Page 124 of Exposé

Second note to self: get a more reliable tracker.

A pair of issued black shoes stopped at the hood of the car.

Shit.

"What are you doing down there?"

I slid the tracker into my pocket and pushed myself up to my feet.

"Hey."I gave him a curious look, my brow raising. "Liam, right?"

"Yeah, Nate?" He nodded and glanced around. "What are you doing underneath Ava's car?"

I pulled a coin out of my lint-lined pocket and held it up. "I dropped my penny."

He narrowed his eyes—the corners tightening as if trying to peel back the layers of a lie. "You crawl under random cars to pick up pennies?"

A chortle shook my shoulders. "I don't know what your salary is, but every penny matters to me." I tossed it into the air, caught it, and tucked it back into my pocket with a pat.

Thank you, random lucky penny.

"Right. And what are you doing out herepicking up pennies?"

The corner of my mouth turns up. "Visiting my girlfriend."

His body tensed as he blinked at me, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Liam cleared his throat and pitched a quick look toward Ava's apartment.

Does he know which one is hers?

"You two are dating now?"

I popped my other hand into my pocket and rocked on my heels. "Yeah, about a month now. Did you come by to see her, too?"

An inkling of darkness branched out across my vision.

Liam's eyes narrowed. "No. I work around here."

I gave him a slight, acknowledging nod. "Did you want to come up with me? Say hi? She's locked herself in her apartment for a while. Maybe she could use some more company."

His features softened, and he stepped back, shaking his head. "Nah,I have a lead to follow up on. You go ahead. Tell her I said hello, though."

"Will do." I stepped around him toward her apartment. "Have a good night."

"Same."

His eyes bore into the back of my skull, making my hair stand on end.

Now, how am I going to keep track of her?

Great.

I bounded up the stairs, two at a time, my footsteps light, and dropped the useless plastic device in a potted plant beside a door.

Stopping at her door, I inhaled a deep breath, calming my lungs, and knocked.

The door swung open, and her gaze knocked me off my feet, setting my chest into a vise. "Hey."

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