Page 46 of Abundance of Obsession

Ryker’s huge hand lands on the back of my neck and squeezes it. He presses harder than he should. This isn’t a greeting. It’s a warning, though he doesn’t call out my bullshit.

Ash brings over a couple of cups and they both sit down across from us. I need caffeine—lots of it—after last night.

“I didn’t know you wanted to learn this. I could help,” she offers to Zoe with an awkward smile, never taking her eyes off her.

“It’s no big deal,” Zoe finally says. “I’m not doing too well either.”

“It’ll get better. And I’m glad you’re doing this. Thank you, Eli.”

I almost choke on Ash’s words. A gentle, grateful gaze is now resting on me. But when I glance at Ryker, I see a clenched jaw and lightning in his pupils. He’s like a twisted reflection of his woman.

“No problem. Where the hell is Theo?”

Just then, there’s a knock at the door, and I’m fucking grateful. I’ll have to buy him a drink later for his perfect timing.

The five of us are sitting in the living room a few minutes later. Theo is sprawled out in an armchair like a lord.

“Before you tell us what’s going on, Eli, I need to say something too. I got a message an hour ago that someone tried to hijack our transport from Loco Muerte,” says Ry. “It didn’t work. In the end, a few of our guys died, none of theirs. But there’s no denying that something big is coming our way.”

“Veirix?” Theo suggests dryly.

“I think so,” Ry agrees. “As soon as I find any proof, I’ll let you know. So? What’s this urgent matter that’s got you calling us here first thing in the morning, Eli?”

“I received a concerning a piece of news from one of my men this morning. Ryker, do you remember the meeting with Timothy at Feather?”

He immediately sits up straighter on the couch, furrowing his brow. Like a shark, he senses blood in the ocean. “Are you talking about the meeting in the room?”

I shake my head. “No. I’m talking about the meeting downstairs at the bar. The one where a call from Charles Baker interrupted us.”

Confusion spreads across Theo’s and Ash’s faces, and Ash glances at her husband.

“I remember,” he says, his eyes darkening.

“Can you shed some light on this?” Theo interjects, crossing his legs so his ankle rests on his knee.

“Timothy, a former friend of James, came to us with news about a woman who had appeared in the ranks of Veirix. The word was she’d broken free from the Pact’s grip and fallen under Veirix’s protection.” All three of us know perfectly well who Timothy is, but I would rather clear things up for the two girls.

“Why the hell don’t I know anything about this?” Theo protests. “I haven’t heard a thing about it in the underground.”

“But he did,” Ryker adds. “Right after that, everything fell apart. The whole thing with Charles and James. There was no time to talk about some old drunk’s ramblings.”

“It wasn’t idle talk. It was the truth,” I add. “Now we have confirmation. That woman is Aisling. And the informant told me there’s no one-hundred-percent certainty, but she might not be there of her own free will.”

Ryker stands up so abruptly that the table shakes. His hands form fists. The muscle on his right cheek pulses as he clenches his jaw hard. He has a stormy look on his face as he stares at me.

“What the fuck?” he hisses.

“Unbelievable.” Theo shakes his head. “Where did you get this info? How reliable is it?”

I can see how much effort it’s taking Ryker to stay calm. Ash sees it too, which is why she strokes the back of his leg, looking anxiously.

“I already told you, from one of my spies. Ninety-nine percent sure it’s Aisling. As for the rest, who knows?”

“That leaves one percent doubt that it’s not her,” Theo determines, pulling out his phone and tapping away at it with surprising speed. “What if we’re wrong?”

“What if someone kidnapped her?” Ryker turns away from us and walks over to the glass wall. He gazes at the horizon, lost in his thoughts or memories.

We’re close; I can feel it.