Page 115 of Body and Soul

I slowly lowered myself back into the chair, my mind racing. This changed everything. If Ezekiel had managed to smuggle Daniella out of the country, then my options were severely limited. The FBI's reach only extended so far, and Malaysia was well beyond their jurisdiction.

I met Valentine's gaze, schooling my features into a mask of indifference even as my heart pounded against my ribs. “I fail to see how my sister's whereabouts have any bearing on me, Agent Valentine. We haven't spoken in years.”

Valentine scoffed. “Come on, Laskin. We both know that's bullshit. You expect me to believe it's a coincidence that your sister disappeared right after the raid on the compound? The same raid where I saw you skulking around?”

“You think I helped them escape?” I scoffed and leaned forward, bracing myself on the table. “Unless you have some actual evidence connecting me to any of this, I suggest you stop wasting my time.”

Valentine's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with barely contained frustration. He knew I was right. Without hard proof, he had nothing to hold me on.

“This isn't over, Laskin,” he growled, pushing himself to his feet with a wince, his bad leg clearly paining him. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

I pushed through the precinct doors, the cool fall air hitting my face like a slap after the stifling interrogation room. I strode down the steps, my leather shoes clicking against the concrete, and turned the corner into a narrow alley. Away from prying eyes, I leaned heavily against the rough brick wall, tilting my head back and closing my eyes as I dragged in a shuddering breath.

My hands shook as I raked my fingers through my hair, Valentine's words echoing in my mind like a mocking refrain. Daniella had been spotted in Malaysia. With Ezekiel. The news settled like a leaden weight in my gut, dread and despair warring for dominance.

I had failed her. Again. And now, because of my own reckless actions, she was even further from my reach, smuggled out of the country by that manipulative bastard.

I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms as a helpless rage surged through me. I had been so close. Had she been there that night I went for Eli? Had I missed her by minutes? Hours? Days? In the grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was she was out of my reach now. The only way I was getting to Dani would be with outside help.

I pushed off the wall, my jaw clenched with determination, and strode out of the alley with purposeful steps. The late afternoon sun slanted across the sidewalk, casting long shadows as I wove through the bustling pedestrians, my mind churning with the implications of Valentine's revelation.

I couldn't trust the FBI. That much was clear. Valentine might have been telling the truth about Daniella's location, but I had no doubt he'd use any information I gave him to further his own agenda. No, if I was going to find Dani, I'd have to do it on my own. Well, not entirely on my own.

I slipped my hand into my pocket, my fingers curling around the sleek metal of my phone. For a moment, I considered callingAlgerone. If anyone could find Dani and get her out, it would be him. But as quickly as the thought came, I dismissed it.

Algerone was a wild card, his motives as murky and shifting as smoke. He might help me find Dani, but the price he'd demand in return could be steep. Too steep. I couldn’t trade a brother for a sister, no matter how distant Xion was. Family was family, and Xion was no less my brother than Dani was my sister, blood be damned.

No, Algerone was out. But that didn't mean I was out of options.

Xavier. My brother was my best shot at finding Dani now. His hacking skills were unparalleled, honed through years of skirting the edges of the dark web. If anyone could track Ezekiel and Dani's digital trail, it would be him.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Xavier's number from memory. It rang once, twice, my brother answered. “What can I do for you, Shepherd?”

I gritted my teeth. “Xavier, I need a favor. And you can’t tell anyone.”

Weeks passed in asimilar fashion. Six days a week, I was at the tattoo studio, carrying out my apprentice duties. I spent every spare moment drawing, trying to improve my craft.

Shepherd and I went to a few different munches around the city, which were apparently social gatherings for kinksters. I was surprised to learn that most munches happened in vanilla spaces like cafes or restaurants. I met a lot of people on those days and was always surprised at how kind everyone was, and how many people seemed to know and look up to Shepherd.

As the Thanksgiving break approached, Shepherd became busier at work, preparing for exams. We didn’t get to spend as many evenings together on the couch as I would’ve liked, but we were always exchanging small touches and spending as much time together as we could.

There were a few days that Dex came out, but it wasn’t often, and he never wanted to leave the house when he was out. I was glad for that because I wasn’t sure how I’d explain to people thatthe big man next to me was actually a six-year-old obsessed with dinosaurs.

On the days Bryce was present, we sat around and played video games or watched movies. We made out another time, but decided that sex, if we ever got that far, wasn’t something we were ready for.

As for Azreal, I didn’t see him again until the first Saturday in November.

The November chill bit at my nose as I hurried inside after a morning at the studio. I’d gone in on a rare Sunday to continue work on a piece for a client. Gavin had come to pick me up so Shepherd could get some work in, and I’d decided to swing by his favorite Chinese place to surprise him. Shepherd had texted earlier and said he had a headache. Nothing was better for a headache on a rainy fall day than wonton soup and garlic chicken.

All the way up to his apartment, I was planning the rest of the day in my head. I thought it might be a good night to ask him to take me to The Playground for a night of real play. We’d gone there for a munch hosted by The Playground, but hadn’t been back since and I was itching to go when things were in full swing, even if we didn’t do anything. I wanted to be there and have fun, enjoy the space.

But when I went to open the door, it swung open from inside. As soon as I saw him standing there, I knew it wasn’t Shepherd who’d answered.

He held himself rigidly, his shoulders squared and his chin tilted up slightly, giving him an air of cold arrogance. His eyes, usually warm and inviting when Shepherd looked at me, were hard as flint, narrowed and assessing.

Azreal. I recognized him immediately from the one other time we'd met. Fuck.

My stomach sank as I remembered what’d happened the last time Azreal was fronting.

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