There was a pause on the line, then Knox’s voice was back. “Where did you find that?”
“It was in her necklace,” I said. “Very similar to the ones we looked at before, right?”
Another pause, shorter this time. “…yeah,” Knox muttered. “That’s a standard one used for general tracking.”
Glancing back up at the monitor. Ember disappeared down the hallway toward her bedroom.
I switched feeds and followed her.
“Could it be that she uses that as a safety precaution? That’s a thing, right?” I asked.
“Not with that one,” Knox said slowly. “There are other cheaper types for that. The way that one was hidden makes me feel like someone didn't want it found.”
My grip tightened around the chain.
“I can trace it,” he continued. “Figure out who bought it, maybe where it was activated. I can use the number from thepicture you sent me. Although, if you don't plan on returning it, I would smash it.”
I rolled the small piece between my fingers, feeling the weight of it. “Why?”
“Because if it’s active, it’s talking,” Knox snapped. “And if it’s talking, someone might already know where to find it.”
I glanced down at it again, then back up at her. On the screen, I was now watching from her TV.
“Where are you right now?” Knox asked suddenly.
I intentionally didn’t answer him, knowing exactly why he asked.
“…Silas.”
“At the club,” I said on an exhale.
A sharp groan sounded on the other end. “You brought it to the club?! You don’t move unknown trackers into populated places. If that thing pings—”
Then they will come to me, and it will make things so much easier.
“At least I didn’t take it to my house.”
Knox went silent for a moment, probably assessing how far to actually take this conversation. “Yeah. That would’ve been worse.”
I leaned back in my chair again. “Thanks for getting me access to her. Let me know when anything comes back from the tracker.”
Knox’s response was him cutting the line, but it didn’t bother me. Taking the microchip between my fingers, I wondered whocould be following her. In the end, it didn’t really matter. She belonged to me now, and anyone who had a problem with that would be taken care of.
Standing, I moved to the balcony outside my office and dropped the chip on the steel floor. Placing my foot above it, I ground my heel into the small square over and over again. I didn't stop until it cracked beneath me. When I picked up my shoe, the tracker laid there broken, shattered into several pieces.
With that taken care of, I could move on with the rest of my plan. Step one, Ember. Step two, making sure whoever planted this, stayed far away from her.
Resting my forearms against the cold metal railing of the balcony, I looked down over the floor. The main room was packed once again, alive with bodies—exactly how it was supposed to be. My gaze drifted through the people, and somehow, I knew that all I was searching for was that wild brown hair and exuberant energy.
The bass crawled up through the floor and burrowed into my chest. That feeling used to be my favorite, but now it didn’t compare to what Ember triggered in me. Realistically, I knew I couldn’t be in three places at once, so I’d to have to figure out a way to temporarily make this work. Taking a minute to watch the havoc unfold below me, I should’ve felt satisfied, but I didn’t. The club almost felt like noise—it washerthat I needed right now.
More importantly, I needed a few days to get things settled. Then, I could just bring her back here.
The idea settled in my head like it had been waiting there all night.
If I could manage to create enough time to step away and clean up whatever mess this was, I could make this work. I knew the club would be just fine without me. Still…walking away, even for a couple days, felt wrong. This was my home, but now, I belonged herewith her. I exhaled slowly and pushed off the railing.
The best option was to give myself time and use it wisely.
