Page 93 of Silent Betrayal

“I found it!” Ben yells, as he comes running down the stairs towards where we all sit, eating breakfast at the table.

“I found it!” he says again, his eyes alight with excitement. “I found the logo!” he says when we look at him in confusion.

“Really?” I ask in surprise.

“Well, I think so. It wasn’t the logo of a hotel like we thought—it’s the logo of the shampoo company. Took me a while to narrow it down, but I tracked it to two places. Both use that brand in their rooms, and they’re in completely opposite directions from each other, Carlington and Ajax.”

Relief washes over me. My description wasn’t useless like I feared it would be. I might have actually helped us find a lead on this case.

“Alright,” Dom says, immediately taking charge. “We’ll have two teams go and stake out the two locations to look for Simon or Helen. If either of them shows up, we regroup and make a plan. Jasper and Tucker, you’re team one, you head to Carlington. Gideon and I will take Ajax. The rest of you stay here, keep comms open, and be ready for anything. Everyone clear?”

“Clear,” everyone echoes, voices confident and ready.

As the room buzzes with preparation, Ben takes my hand and tugs me upstairs to his room. He’s grinning when he pulls me into his lap after sitting down at his desk.

“You get to stay here with me, Princess,” he says, his voice full of warmth.

“What about Atlas and Max?” I ask, leaning sideways into his chest, finding comfort in his arms.

“They’ll be here soon. Atlas will secure the house after the guys leave, and Max will probably run around making sure we have drinks, snacks, and charged phones.”

I can’t help but smile at the thought of them all knowing their assigned tasks. “I guess this isn’t the first time you’ve done somethinglike this, huh?”

He chuckles, a sound that makes my heart feel lighter. “Nope,” he says, tapping my nose with his finger like I’m a kid.

He turns to his computer and starts typing.

“Ben?”

“Hmm?” he answers, his fingers typing away.

“Do you think, in the future, that I will be able to be a part of the team, too?”

He immediately stops typing to look at me. “Mina, you’re already the most important part of the team.”

“But, like, will I have my own job? Like you do tech stuff, and Atlas does security, something like that?”

“I’m sure with your memory, we’re all gonna need your help. But you’re also the one that is going to be able to help calm us down and keep us centered.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I don’t think you have any idea how much we all care about you.” He tilts my chin up and kisses me deeply, setting my body aflame.

For the first time in a while, his energy feels different—lighter, happier. I think it’s because we finally have a lead, but deep down, I like to think it’s because we’re in this together.

Stakeouts are boring. I sigh heavily as I lay on the floor in Ben’s room, moving my arms and legs back and forth on the carpet.

“Malishka, what are you doing?” Atlas frowns down at me as he comes in.

“Making carpet angels,” I tell him like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. He narrows his eyes at me as Max laughs from where he lounges on the couch.

“Atlas?” I ask more seriously, as I sit up and look at him properly.

“What is it, Malishka?” he asks, bending on one knee to bring his face closer to mine.

“What did one flag say to the other?” He just blinks at me, so I finish for him. “Nothing, it just waved.”

He stares at me, so I bring my hand up in a slow wave, then he tackles me onto my back, making me squeal, and starts to tickle my ribs and stomach. I cry out, “stop, stop! Mercy!”

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