Chapter 17 Shadow
The garage was silent, the faint smell of oil and metal lingering in the air as I slipped inside, my footsteps careful and soundless against the concrete floor.
Aiden’s Ducati bike was parked near the back, dark and sleek, a tool he relied on far too much.
A tool I was finally learning more about.
It was a crutch for them, using it to run around instead of facing their problems. The place was a testament to the arrogance of them all, to the reckless confidence that they all wore like a shield.
I grabbed the light-blue hoodie draped over his bike and brought it to my nose, taking a deep breath of the vanilla perfume that lingered on the fabric. Did she always wear this scent?
It was a fact I wouldn’t need to bring back to my boss, but it was one I felt I needed to know. I was paid and praised to be obsessed. Wouldn’t the obsessed know what their targets smell like? What they thought about?
I took another deep inhale of the scent, memorizing it as I kept walking through the maze of bikes.
Evie. The thought of her gnawed at me, forcing me to push forward. She’d been digging into things that weren’t her business, things she had no right to touch. And if she kept on like this, well, she’d end up like her parents—buried so deep in a pile of ashes no one would find her.
The faint flash of a computer light in the small office caught my attention, the locked door the only thing standing between me and the answers I sought.
My fingers brushed over the lock, tracing it, the chill of the metal seeping into my skin.
She was smart, but not nearly as clever as she thought.
I’d get in.
I moved back through the garage, scanning the shadows, my eyes sharp.
Tools lined the walls, glinting faintly, and I wondered if one of them could help.
A crowbar leaned against a workbench nearby, and I picked it up, feeling its weight, the cool steel reassuring against my palm.
Could I pop the door enough to break the lock off?
Or maybe hammer the lock until it snapped?
No. That would be too loud, too reckless.
I couldn’t risk alerting anyone that I’d been here—not yet.
I needed their guard down around this place.
I needed them to know I was watching, but not know I was this close.
I put the crowbar down, taking a deep breath, steadying myself.
There was another way, a quieter way, one that would let me slip in and out without a trace.
Stepping closer, I kneeled beside the door, reaching into my pocket for a set of small lock picks.
I’d honed this skill over the years, learned to feel the clicks and turns with an instinct that made it as easy as breathing.
I slid the first pick into the lock, carefully twisting and listening for the subtle, telltale clicks.
She thought this would keep her secrets safe, but I’d been in and out of tougher places than this.
The lock gave way with a soft, satisfying click, and I pushed the door open enough to slip inside.
Her office was small and overly decorated, the entire desk cluttered with papers, notebooks, and a computer, which sat turned off.
I flipped through the papers quickly, scanning for anything that stood out, any hint of what she was after.
Most of it was nonsense, schedules, receipts, things for Maverick Moto that meant nothing to me.
I flipped through more folders until one piece of paper with one single word made my breath hitch.
Veritas.
I flipped open the folder, eyes scanning the pages, pulse hammering as I absorbed the words.
She had a mess of names, receipts, logs.
I tried to find what trail she was following but it was a jumble of nothing.
That was until I found the building logs, her father’s name stamped clear as day again and again.
So this was how she found the building and why she went.
I flipped back to the singular page, Veritas stamped at the top.
She was getting closer.
Foolish girl. She had no idea what she was stepping into.
This wasn’t some petty little revenge plot. This wasn’t about her curiosity. She was clawing at the same darkness that had swallowed her parents. It seemed the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
I flipped to the next page, my eyes narrowing as I scanned her notes. She’d drawn a thin web of connections, a shaky attempt at mapping out something far bigger than she could ever understand.
The sound of a motorcycle outside made me freeze, my heart pounding as I slipped back into the shadows, blending into the corner of the small room. I held my breath, listening, waiting.
The motorcycle passed by, fading into the distance, and I let out a slow, silent exhale. Too close. I needed to be faster, to get what I needed and disappear before anyone knew I was here.
Returning to the desk, I opened the laptop, tapping a few keys to see if she’d left it unlocked.
A password screen flashed up, and I cursed under my breath.
No matter—I’d have other chances. For now, I’d learned enough.
I knew where she would be looking next, and I’d make sure to follow her trail.
If she dug into Veritas, she would quickly find the Order, and the members.
I slid the papers back into place, careful to leave everything exactly as I’d found it. I took one last look around, scanning the room, memorizing every detail. I’d be back. And when I returned, I’d be ready to destroy whatever hope Evie had about what she thought she could uncover.
The door creaked as I slipped back out, my movements quick and fluid.
I moved across the garage, my eyes adjusting to the darkness, the thrill of the chase settling into my bones.
They wouldn’t see me coming. She’d be too busy chasing her little mysteries, too caught up in her na?ve little plans.
And when the time was right, I’d be there, watching as their world came crashing down.
I left the garage as silently as I’d entered, the door clicking shut behind me, leaving no trace that I’d ever been there. But I’d be back. They had secrets I wanted, answers I needed, and I’d make sure I got them. Their world was about to crumble right in front of them.
And I wouldn’t just watch as their world fell apart—I’d be the one tearing it down.