Chapter 28
LUCAS
The rental on James Island looked quiet from the outside—weathered blue siding, porch light still on, the marsh behind it whispering in the morning gray. Nothing screamed crime scene. Nothing screamed danger. But my gut told me different, and my gut had kept me alive through worse.
I stepped out of the SUV before Noah killed the engine, my hand already reaching for the pistol under my jacket. The team fanned out behind me—four of Noah's guys, all moving with that practiced silence that came from years of this kind of work. Good men. Professionals.
Noah came up beside me, tablet in hand, eyes scanning the house. "Street cams show nothing. No vehicles, no movement. If someone was here, they came and went like ghosts."
"They're getting good at that," I muttered.
We moved to the front door. It was unlocked—Hannah had run without stopping to lock it, which made sense. I pushed it open slowly, leading with my weapon, sweeping left then right. The living room was empty, untouched. No signs of forced entry here.
"Clear," I called softly.
The team moved in, splitting up to check the rest of the house. I headed straight for Hannah's room, Noah on my heels.
The door was ajar, the room beyond it a mess—but not the kind of mess that comes from a search or a robbery.
This was the mess of someone leaving in a panic.
Blankets half-pulled off the bed, a chair knocked over, her phone charger still plugged into the wall.
The window was open, curtain fluttering in the breeze.
I moved to the window, examining the frame. No signs of forced entry here either. It had been unlocked, opened from the outside. Easy access.
"He might’ve come in through here," I said, more to myself than Noah.
Noah stepped beside me, looking out at the marsh. "And left the same way, probably. No footprints in the mud, though. Ground's too soft to hold detail this close to the water."
I cursed under my breath. "So, we've got nothing."
"Not nothing," Noah said, pulling up his tablet. "I've been reviewing the street cam footage from the last six hours. No suspicious vehicles, no one on foot. But—" He paused, scrolling through something. "There's a gap. Fifteen minutes of dead air, right around the time Hannah called Lexi."
"Dead air?"
"Camera went offline. Could be a glitch. Could be someone who knows how to work the system."
I felt my jaw tighten. "These guys are good."
"Maybe," Noah said. He pocketed the tablet, his expression thoughtful. "We need more resources. More reach."
"Like what?"
He hesitated, then said, "The mayor of Charleston. Natalie Kennedy. She's got connections—police, city infrastructure, access to systems we don't. If we loop her in, she might be able to help."
I frowned. "Why would the mayor help us?"
Noah grinned, and there was something knowing in it. "Because she's dating your brother."
I blinked. "What?"
"Ethan," Noah said, his grin widening. "Didn't he tell you?"
"No," I said flatly. "He didn't."
Noah shrugged. "Ethan's like Atlas—tight-lipped. Keeps his cards close. But yeah, he's been seeing Mayor Kennedy. It's serious, from what I hear."
I stared at him, trying to process. Ethan, my brother, dating the mayor of Charleston. And he hadn't said a damn word about it. Not when he'd flown in to tell me about Byron Dane's secrets, not when we'd talked about Dominion Hall, nothing.
"Why the hell wouldn't he mention that?" I asked, more to myself than Noah.
"Because Ethan doesn't mention anything unless it's mission-critical," Noah said. "You know how he is. The strong, silent type who carries the weight of the world and doesn't ask for help."
I couldn't argue with that. Of all the Montana Danes, Ethan had taken Dad's disappearance the hardest. He'd been the oldest at home when it happened, the one who'd stepped up to help Mom keep the ranch running. He'd turned inward, built walls, and never let anyone see him crack.
"Yeah," I said quietly. "I know."
Noah clapped my shoulder. "Well, now you know about the mayor. So, what do you think? Worth reaching out?"
I thought about it. The mayor had resources we didn't—access to city surveillance, police cooperation, the kind of official channels that could cut through red tape. But what would she really be able to do? Track down a ghost? Find a man who'd already vanished into the night?
"Sure," I said finally. "Can't hurt. Though I'm not sure what she'll be able to do that we can't."
Noah nodded, but I could tell he was thinking the same thing. We were grasping at straws, and we both knew it.
Then it hit me.
The answer had been staring me in the face the whole time, and I'd been too focused on the present to see it. I straightened, turning to Noah with a sudden clarity that felt like a door opening in my mind.
"We need to go back to the beginning," I said.
Noah frowned. "What do you mean?"
"When I’m on an impossible mission," I said, the words coming faster now, "and I can’t figure something out, I'd go back to the beginning. Retrace the steps. Find the first domino."
Noah's frown deepened. "Okay, but what's the beginning here?"
"When I first got to Charleston," I said. "When I first met Lexi."
His eyes widened slightly. "Pelicangate."
"Exactly," I said, feeling the pieces click into place. "The bar. The Navy aviator. The guy who tried to drug her."
Noah's expression shifted, understanding dawning. "You think he's connected?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "But it's the first thread. The first time someone made a move on Lexi. And we never followed up on it because the guy disappeared before the cops could grab him. You think the mayor can help track him down?"
"Between her contacts and Dominion Hall's resources?" he said. "Yeah, I think it's possible. If we can find him, maybe we can get answers. Figure out if he was working alone or if someone sent him."
"Okay," I said. "And I'll call Ethan. Give him a little earful about keeping his dating life secret."
Noah smirked. "He's going to love that."
"He'll get over it." I paused, then added, "We should include Lexi, too."
Noah looked up from his phone, surprised. "Why?"
"Because she's in the middle of everything," I said. "She was there that night. She might remember something we don't. And who knows—maybe a little star power can help grease the wheels."
Noah considered it, then nodded. "All right. But we keep her close. If these guys are escalating, I don't want her exposed."
"Agreed."
We headed back outside, the team already regrouping by the SUVs. The sun was starting to rise now, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. It should've been beautiful. Instead, it felt like a countdown.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Ethan. It rang twice before he picked up, his voice calm but probing. "Lucas?"
"We need to talk."
There was a pause, then a sigh. "About what?"
"About the fact that you're dating the mayor of Charleston and didn't think to mention it."
Another pause, longer this time. Then, "Noah told you."
"Yeah, Noah told me," I said, my tone sharper than I meant. "What the hell, Ethan? You couldn't have mentioned that when you were dropping bombshells about Dad?"
"It didn't seem relevant," he said, his voice defensive now.
"Not relevant?" I let out a harsh laugh. "We're dealing with threats, surveillance, people breaking into houses, and you didn't think it was worth mentioning that you're dating someone with access to city resources?"
"I didn't want to complicate things," Ethan said quietly. "Natalie's got her own life, her own responsibilities. I didn't want to drag her into our mess."
"Well, she's in it now," I said. "We need her help. And we need you to set up a meeting."
There was a long silence. Then Ethan said, "What kind of help?"
"The kind that involves tracking down a Navy aviator who tried to drug Lexi Montgomery at a bar the night I got to town. Think you can make that happen?"
Another pause. "Yeah. I can make it happen."
"Good. We'll be at Dominion Hall in twenty. Get her there."
"Lucas—"
"Twenty minutes, Ethan." I ended the call before he could argue.
Noah was watching me, arms crossed, a faint smile on his face. "Feel better?"
"A little," I admitted.
"He's going to be pissed."
"He'll get over it."
We climbed into the SUV, the team loading up behind us. As Noah pulled onto the road, I stared out the window, watching the marsh blur past. My mind was already racing ahead—to the meeting, to the mayor, to the aviator we were about to hunt down.
If he was the first domino, then maybe knocking him over would start a chain reaction. Maybe it would lead us to whoever was pulling the strings.
Or maybe it would lead us nowhere.
But I had to try. Because sitting around waiting for the next move wasn't an option. Not when Hannah had been attacked. Not when Lexi was in danger.
Not when these bastards had made it personal.
"You really think the aviator's connected?" Noah asked, breaking the silence.
"I don't know," I said honestly. "But he's the only lead we've got. And if he's not connected, then at least we can rule him out."
"And if he is?"
I looked at him, my voice flat. "Then we make him talk."
Noah nodded, his expression grim. "Fair enough."
We drove in silence for a while, the city waking up around us. Traffic was light, the streets still quiet. By the time we pulled up to Dominion Hall, the sun was fully up, the gates swinging open like they always did—smooth, silent, inevitable.
Inside, the mansion felt different in the daylight. Less imposing, more lived-in. I could hear voices somewhere deep in the house, the faint clatter of dishes from the kitchen. Life, continuing despite the chaos.
Noah headed for his office to coordinate with the mayor, and I headed upstairs to find Lexi.
She was in the guest room with Hannah, sitting on the edge of the bed, her hand holding her sister's. They both looked up when I walked in, their faces a mix of relief and worry.
"Lucas," Lexi said, standing. "What did you find?"
"Not much," I admitted. "But we've got a lead. And I need you to come with me."
Her eyes widened. "Where?"
"To meet the mayor," I said. "We're going to track down the guy from Pelicangate. The one who tried to drug you."
Hannah's face went pale. "You think he's involved?"
"I think he's the first thread," I said. "And we're going to pull it until something unravels."
Lexi nodded slowly, then looked at Hannah. "Will you be okay here?"
Hannah squeezed her hand. "I'll be fine. Go. Do what you need to do."
Lexi stood, moving toward me. I caught her hand, pulling her close for a second. "You sure you're up for this?"
She looked up at me, her eyes fierce despite the exhaustion. "I'm up for anything that gets us answers."
I kissed her forehead, then stepped back. "Let's go."
We headed downstairs, Noah waiting for us in the hall. He glanced at Lexi, then at me, and nodded.
"Mayor Kennedy's on her way," he said. "So is Ethan."
"Good," I said. "Let's end this."
Noah's expression was grim. "Let's hope it's that easy."
It wouldn't be. I knew that. But hope was all we had right now.
That, and the hunt.