“No.” Grant’s voice is firm. “It’s too dangerous. We don’t know who’s there?—”
“No one’s there,” Roman interrupts. “I’ve been monitoring the security feeds since I found it this morning. There’s been no activity for eight weeks. The property’s dark. It’s empty.”
“Then we send a security team,” Sterling argues. “Not?—”
“Us?” Valen’s smile is grim. “Sterling, I am security. Roman is security. And this? It’s personal.” He stands. “The property is ours, so we have the legal right to access it, and honestly, it’s time I see it for myself.”
No.
No way in hell.
There’s nothing I want less than Valen returning to the place where he was beaten so badly he can’t remember the first half of his life.
“Roman will go first with a team,” Valen continues. He’s speaking to the room, but his gaze never leaves mine. “He’ll secure the perimeter and make sure it’s safe. Then we’ll go inwith a small team. A quick retrieval. Find the evidence and get the hell out.”
“Small team,” Chase repeats slowly. He’s keeping a careful eye on both of us. “What does that mean?”
“It means me and Clover.” Valen’s voice is steady, but my stomach twists into knots.
“Clover’s not leavin’ town without me and Wrecks,” Chief says, bolting to his feet and placing his hands on his hips. “Whatever your plannin’, I’m in too.”
“Chief.” It’s as though every man in the room is in tune with my voice because there’s no way they heard it over the amount of testosterone flying in the air.
“End of story, Clover.” Chief shakes his head, then pinches the bridge of his nose before continuing. “I love you like my own, and I—I need to be there for you. Please don’t fight me on this.”
I turn to Valen, who appears frustrated, but nods.
“Absolutely not.” Grant’s voice is hard.
“Grant.” Valen softens his tone. “Think about it. If this message is baiting us, if someone is watching to see when Clover leaves town—we need the illusion that she’s still here. You stay. Sterling and Chase stay. Keep up appearances. Bring her favorite snacks. Turn her lights on and off. Make it look as though nothing has changed. She hasn’t left her house much since her friend’s accident anyway, so no one will know for sure if she’s here or not.”
“If they wanted to hurt me, they’ve had plenty of opportunities,” I say. All heads turn my way. “What? It’s true. They aren’t looking to hurt me—at least not yet. If they were, I’d already be dead.”
“For fuck’s sake.” Valen visibly pales. “She’s right. These messages are leading us to something.”
Grant opens his mouth, closes it, then mutters, “I hate when you’re logical.”
“You’ve already rented that old house for the entire month anyway,” Valen continues. “Maintain a visible presence in town so people think Clover is holed up in her house. It’ll take us thirty-six hours, tops. We’ll be back before anyone realizes we left.”
A day and a half? Oh, God. He expects us to fly. I—I can’t.
“What if it’s a trap?” Sterling asks.
“Then Roman’s there and fully equipped to handle it,” Valen says simply. “And we’ll abort the second half of the mission. But I don’t think it is. There’s something out there that someone needs us to find. Someone who knows it exists but not where it is.”
As much as I hate this, I believe he’s right. And truthfully, I’m just so tired of living in fear, so I find my voice, small and fragile as it may be. “I-I’ll go.”
The air is thick with disapproval as everyone turns to stare at me.
“I’ve been hiding here since college.” My voice trembles, but I raise my chin high. “Counting my way through every day, terrified of shadows and ghosts. And someone, someone who knows what happened, is telling us there’s still evidence. Proof.” I turn to Valen. “Answers you might need to remember. I’m tired of being scared, so if there’s a chance, even a small one, that we can finally put this behind us?—”
“We have to take it,” Valen says. He stares at me with so much pride it’s almost palpable.
Grant is studying our entire exchange and slowly nods. “Okay, but we’re going to be smart about this. We’re not taking any chances with either of you. Roman leaves tonight. Our plane is already at the airport. Manchester is maybe a two-hour flight. You can rent a car?—”
“No. Please.” My voice wavers. “Can we drive? I—I need to drive.”
Grants looks at me, then to Valen. “It’s at least fourteen hours?—”
