My fists thud against the wooden table as I lean closer into his space. “Are you always this damn enigmatic? Spit it out!” I’m playing a dangerous game here.

His head falls back, and a boisterous laugh fills the heavy air around us. “You’ve got some serious balls, kid. Anyone else would have a bullet between their eyes for that little outburst. But I think it’s time for you to go. We’ll be in touch when we need you.”

TWENTY-FOUR

KEIRA

All The Things She Said— Ponette

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