“And you?”
“I believe in discipline and refinement.” He cracked his knuckles. “Power means nothing if it destroys the mind using it.”
Audrey could only blink at him.
“But him?” he continued. “He pushes people too far, too fast. He’s dangerous.”
The difference was clear. “You think he’s wrong,” she said.
“I think he’s reckless,” he replied. “And a monster.” The hatred he felt for him was precise, almost surgical.
They moved toward the street. His presence didn’t erase her panic—it stabilized it, like cold water over fire.
“You're lucky I found you first tonight,” he said.
She stopped. “What do you mean?”
“The Separatists don’t abandon assets,” he said. “Just like the woman who trained them.”
“What woman?”
“Your mother.”
This time, the word gave direction rather than breaking her. Her mother was a target now, not just a memory. If Sophia built something for these Separatists—trained people like the one from the club—while Audrey sat in prison, there was only one place to start. Finding Sophia, getting answers, and keeping Alex safe meant that Audrey now needed this stranger’s help.
She lifted her chin slightly. “You’ve been tracking me. Why?”
“I’ve been trackingher. Sophia Sarafian used to lead them.”
Audrey turned still. “How do you know she’s my mother?”
“Tonight is the night we’ve been waiting for,” was all he said.
She ignored the urge to scream at him. “Who are the Separatists?”
“A militant network built around powerful people like us. The government’s been hunting them for decades.” He lowered his voice. “Your mother turned on them. Now, she’s dismantling what she built.”
“And me?”
“She’d never let them get their hands on an asset like you.”
Asset. The word landed more heavily this time. “Why would I matter?” Audrey asked. “I’m nothing compared to her.”
“Sophia Sarafian leaves no variables uncontrolled.”
Variables. Such a cold way to describe her fraught relationship with her mother.
They started making their way out of the alley. Audrey had to scramble to keep up with his long strides, but she was almost giddy in anticipation.
This was a real lead.
“Why should I believe you? Where are we going?” she asked, knowing full well she had no better option right now.
Those blue eyes darted over to her—then, “I have it on good authority that she’ll be in Tolusa in the next twenty-four hours. I’m taking you to my place so we can regroup…and put some space between you and this dead body.”
It wasn’t the answer she wanted, but it was a direction. Audrey fought a smile, her breathing calm now. Because she wasn’t reacting anymore. She was moving.
A cab slowed, and he opened the door. She wavered only a few seconds—then got in. Inside, she went for her phone, but he intercepted it smoothly.
