12. The Phantom
The Phantom
Chapter 12
Waking up the following morning, I rubbed my eyes and rolled over, a smile already on my face. I reached for my glasses that rested on the nightstand next to a framed photograph of Caroline and her late husband, Daniel, with little Evie riding on his shoulders. The image sent an ache through my heart that I couldn’t quite decipher. I knew it was partly because I felt empathy for what she and her daughter had gone through, but it was more than that. She was more than just a widow raising a little girl to me.
A knock at the door pulled my attention away from my thoughts. I sat up in the bed, running my hand through my disheveled hair. “Come in.”
“Good morning,” Caroline’s gentle voice greeted me as she entered the room, a tray laden with breakfast goodies in her hands. Her long black hair was down and cascaded over her shoulders, the light blue tank top bringing out the color of her eyes. Even first thing in the morning, she was absolutely beautiful. “I hope you slept well.”
“Better than I have in a long time,” I admitted, pushing myself up to sit against the headboard, hoping my morning wood wasn’t didn’t pitch a tent in the blankets where she could see it. Or did I? Forcing my impure thoughts away, I focused on the stunning woman before me. The mere presence of Caroline and her daughter seemed to fill the void in me that had consumed me for far too long, so I wanted to soak it in as much as I could.
Crossing the room, she set the tray down on the side table, steam rising from the mug of coffee, the aroma of freshly baked muffins making my stomach growl. There was even a bowl of cut fruit. She’d gone out of her way to make breakfast for me, which only made me like her more.
“Thank you, Superwoman. This looks amazing.”
“Anything for my favorite hacker,” she teased, a hint of mischief sparkling in her eyes. I couldn’t help but grin back at her, loving the lighthearted banter.
“Favorite? I’m honored.” Unable to resist, I bit into one of the muffins, groaning at how good it was. Her eyebrows quirked up at my overdramatization, which only made me grin wider. “What? It’s really good. You are a woman of many talents. Superwoman—like I said.”
“Tristan!” Evie’s voice shattered our moment like a stone through glass, her giggles filling the air as she burst into the room. Still in her pajamas, she bounded toward me with endless energy, her eyes bright as though she hadn’t just rolled out of bed. I wished I had that much energy first thing in the morning. I barely had time to set my coffee down on the table before she leaped onto the bed, bouncing the entire mattress.
“Hey there, wild child,” I said, unable to suppress a chuckle at her infectious enthusiasm. “What’s got you so excited this morning?”
“Mommy says we’re going to Uncle Ethan’s house today!” she beamed, bouncing on the bed again. “I can’t wait!”
Stepping out of the cottage with Caroline and Evie by my side an hour later, I breathed in the crisp mountain air as I led them to my black 1969 Mustang—my baby. The car had always been a symbol of my independence, a sleek machine that allowed me to escape when the weight of the world became too heavy.
“Wow, Mr. Tristan!” Evie exclaimed, running forward, her stuffed llama flopping in her hands. “Do we get to ride in your car today? It’s a super cool spy car!”
“Thank you, Captain.” Smiling back down at her, I pulled the door open. “Are you ready to show me how to get to your Uncle Ethan’s house?”
Without hesitation, she nodded, climbing into the back seat, and allowing her mother to strap her into the seatbelt.
“Nice car,” Caroline said, her tone playful. “Almost makes me forget about the whole ‘lawless computer nerd’ thing.”
A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I watched her strap in Evie, shamelessly checking her out. I found myself doing that a lot lately. “Thanks. I’m glad you approve.”
Once everyone was settled, I slid behind the wheel and started the engine. The Mustang roared to life, its power vibrating through me like an extension of my own being. I could have let Caroline drive, but I rarely had the chance to take my car out on mountain roads, so I looked forward to any opportunity to do so. Maybe I could even impress her a little with how I handled the curves.
The roar of the engine bounced off the mountainside as I guided my car up the winding road, its black sheen catching glints of the midday sun. Beside me, Caroline’s gaze danced out over the landscape, her fingers tracing imaginary on the fabric of her tights. The sky was an endless expanse of blue, stretching out to touch the peaks of the mountains in the distance. Who would have thought Alabama could be so beautiful?
“Over there,” she pointed, “is a trail that leads to a waterfall I’ve yet to explore. It’s supposed to be beautiful this time of year.”
The corners of her mouth lifted in a smile that was part longing, part invitation. I glanced at her, the warmth of her enthusiasm disrupting my cool isolation I usually kept draped around myself like a cloak. All I wanted to do was touch her cheek. She was so fucking beautiful, it hurt. “Sounds like it’s worth the hike. I haven’t been on one in a while.”
“Maybe we could go together sometime.” A hint of playfulness threaded through her tone, sending a surge of heat through me. “With Ethan and Scarlett so busy, and not knowing anyone here, I’ve yet to see much of the area.”
“Maybe,” I murmured, steering the car around a tight bend, the thought lingering like the sweet aftertaste of forbidden fruit. I was fairly sure Ethan would want to kick my ass if he knew how filthy my thoughts about his sister were turning, but I wasn’t sure if I cared. I was still going to think about her when I stroked myself before bed.
“Have you ever been up here before?” she asked, still staring at the passing landscape. “Well, aside from this last time when you came for the day.”
“Never. I grew up in the city. I traveled a little, but never here.” A pang of regret hit me as I thought about all the years I spent locked away in dark rooms and hidden corners, my world limited to the confines of a computer screen. “It’s incredible.”
“Well, wait until you see what’s coming up.” There was a hint of excitement in her voice that made me smile, as though she couldn’t wait to show her world off to me. “This next stretch of road has some of the most breathtaking views. It’s one of the reasons why Ethan and Scarlett chose this place. They wanted a sanctuary—somewhere they could escape to—when the world became too much.”
I could understand the appeal, the allure of a simpler life far removed from the chaos and complexities of our daily existence. And for a moment, I allowed myself to imagine a different future, one where I could trade shadows and secrets for the warmth and comfort of a loving family.
In the backseat, Evie sat quietly, her eyelids already drooping as she fought off a nap. When she caught me glancing at her in the rearview mirror, she sat up straighter. “Mr. Tristan, did you know there are secret places in the mountains where the faeries live? Aunt Scarlett told me about them.”
My grin widened, my eyes going wide in excitement to reflect hers as I met her eyes in the mirror again. “Is that so? Well, it certainly looks like a magical place.”
She nodded. “Mhmm, Auntie says they’re very shy, though. You have to be very quiet, or they’ll hide.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Caroline smile, before turning my eyes back to her daughter. “Then we’ll have to tread softly, won’t we?” The absolute wonder on Evie’s face filled my chest with a lightness that was completely alien to me, but completely welcome. I knew I would eventually have to return to my life in Atlanta, but I was already dreading it.
Ethan emerged from the front door as we pulled into the driveway, his presence commanding against the very domestic background of the cabin’s porch. Scarlett stood beside him, radiant in a simple ivory dress with her hand resting on her baby bump. After everything she’d been through, seeing her smiling gave me a little more faith in the world.
Stepping off the porch as I parked, Ethan opened the passenger door for his sister, helping Evie out of the car once Caroline was out of the way. “Welcome back, Tristan. Glad you could make it.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I replied, grabbing my tech gear out of the trunk. “Anything for my new family.”
Caroline’s laughter filled the air as she held a mumbled conversation with Scarlett several feet away. Stealing a glance at her, I grinned, imagining what they could be talking about. I didn’t doubt it involved why we’d shown up together. Although it was innocent, I could see Scarlett picking on her about it just to get a rise out of her.
Once we went inside, Ethan and I headed into the basement, where Ethan had converted nearly the entire lower level on one side of the house into a safe room apartment. It was their sanctuary within a sanctuary—a place to hide if danger ever found them again. Some would have thought it overkill, but after the things they’d gone through, and the world both Ethan and I knew existed, it wasn’t. There was no such thing as being too vigilant when it came to protecting those you loved.
“I told Scarlett what you found out about her old man,” Ethan said a few hours later as he stared at the computer screen in the safe room where images blinked to life one by one. “He’s like an old wound that never seems to heal for her, even without him being an active part of her life.”
Noticing one of the screens remained blacked out, I reached for the control panel to adjust the connection. “Seems so. Delacroix’s gang doesn’t strike me as the type to let bygones be bygones. Ivy’s testimony could put a lot of them away. I’m sure they’re going to be desperate to get rid of him before he can.”
Ethan grunted, the sound heavy with unspoken fears. For someone who was always so careful and controlled, I knew the uncertainty must keep him up at night. “That’s why we’re turning this place into Fort Knox. No one’s laying a finger on Scarlett or the baby. Even if they don’t know my identity, they know hers. I don’t want her to feel like she can’t live her life or be safe. Her father put her in this predicament, but I have to do everything I can to keep them safe until this case blows over—until they’re hopefully locked up.”
“We’ll get there, boss,” I said, sitting in the chair beside him and taking the mouse he’d abandoned. My eyes scanned the monitors, watching as the last of the cameras blinked online, covering every shadowed nook of the property.
As I moved closer to the displays, Ethan rolled his chair back to get out of my way. “What are you working on now?”
My fingers flew across the keyboard, bringing the grid up on the screen. The green dots popped into existence, each one representing an unseen eye. “Syncing the motion sensors. If a leaf falls, we’ll know about it.”