Page 135 of Nemesis

I scroll through the notifications, recognizing the unsaved Sterling Falls number.

“Why is the sheriff calling you?”

He shrugs and continues his examination.

I shrug, too, and hit the button to redial.

“Laurent,” Nathan Bradshaw snaps. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”

“Nice to hear your voice, Nathan.” I turn away from the three men and heading quickly into the front room. “What is so urgent?”

“I—” He pauses. “Why do you have his phone?”

“He handed it to me and asked me to figure out why it kept buzzing.” My tone is sarcastic. “I told him it was because you kept calling, and then I took matters into my own hands.”

The sheriff huffs. “Great. Put him on, would you?”

“No.”

“No?”

“I know what you did for him, Nathan, okay? So just cut the bullshit. If he asked you to do something else?—”

“Jesus, Tem.”

The sheriff’s voice gets softer, like he’s pulled the phone from his ear. He’s just muttering a string of curses at this point, most of which arenotdirected at me. Which is good, because otherwise he’d get a knee to his dick the next time I see him.

“I received a message for Kade. It came through our security system and wasn’t processed right away, but?—”

“But, what?”

“It’s about Reese Avery. I know he was looking for him. And he had you looking, too.”

I stop pacing. My grip on the phone gets harder, my palms suddenly sweating. “Tell me.”

“I’m sending his phone a picture of it. As far as threats go, Artemis, I cannot ascertain how serious this one is. If Avery is still missing, or?—”

The phone buzzes against my ear. “Got it. We’ll call you back.”

I hang up on him and open the text, enlarging the photo.

Envelope—typed, addressed to Kade Laurent care of the sheriff at his office’s address.

Letter…

My blood goes cold.

I am the darkness that greets you each night.

Reese Avery is a pawn to sacrifice… or save.

But I cannot release him until I get what I want.

-Hypnos

Think,Artemis.

Hypnos.

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