Page 40 of His Every Move

He wasn’t on the front page, which meant he likely wasn’t online. He usually ranked up in the top three streamers minutes after he started his stream. I searched his username, just in case.

Nothing.

Lucky started to tug at the leash. He must have been done. I locked my phone and walked us back to the apartment. It was a Saturday, so calling it a day already sounded tempting. I could nurse the remnants of my hangover with a beer and just chill on the couch, maybe catch up on a show or something. I needed to relax after the sexual marathon my body had run hours earlier.

But I was still buzzing. I didn’t want to sit back and relax. Especially since I had work to do anyway. My profession wasn’t a nine-to-five desk job that let me clock out and forget about it. Some cases were easier to set to the side on my days off—the worker’s comps, the cheating spouses—but some of them took up much more of my attention.

Eli’s case being one of those.

I wanted to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. I jumped in the shower, freshened up, changed into a clean pair of jeans and a black T-shirt, and I left Lucky with some extra treats inside of a treat ball I ordered for him. He happily gnawed on it as I left the apartment.

I could work from home, but I decided going into Stonewall would help me really lock in. I enjoyed hanging out at the offices. I got along with the other detectives, and I found my personal space to be relaxing and peaceful. I didn’t even have to take any trains or cabs to get there.

I walked down the street, scrolling through my phone but avoiding the urge to check the cam site again. Not like I was going to dive into an alley and jerk off if he were online. Instead, I checked to see what was trending—maybe there was an incoming meteor I didn’t know about or a political shitstorm I could get angry over.

The first story made me pause.

The Raven is sentenced to the death penalty.

Damn, there it was. That serial killer had kept nearly the entirety of NYC on their toes. He had a twisted way of leaving his mark on his victims and was discovered by one of Stonewall’s own. I still remembered the day Jace called me to tell me it was over, that the Raven had been caught. I knew how hard he had worked on the case, and it made me happy to know that there was finally a resolution. It would give some peace to the victims’ families as well.

All in all, it was a win.

I was still reading the article by the time I got to the Stonewall offices. I was digging for the keys in my pocket when a hand on my shoulder made me jump.

“Oh, sorry, man.”

It was Jace Holloway, the very detective who I’d been thinking about on the way here.

“I called your name, but guess you didn’t hear me.”

“Hah, funny. I was just reading about how the Raven was sentenced today. Sneaking up behind me wasn’t the best timing.”

Jace laughed at that and rubbed the back of his neck. “Shit, yeah, sorry.”

“Congratulations, by the way. If it wasn’t for you, this guy would still be loose.”

Jace’s gaze flicked downward. He cracked his knuckles. I thought the weight of the case would have been lifted with the news, but maybe I was wrong? “Everything okay?” I asked as we stepped into the office.

“Yeah, yeah. It was just a crazy case. I think I’m still dealing with some of the fallout. I’ve had nightmares about it.”

“You were abducted by him—of course you’d have nightmares. That scars people. Our job isn’t easy at all.”

“It does feel good to know that no one else is going to get hurt.”

“Exactly. Just have to focus on that. You saved lives, man.”

Jace offered a tight-lipped smile. It hurt me to see. I considered Jace one of my closer friends, and I hadn’t even realized how much he was still affected by the case. I’d been so focused on everything else (Eli, Eli, Eli) that I missed signs that my friend was hurting. “Come over later this week. We can hang out, play some video games, and drink some beers. Just unplug.”

“That sounds good,” Jace said, his grin widening a bit.

“Theo’s obviously invited, too.”

Jace headed to his office. “Text me when.”

“Sounds good,” I said, giving an affirmative knock on the wall before I opened my office and stepped inside.

I cracked my knuckles and sunk into work mode.

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