Page 19 of Shadowed Vows: Ghost
"And Roman?" Jax asks.
I meet each of their gazes, jaw set. "We find him. Whatever it takes."
I gesture toward the door. "Head down to the command center. See what we can pull from that warehouse near Pier 70."
My phone vibrates as the team files out. I hang back, pulling it from my pocket. The surveillance feed shows Alina exiting her apartment building.
Gone is the black dress from the restaurant, replaced by jeans and a dark hoodie, her hair tied back in a ponytail.
My eyes narrow.
She's on the move, dressed for another break-in.
six
Alina
My fingers tap a steady rhythm on the steering wheel while I survey the darkened road ahead of me.
I've pulled over about block away from my destination, killing the headlights to avoid unwanted attention. The warehouse stands like a massive dark beast against the murky twilight.
The familiar pre-investigation cocktail of emotions floods my system—part thrill of the hunt, part healthy fucking terror.
A sharp knock on my window makes me jump.
"Jesus!" I gasp, recognizing Detective Wilson's stern face peering in at me.
I step out of the car, trying to calm my nerves. "Thanks for coming, Detective."
"This better be good, Bennett. What's so important and why are wemeeting here?"
I take a deep breath. "I think I've stumbled onto something big. Remember that tech company, Apex Solutions, I was investigating for wage theft?"
He nods, his expression guarded.
"Well, I followed a lead to that warehouse over there."
I gesture towards the building. "It's supposed to be abandoned, but it's not. There's high-tech security, a modern keypad on one of the doors. Something's definitely going on in there."
Wilson's brow furrows. "That is odd. But it doesn't necessarily mean anything illegal."
"There's more," I press on. "When I was investigating, I ran into a man. He... he caught me snooping around."
"What?" Wilson's voice sharpens. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
I shake my head. "No, not exactly. But he warned me off."
Wilson's eyes narrow. "What did this man look like?"
I hesitate, the memory of those piercing blue eyes flashing through my mind. "Tall, muscular. Blue eyes. The rest of him was covered. He moved like... like he was trained. Military, maybe?"
Wilson's jaw tightens. "Alina, I think you need to drop this story."
"What? No way!" I protest. "This could be huge. I can't just walk away."
"Listen to me," Wilson's voice low and urgent. "I've been tracking a case—three dock workers who disappeared last month after reporting suspicious cargo containers at Hunter's Point. Same area as your warehouse. The harbormaster found their boat, but no bodies."
He leans closer. "The investigation got shut down after a call from someone at Apex Solutions. They've got connections to Judge Harmon and two police captains. That tech company you're investigating? Their tendrils reach into places that can make evidence—and people—vanish."
