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“Shit, sorry I’m getting everything mixed up,” Pete says, taking a deep breath. He starts from the beginning, “Mr. R called while you were out. They’ve located Luc’s mom’s place, and they want us to go and check it out and see if we can figure out how much she knows and what her link to Hunt is. We’re flying out tomorrow morning, and I’ve got the files and information ready for you all.”

“Right,” Trick says, switching over to work mode. “Let’s set up in the kitchen and see what we need to know.”

“It’s really straightforward,” Pete explains as we walk through the house. “It’s pretty much what I’ve already told you.”

“I’ve got a missed call from Alaric too,” Trick says as he frowns down at his phone. “That’s something that we’re going to have to remember for whenever we go up to Zemi and the guys' place. No one will be able to get hold of us.”

“I told Mr. R where you were. He knows that the phone signal is limited there,” Pete explains. “He was happy to send the information over to me and have me fill you guys in.”

He’s doing a very good job of pretending that he’s okay with everything that’s happening with Elijah, and he’s trying to distract himself with work stuff, and to be honest, I get it.

When I’m going through emotional shit, I would much rather busy myself doing something completely unrelated than face it, at least for a moment.

“I’ll get some drinks started for everyone,” Rage suggests as he veers off into the kitchen.

Atlas offers, “I’ll help.”

Pete picks up a pile of folders that were on the side in the kitchen, and then the rest of us head straight through and sit down at the table.

“This is all the information that we have,” Pete says as he hands out the folders. “It’s pretty much exactly what I told you. I didn’t really need to print it out, but I was trying to stay busy.”

“I find it easier to read like this anyway,” Jensen says with an understanding smile.

We all fall silent as we read through the file, Atlas and Rage bringing drinks for everyone, and sitting down to read too.

Pete wasn’t lying, it really is very short, and the job isn’t that complicated at all.

“So, they want me to go and check the place out because I know her best and they’re worried about something being poisoned again. They figure that if she is hiding something I’m likely to know where she could have hidden it, right?” Luc asks after he’s finished reading.

Pete nods, “Yeah, pretty much. Mr. R did say that if you weren’t comfortable with it, then he would send someone else. It’s a small island, so there’s only one of our teams there, but they’re dealing with something else at the moment, and they’re unavailable.”

Luc immediately shakes his head. “No, I’m good. Mr. R is right. I do know everywhere that she’s likely to try and hide things in her house. She’s a creature of habit that’s unlikely to have changed.”

Chapter Twelve

Ever

“Are you going to be okay seeing your mom?” I ask him with a worried frown.

Luc nods, his expression sincere. “Yes. I made peace with who both of my parents were a long time ago. It doesn’t bother me. Maybe it should, but it doesn’t.”

“If that changes at any point, you tell us,” Atlas orders sternly, his gaze locked on Luc. “Immediately.”

Luc nods, “Got it. Don’t worry, I know my limits, and I will tell you if something about the situation gets to me.”

“Okay, that’s settled. We’ll go out tomorrow and stake the place out and make a plan,” Trick says. “That’s at least straightforward, although, like everything, I doubt that it will stay that way. So, the next thing that we need to deal with right now is Alaric.”

“I really hope that’s a good update,” Atlas says as he stretches his arms above his head and yawns. “I need this Hunt thing to be over with. I do not like that he’s looking for Shadow, and every second he’s left alive is a second too long, in my opinion.”

“Agreed,” Rage says, his eyes flashing dangerously.

“I don’t like it either, but very few people actually know who I am,” I point out. I’m clearly not as concerned about this as they are. In all honesty, there have been a lot of people who have tried to work out who Shadow is over the years, and none of them have succeeded. I’m not saying that it would be impossible for Hunt to figure it out, but the odds aren’t in his favor.

“I still don’t like it,” Atlas says.

The sound of the phone ringing pulls my focus back toward Trick, and I see that he’s laid his phone on the table, on speaker, like normal, and is dialing Alaric.

“Hey, guys,” Alaric greets us warmly.