Unknown Number:WHERE ARE YOU, RACHEL?
For a second, fear flickered through her chest, then something else took over.
Anger. Hot and bright and consuming.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Rachel's voice came out sharp enough to cut.
Ghost's hands tightened on her waist. "What? Let me see."
She shoved the phone at him, her whole body rigid with fury. He took it from her hands, and she immediately pushed against his chest. He stepped back, giving her room, and she slid off the counter, her feet hitting the tile hard.
"They trashed my apartment. Again." She was already moving, pacing toward the windows and back. "They already did this once and didn't find anything, so what? They thought maybe they missed something the first time?"
Ghost took the phone, studying the photo. His jaw tightened.
"Well good luck with that!" Rachel was pacing now, her bare feet slapping against the tile. "There's nothing there! I took everything important with me. The drive was in my bra, for fuck's sake. You think I'd leave evidence just lying around after they tried to kill me the first time?"
A sound escaped Ghost. It took her a second to realize he was laughing.
She spun to face him, her eyes flashing. "What's funny?"
"You are." He was grinning now, eyes bright with amusement and something that looked a lot like pride. "You're pissed."
"Of course I'm pissed! They destroyed my home. My things. My cameras—" Her voice cracked slightly on that. Those cameras hadbeen with her through war zones, protests, disaster sites. They were more than equipment. "And for what? To scare me? To make me panic?"
"Is it working?"
"No!" She threw her hands up. "It's making me want to burn their entire operation to the ground!"
Ghost set the phone down and crossed to her. He caught her by the waist, pulling her against him. She tried to push away, still too wired to be held, but he didn't let go.
"Easy, firecracker," he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.
"Don't patronize me."
"I'm not." He tilted her face up to look at him. "I'm just enjoying watching you go off. It's hot."
"Logan—"
"You're right. They won't find anything. And yeah, they're wasting their time tearing apart an empty apartment." His thumb brushed along her jaw. "But that's good for us. Means they're desperate. Means they're running out of options."
Rachel took a shaky breath, trying to calm down. "I just—I worked hard for those things. That apartment was mine. And they just—"
"I know." His expression sobered. "And we're going to make them pay for it. All of it. But right now, you being safe matters more than stuff."
She wanted to argue. Wanted to stay angry. But the way he was looking at her, concerned but also a little bit proud, took the edge off.
"I hate that they think they're winning," she said quietly.
"They're not." Ghost pulled her closer. "They're scared. And scared people make mistakes. Like sending you a photo that proves they're still wasting resources on the wrong location."
Rachel let out a long breath and leaned her forehead against his chest. "Okay. You're right."
"Say that again. I want to remember this moment."
She swatted his chest. "Ass."
He laughed, the sound rumbling through his chest against her cheek, and kissed the top of her head. "There she is."
