Page 98 of Shadowed Vows: Ghost
Grandma Sophia's eyes light up with interest. "Well, well. Who was that fine specimen of a man? He looks like he could bench press a small car."
"Just a... colleague," I say, settling into a chair. "He's helping with my investigation."
Mom sets a plate of lasagna in front of me, her hands shaking slightly. "A colleague? He looked like he belongs on a SWAT team."
I force a laugh. "Mom, come on. It's not that dramatic."
"Then why haven't you been answering our calls?" Dad presses, pacing the kitchen floor. "Your mother's been calling hospitals, for God's sake! I was about to file a missing person's report!"
My stomach twists with guilt. "Look, I can't go into details, but I promise I'm being careful."
Grandma leans forward, her voice low but eyes twinkling. "Careful, schmareful. That man downstairs has muscles on his muscles. You keeping him all to yourself, or can Grandma have his number?"
"Grandma!" I exclaim, feeling heat rise to my cheeks.
Mom wrings her hands, tears forming in her eyes. "Alina, please. We deserve to know what's happening. After what happened to Jenny... I can't sleep thinking you might be—"
"Don't even say it," Dad interrupts, his voice breaking. "I can't... we can't lose you too."
The raw fear in his voice cuts through me. I reach across the table for his hand. "Dad, Mom, I promise, I'm as safe as I can be. The team I'm working with... they're professionals. They know how to handle situations like this."
"Situations like what?" Mom asks, her voice rising in panic. "What aren't you telling us?"
I hesitate, choosing my words carefully. "There's... a connection to Jenny's case. I can't say more, but it's important. I have to see this through."
A heavy silence falls over the room. Mom wipes her eyes, Dad's jaw clenches, and Grandma studies me with a mixture of pride and concern.
Grandma Sophia leans forward, her eyes sharp. "This team you're working with, are they trustworthy?"
I take a sip of water, buying time. "They're... experienced. Professional."
"That's not what I asked," she presses.
Dad pushes his chair back, pacing near the kitchen counter. "Your grandmother's right, Alina. We need more than vague assurances."
His shoulders tighten as he moves across the room. My eyes trace the rigid lines of his back, drinking in every detail of his tense posture.
"Dad, I know it's frustrating. But I can't share details."
Mom joins Dad by the counter, her hand on his arm. "We're just worried, sweetheart. After what happened to Jenny..." Her voice cracks. "I keep having these terrible nightmares where we get a call that you've been—" She breaks off, unable to finish.
The name hangs in the air, heavy with unspoken grief. I close my eyes for a moment, memories of Jenny's laugh echoing in my mind.
"That's exactly why I have to do this," I say softly. "Jenny was onto something big. I owe it to her to finish what she started."
Grandma rises, moving to the window overlooking Washington Square. "You sound just like your father, you know. That same fire for justice."
She turns, winking at me. "And apparently the same taste in dangerous-looking men as your mother. Your father looked just as intimidating when he was younger. Before he went soft."
"I did not go soft," Dad protests, but there's a hint of a smile.
Mom doesn't smile. "It's not about justice, it's about keeping our daughter alive. Alina, please. Whatever this is, let the police handle it."
I stand, joining Grandma at the window. "It can be both, Mom. Jenny deserves justice, and I promise I'm being careful."
Mom crosses her arms, worry etched deep in the lines of her face. "But this team, these... professionals. How do you know they have your best interests at heart?"
If she only knew about Kade, about the kiss, about everything...
