A tiny alert sound popped up on Bradley’s phone. “From Shelly,” he read. “I like the name.”
I blew him an air kiss then turned without giving him another look.
I didn’t know if I would see Bradley again, I didn’t know if it put him more in danger one way or another, but at least I’d let him think we were goodfor now.
Tomorrow, if I decided to leave for good, I would ditch this phone number and then disappear, only a flicker of a memory in Bradley’s past.
An engine idled at my side as I walked. I turned to find Bradley’s puppy dog eyes on me. “It’s not too late to come home with me, even a night or two.”
I waved him off. “Bye, Bradley.”
He shrugged, then spun out as he took off down the street.
I walked nearly a half mile to the small roadside motel I’d rented for myself outside of town. I turned the key in the lock, anxious for my head to hit the pillow and rest my eyes when my phone beeped to life with an alert.
The app.
I pulled my phone out and swiped the screen. A new message from an unknown number popped up instantly.
“Who in the world…?” I murmured as I took in the few words.
Can we talk? There’s more you should know.
Forty-One
Fear sizzled in my veins. Anxiety tunneled my vision.
I typed a quick reply and hit send before I could second guess my decision.
Yes.
My phone rang with an alert an instant later. I gulped“Hello?”
“Step inside your motel room, you don’t want to call attention to yourself.” I shivered as the disguised voice murmured over the speaker.
I nodded, suddenly aware that whoever this was could in fact see me.
Was there a chance this was Bradley, watching me just out of view? I thought of the other possibility, Tav, my undead fiancé who’d probably assumed a new name by now. Would he have a reason to contact me like this? Maybe about the safety deposit boxes I wasn’t supposed to be aware of? I stepped inside the motel room and closed the door behind me, heart hammering as I turned the deadbolt and then peaked through the small peep hole.
“You’ll need to do a better job at staying under the radar.”
I clenched my teeth into my bottom lip, tears stinging my eyes. “I-is everything true?”
“Yes, with more that can’t be disclosed at this time. The only thing you should know is that your life is in danger, we’ve done what we can to halt any attempts on your life, but you’ll need to stay alert and aware.”
“Or else I’ll end up like my mother?”
The speaker hung silent for long beats as I thought of the mess she’d found herself in starting all of those years ago.
“Yes, but that wasn’t us. Tav tried to scare you off the investigation, the more you know the details, the more in danger you are.”The voice lowered an octave, deep tones jumbled with the use of a voice distorter.“You cannot publish the articles, anonymous or otherwise.”
“W-what? Why?”
“It degrades the integrity of the investigation, the public isn’t ready for the implications of this type of surveillance warfare.”
“You don’t have the right to—”
“It’s not about rights, it’s a matter of security.”
