26. Chapter 26
TIERNEY
"What do we know about Larissa's new boyfriend?" I asked over my shoulder. “She’s gone out with him three times this week. Moving pretty fast for a new relationship—right?”
Ahren wrapped me in his arms, no doubt seeking comfort from me.
That first kiss had thrown me for a loop. I got in my head and let my fear push him away—certain it was nothing more than a momentary lapse in judgment.
Then there were the roses. That was a conversation I was dreading, if I were being honest. He saved every rose, each one a tribute in our rivalry—a taunt that I won this round. Yet he saved them. He took the time to preserve them and hand write the date on each one.
I took his roses in the same spirit as the ones I left for him. A mocking reminder I was beneath him and I treated his tributes as such, throwing them in the incinerator where they belonged—where I thought they belonged.
God, I was a fucking idiot.
Every glance, these past two and a half weeks. Every brush of his skin against mine had been sparks on dry kindling. It was only a matter of time before it ignited.
"Not much." He answered absentmindedly, his eyes combing over the photo.
"Like you didn't run a background check on him." I snorted.
He tossed me that cocky smile that made the deepest parts of me ache. "Fair enough. I ran a routine check, but there wasn't much there. Just a boring executive, some marketing firm. No criminal history. No ties to anyone with any power—a nobody." he shrugged.
“If you’re sure then…” I let my words hang in the air between us.
He barked out a dry laugh. "Of course, I'm not sure."
The smiles slid from our faces as reality crept back in, both of us returning our gazes to the photo and the accompanying note.
He squinted, holding the note up to the light, desperate for a clue.
"Does this look—I don't know—overly warm to you?" I asked, tilting my head as I studied the photo.
"Warm? No." he scoffed. "If anything, it looks like a dank basement, maybe. The furthest thing from warm I could imagine."
"No." I answered, drawing out the single syllable with an edge of irritation. "I meant the lighting. You're right, she's most likely in an interior room with no windows. So where did the light come from?"
"Maybe it's just the camera flash," he muttered, his eyes raking over the picture as if his sharp gaze could force it to spill its secrets.
"Doubtful. Cameras use a white light. It’s closer to natural light. This has a warm, yellow tone, like an incandescent bulb." I explained .
His gaze snapped to mine, understanding dawning in his amber eyes.
"They don't sell those anymore."
"Nope. They haven't for years." a spark of my former confidence flared to life as the next piece of the puzzle snapped into place.
"Shit."
He pulled out his phone and began hastily punching out a message. "I know it's a longshot," he said, his eyes never leaving his screen. "But I thought maybe I could see if Jax could work his mojo and look for older brick buildings in less than ideal condition that are covered in vines."
I nodded. It wasn't much to go on, but maybe if we could start narrowing the search area—well, let's just say that Ahren and I both worked better when we had a target.
"Why Larissa?"
"Hmm?" he hummed distractedly.
"I mean, me. Obvious. I piss people off on the regular. You too."
"Occupational hazard," he shrugged.
That earned him a smile. "Maybe. Larissa is a little snarky, but she saves lives. Who could have a beef with her?"
"It's not about her. It's me they want. Hell, I am starting to wonder if your attack was to get my attention as well."
I snorted, barely holding back an incredulous laugh. "Why would killing me—" I froze, the answer hitting me like Ahren's killer right cross. Roses.
His eyes remained hard and focused, his jaw chewing possibilities he wasn't ready to share.
"Who all knew about the roses?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
A dry laugh escaped him. "Just me and the lads. "
I nodded, not really sure how to follow that thread. If someone attacked me trying to get a rise out of Ahren, that raised questions I wasn't sure either of us were equipped to answer.
He pushed out a heavy breath, dropping the photo to the table and turning to face me. "Maybe they were watching to see who came and went. It's not like I have a lot of visitors."
My head bobbed, nodding in agreement. It was a reasonable explanation. Something told me we were still missing something.
"How often does Larissa visit you?"
His brows pinched together, confusion darkening his eyes. "I don't know. Every few weeks maybe. It's not like I get injured all the time like I did when I was younger."
"Mmm," I hummed, a picture starting to emerge, and not a good one.
"About the same for me. Once a month, sometimes six or eight weeks. "
"What are you getting at?" He said, his tone flat but his brows drawing together in suspicion.
"Well, either someone spends all their time on your property line with a pair of binoculars, or—"
"Or someone has tapped into my security feed," he growled, a feral gleam lighting his eyes.
"Yeah."
He paced the length of the kitchen, prowling back and forth like a caged tiger, working himself into a frenzy with every pass.
I brushed my palms down my thighs, straightened my spine and stepped into his path.
Any other circumstance and I would have nerves of steel.
Even staring down the cold fury in his eyes didn't scare me.
But the thought of my awkwardness wrecking whatever this thing was between us before we got the chance to explore it—that terrified me.
For the first time in a very long time, there was a flicker of possibility I wouldn't spend the rest of my life alone. I couldn't bear the thought of snuffing it out, but he needed someone to calm him and that task was left to me.
My palms pressed against his chest, the heat of his body warming my hand through the thin layer of his dark tee shirt. His eyes settled on me, the weight crushing as I willed the words to come.
"Maybe ask Jax to check your system. See if he can find where someone tapped in. Trace it back, maybe."
He nodded, pulling his phone from his pocket.
I brushed my hand along his jaw, tangling it in his hair as I pushed myself up on my toes to reach him. Just before our lips touched, I whispered. "Assume you're being watched. Don't let them see you weak."
Our lips moved against each other’s, softly—much more tenderly than I would have thought either of us were capable of. He pulled away the tiniest bit, still close enough to share a breath.
"Thank you," he breathed, offering me a small smile.
"So," I said, stepping back, "What's next?"
"There's not much we can do until Jax gets back with us."
"You are putting a lot on his shoulders."
My chest tightened painfully. I had made it a point to do everything myself. I couldn’t imagine placing my life in someone else’s hands. Yet, Ahren seemed to do it so casually, first with Larissa and now with Jax.
He nodded. "Yeah. I know. He can handle it. Trust me," he laughed.
"For now, I think we should eat something. We just finished a heavy workout and our bodies need fuel. We can look over the picture while we eat."
"Makes sense. We need to keep our stamina up. Stay strong for Larissa." I said, trying to match his energy .
I walked to the refrigerator and started pulling out ingredients for dinner.
Ahren wordlessly pulled out the chef's knife and a large wooden board and began slicing the vegetables.
A thunderous crack rent the air, shaking the entire house and shattering our moment of domestic bliss.
"What the fuck was that!?"