15. Silas
Silas
The police?
I laughed at her text as I took a bite of my sandwich, watching the feed from the camera that was now in her room.
The picture sucked, and there was no audio, but it was something.
I almost choked when I watched her pick up my jacket.
Realizing I left it in her room had been quite the surprise.
My priority last night had been taking those god-awful clothes off her and getting rid of them.
I turned to where they were now, looking at the remnants of them in my trash can.
Annoyingly, the leather turned out to be real and not easy to ignite.
The fact I had left my jacket in the first place showed how much she affected me. Was her chaotic behavior starting to rub off on me?
The answer was clear as I let my eyes scan over the name that now adorned her thigh—my name, the one that should be tattooed there.
My phone vibrated against the desk, cutting through my thoughts as Ember began to get dressed. Not taking my eyes off the screen, I answered. “Yeah.”
“You’re welcome,” Knox immediately replied.
I leaned forward a fraction, resting my jaw in my hand. “For what?”
“Getting you full visuals,” he replied. “Within a day.”
On the monitor, Ember was now walking through her room, brushing her hair. As she threw her hair up in a ponytail, she hit the corner of her dresser and winced.
“On Ember?” I asked.
“Yup. You now have access to everything.”
My fingers tapped my cheekbone as I continued to listen to him and watch her.
I couldn’t decide if I was entertained or mildly concerned for her coordination, because she ended up hitting the same corner three more times.
Either way, I kept watching and counting the hits in my head like some personal scoreboard.
“Security cameras for her house were the obvious starting point, but I went further and hacked into the smart appliances inside too. Fridge, thermostat, anything that’s connected. And the bookstore? Every camera feed there now also belongs to you.”
Ember pulled on her shoes, disappearing out of frame. “How do I get to it?”
“Same app as the tracker that’s on her phone.”
I pulled the phone away from my face and switched through the many different feeds I could now access. They were all labeled with different areas and items. Clicking on ‘kitchen’ I caught her again like I’d never lost her.
“Oh, and last night?” Knox added. “Handled.”
“And what exactly did you handle?”
“I wiped you. Every camera you passed—gone.”
Fuck. Something else I hadn’t thought about.
She was actively destroying every thought process I had.
“Huh. Has anyone ever told you that you’re pretty good at this stuff?
” That thought reminded me of the next thing I needed him to work on.
“Speaking of,” I said, picking up the chain that I had piled on my desk.
The delicate metal was cool against my fingers as I palmed it to snap a picture.
Then I took another picture of the tracker that was hidden inside.
There was a pause on the line, then Knox’s voice was back. “Where did you find that?”
“It was in her necklace,” I said. “Very similar to the ones we looked at before, right?”
Another pause, shorter this time. “…yeah,” Knox muttered. “That’s a standard one used for general tracking.”
Glancing back up at the monitor. Ember disappeared down the hallway toward her bedroom.
I switched feeds and followed her.
“Could it be that she uses that as a safety precaution? That’s a thing, right?” I asked.
“Not with that one,” Knox said slowly. “There are other cheaper types for that. The way that one was hidden makes me feel like someone didn't want it found.”
My grip tightened around the chain.
“I can trace it,” he continued. “Figure out who bought it, maybe where it was activated. I can use the number from the picture you sent me. Although, if you don't plan on returning it, I would smash it.”
I rolled the small piece between my fingers, feeling the weight of it. “Why?”
“Because if it’s active, it’s talking,” Knox snapped. “And if it’s talking, someone might already know where to find it.”
I glanced down at it again, then back up at her. On the screen, I was now watching from her TV.
“Where are you right now?” Knox asked suddenly.
I intentionally didn’t answer him, knowing exactly why he asked.
“…Silas.”
“At the club,” I said on an exhale.
A sharp groan sounded on the other end. “You brought it to the club?! You don’t move unknown trackers into populated places. If that thing pings—”
Then they will come to me, and it will make things so much easier.
“At least I didn’t take it to my house.”
Knox went silent for a moment, probably assessing how far to actually take this conversation. “Yeah. That would’ve been worse.”
I leaned back in my chair again. “Thanks for getting me access to her. Let me know when anything comes back from the tracker.”
Knox’s response was him cutting the line, but it didn’t bother me. Taking the microchip between my fingers, I wondered who could be following her. In the end, it didn’t really matter. She belonged to me now, and anyone who had a problem with that would be taken care of.
Standing, I moved to the balcony outside my office and dropped the chip on the steel floor.
Placing my foot above it, I ground my heel into the small square over and over again.
I didn't stop until it cracked beneath me.
When I picked up my shoe, the tracker laid there broken, shattered into several pieces.
With that taken care of, I could move on with the rest of my plan. Step one, Ember. Step two, making sure whoever planted this, stayed far away from her.
Resting my forearms against the cold metal railing of the balcony, I looked down over the floor.
The main room was packed once again, alive with bodies—exactly how it was supposed to be.
My gaze drifted through the people, and somehow, I knew that all I was searching for was that wild brown hair and exuberant energy.
The bass crawled up through the floor and burrowed into my chest. That feeling used to be my favorite, but now it didn’t compare to what Ember triggered in me.
Realistically, I knew I couldn’t be in three places at once, so I’d to have to figure out a way to temporarily make this work.
Taking a minute to watch the havoc unfold below me, I should’ve felt satisfied, but I didn’t.
The club almost felt like noise—it was her that I needed right now.
More importantly, I needed a few days to get things settled. Then, I could just bring her back here.
The idea settled in my head like it had been waiting there all night.
If I could manage to create enough time to step away and clean up whatever mess this was, I could make this work.
I knew the club would be just fine without me.
Still…walking away, even for a couple days, felt wrong.
This was my home, but now, I belonged here with her.
I exhaled slowly and pushed off the railing.
The best option was to give myself time and use it wisely.
I crossed through my office before switching out my mask for the Watcher.
By the time I went down the stairs, I’d already figured out the perfect way to say hello to Ember tonight.
The main floor surrounded me as people brushed past without a second glance, exactly as intended.
I moved through them like part of the background, heading straight for Taya.
The music dulled the second I pushed into the small room. A few more steps, and I was directly beside her desk. She’d been in the middle of flirting with a new member—a girl who looked like she didn’t know whether to be impressed or nervous.
I stepped closer, stopping their conversation. “Taya.”
She turned her head slightly, eyes landing on my mask.
“Boss,” she said, smooth as ever. The girl glanced between us, clearly trying to figure out where she stood now.
“I’ll be in and out for a little bit,” I told her, offering nothing more besides that information.
Her expression barely shifted, but I still caught it—the understanding. She straightened just a fraction and gave me a small nod.
“I’ll call if anything happens.”
“Good.”
I held her gaze for a second longer, making sure she was confident in me leaving. Then I turned and headed straight for the door. The outside air hit different, cutting through everything I’d just walked out of. Even the music faded into a distant pulse behind me.
I walked to my car, my mind quieter than it should’ve been. My hand rested on the door for a moment before I got in and started the engine.
Just a few days, that's it.
It felt necessary.
It was necessary, especially if it meant I came back with her.