Page 105 of Shadowed Vows: Ghost
He moves closer, and I fight the urge to step back. The scent of his expensive cologne mingles with the leather and cedar, making my head spin.
He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Come now, Miss Bennett. Let's not play games. We both know you've uncovered something that could get you killed if you're not careful."
I meet his gaze, refusing to be intimidated. "Is that a threat, Mr. Steele?"
He smiles, all teeth and no warmth. "Consider it a friendly warning. The story you're chasing? It's not worth your life."
The air in the room feels thick, charged with tension. I can hear my heart pounding in my ears.
Kade, where are you?
thirty-two
Kade
The buzz of my phone drags me from a restless sleep. I check the time—5:30 AM—before answering.
"Mr. Mercer? This is Ryan, security at Bay Herald."
I sit up immediately, every sense on alert. "What's happened?"
"Miss Bennett left at 0500 hours, sir. Said she'd be back by 0530." His voice carries professional concern. "It's time now, and she hasn't returned. I know she's usually punctual. I worked here three years now. Figured you'd want to know."
My blood runs cold. "She left? Alone?"
"Yes, sir. Said she was meeting a source at a café two blocks over."
"And you just let her walk out?" My voice drops dangerously low.
"Sir, I..." Ryan hesitates. "She's my boss's daughter. I didn't realize I should stop her."
Fuck.That's our training. We taught her how to evade surveillance.
"Not your fault." I'm already moving, grabbing my tactical gear. "Call if she returns."
I disconnect and immediately open the team channel. "Code red. Bennett's in the wind. Meeting a source without backup."
Cole's sleep-roughened voice comes first. "What the hell? Activating my systems now." The sound of rapid typing fills the background.
"She slipped her security detail at 0500," I explain, strapping on my shoulder holster. "Used our own training against us."
"Checking traffic cams near Bay Herald," Asher cuts in, fully alert despite the hour. For a team like ours, sleep is a luxury easily discarded in emergencies. We're all programmed to go from dead sleep to combat ready in under two minutes.
I grab my motorcycle keys. "I'm heading there now. Full team mobilization. Command center in fifteen."
My Bluetooth connects as I race down to the garage. Jax's voice fills my helmet. "Got eyes on cams. Coffee shop on Columbus—Caffe Trieste. She entered at 0507."
The BMW S1000RR roars to life beneath me. "Keep watching. I'm seven minutes out."
I weave through early morning traffic, pushing the bike harder than usual. My mind cycles through scenarios, none of them good. She's too smart for this rookie move. Something must have convinced her this was worth the risk.
"Movement at the café," Cole reports. "Four men just entered. Don't like how they're spreading out."
My heart pounds against my ribs. "Time to intercept?"
"Five minutes, minimum," Asher answers.
"Too long," I growl, cutting between two delivery trucks.
