I read until my eyes burned. Every facet I could find, both the ones I liked and the ones I didn’t. But the more I read, the more heat gathered under my skin. I felt hot and needy, and if I were at home, I definitely wouldn’t befalling asleepwith my vibrator.
Before I went to bed, I circledabsolutely yes.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
_____________
TRINITY
The apartment wasn’t livable.
Not if I didn’t want to sleep on the floor.
The looks on the officer’s faces told me enough. It was more than just a break-in. Whoever had been in my apartment had been looking for something. There was no other reason to cut holes in every pillow I owned, along with my mattress, inmultipleplaces, unless I had something they wanted or hated me that much.
Dishes had been broken, the mirror in the bathroom was cracked, along with the sink, and even the slats beneath the bed no longer supported the mattress. Even the vent covers had been removed, and the thermostat had been ripped out of the wall so it was hot as fuck inside.
I wasn’t always the nicest person, but I didn’t have enemies. Not like this.
“Do you have somewhere you can stay?” The officer asked. They’d already gathered all the evidence they could find, but it had taken hours.
“I do. Am I allowed to pack some clothes?”
“Yeah, do what you need to. We have what we need for now from the apartment. We do need you to come to the station for an official report and fingerprinting for elimination prints. But pack first.”
I wilted inside a bit. I’d slept late at Ocean’s house, and it was already afternoon. The last thing I wanted was to spend more time on this. “Thanks.”
She glanced around the apartment. “Go and do that. I’ll wait for you.”
Relief I hadn’t known I needed poured over my head and into my lungs. “Really?”
“Yes. I’m glad you weren’t here when they broke in.”
“That makes two of us.”
Edgar had immediately told me to take the day and do what I needed to when he found out about the break-in. So I had nothing to do but this and think about the case and my new potential living and sex situation.
Two suitcases later, I had almost all my clothes and important items. I could come back for the rest. The door still locked, I just had to force it closed. The officer waited until I was in my car before pulling away, and I met her at the station.
I answered all the questions I could, and I did tell the truth. I didn’t have any idea who had done this or why, but I wasn’t going to share my speculation about the story and the flash drive with the police. Not only would that endanger my source, but having the police investigate could make the story dry up entirely.
And of course, I didn’t know for sure if itwasrelated. Not until I met with Aiden, the DuPont Pack’s hacker. I sent him an email this morning and just needed to hear back.
By the time I was walking out of the police station, it was after dark and I was exhausted. Sweaty from spending hours in a hot apartment, packing most of my life, and then sitting in a humid room being asked questions. That, and I didn’t sleep well thanks to my overactive brain thinking about all the things on the list. All I wanted was to curl up and do nothing.
The same female officer walked me out. “Thank you again. I appreciate it.”
“Anytime.”
Sinking into the front seat of my car, I locked the door.
The Breaker Pack had all texted me good morning, and I said it back, and checked in with them when I came to the station, but I hadn’t told them whether I was coming over to stay. Now I had to choose.
The same thoughts had been circling in my head all day. That I shouldn’t dive in with them so quickly. That I should prepare for the worst and simply stay with Ocean or Isolde. That it wouldn’t work out and that I shouldn’t try.
And I fuckinghatedthat voice in my head.
I couldn’t seem to shut it up.
