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But Hayden pressed on. “Sometimes the hardest battles take the biggest toll, but they lead to the greatest reward when you overcome them. I have no doubt you will crack this case wide open, just like every other. It may take time, but you will find the clues in the middle of the mess. You just have to stay the course and trust in your abilities, even when you feel unsure or scared.”
A new rush of tears flooded Roseline’s eyes as she grappled with an overwhelming sense of thankfulness for her loyal friend. Even from afar, Hayden always knew exactly how to lift and encourage her. Some of the hazy doubt in Roseline’s mind receded as she absorbed the bolstering wisdom.
She gave Hayden a small, tired smile. “I’m amazed by how you always manage to talk sense into me, even when I’m spiraling,” she said. “I’m lucky to have you in my corner.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Hayden replied warmly. “To remind you how badass you are when you forget. This case may seem unconquerable right now, but I have no doubt it’ll soon be yet another win under Roseline Fontenot’s belt.”
Despite her bleary state, Roseline huffed a laugh at her friend’s dramatic phrasing. But Hayden’s uplifting confidence in her was sinking in, penetrating the dark shroud of self-doubt brought on by fatigue and trauma.
Hayden gave Roseline a knowing look then, leaning back. “Speaking of forgotten badassery, it seems someone else has been reminding you of your strength recently, too… a certain handsome detective by the name of Callan, perhaps?”
Roseline flushed. Even in crisis, Hayden couldn’t leave that tidbit alone. She and Callan had been trying hard to keep their deepening relationship discreet and professional while on the job. But alone together in the darkness, their connection had organically caught flame, becoming a source of comfort and respite.
“We’ve been careful not to let it distract from the work,” Roseline said, a bit on the defensive. “I can’t deny I’ve come to… to… rely on him more than I’d like to admit,” she added.
Hayden held up her hands. “No judgment, I promise. I think it’s a good thing. From what you’ve told me, Callan seems to complement you well, both professionally and personally. Outside of the self-doubt, I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time.” Her expression softened. “It’s okay to need someone, you know. It doesn’t make you weak. Myself, I found my support in Boone.”
Roseline bit her lip and studied the ground without seeing it. After some past professional and romantic disappointments, she had built up walls to avoid needing anyone. Her work had become her singular focus and refuge. But Callan had subtly torn down those walls with his compassion, intuition, and support. Around him, she felt safe enough to let her guard down and open up in ways she never expected. The thought of losing him to this case’s dangers terrified her.
“You care about him, don’t you?” Hayden prodded. When Roseline gave a small nod, her friend grinned. “Then trust that he feels the same way, and he’ll do anything to make it through this safely back to you. You two share a connection now that won’t be easily broken. And it makes you both stronger, not weaker.”
Roseline sighed, wishing she could embrace Hayden’s optimistic perspective. “I hope you’re right. I just wish he would check in. The radio silence is driving me crazy, imagining the worst.”
“Hey, no more spiraling,” Hayden reminded. “I’m sure Callan is fine. He knew going into this how risky it was. But he accepted that danger because stopping this Game Master means that much to him… as do you. Know that whatever darkness he’s facing out there, you are the light guiding him through.”
Nodding, Roseline turned her friend’s advice over in her mind. She had to trust in Callan’s abilities and training to stay safe, as he trusted in hers. If anyone could navigate the city’s underworld and return unscathed, it was Callan. She pictured his handsome, comforting face again, using it as a touchstone amid the anxiety churning within.
“There’s my girl,” Hayden said approvingly, seeing the resolve solidifying behind Roseline’s pale eyes. “You’ve totally got this. And remember, I’m only a phone call away whenever you need to vent or be reminded of your inner warrior goddess energy.”
That drew a genuine laugh from Roseline, the tension in her muscles unwinding. “Thank you, Hayden.”
“Probably kept you from imploding from all that negative self-talk in your head,” Hayden replied with a dramatic sigh.
They shared a smile, and Roseline felt another swell of gratitude for this woman who knew her so deeply and had become the sister she never had. For the first time in what felt like forever, the vice around her chest loosened, allowing her to take a full, steady breath.
They chatted a while longer about lighter topics before reluctantly saying goodbye. After ending the call, Roseline realized the sky outside was bright and clear, a bit like her refreshed mind. But she felt centered enough to handle it all after her pep talk, the figurative fog having lifted from around her.
She had work to do and lives to save. No more wallowing or self-pity.
Refreshing her face with a splash of cold water, she finger-combed her long blonde locks into a ponytail, then went to brew a rejuvenating pot of dark roasted coffee. After pouring a steaming mug, she carried it to the living area and opened her laptop once more.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Sitting at her home desk, bathed in the glow of her computer screen, Roseline took a long sip of coffee, not even tasting it as it scalded her throat. The ceramic mug filled her palms with a soothing warmth against the predawn chill that had crept into her small apartment. She pulled her gray knit cardigan tighter, warding off the early morning.
With Callan currently out in the gritty city streets trying to warn potential targets, anxiety gnawed at the pit of her stomach, hoping and praying he’d return to her unharmed. She tried to shake the persistent feeling of dread that clung to her, battling with the sensual memory of Callan’s passionate kiss and warm caresses from their intense encounter the night before.
Roseline glanced over at the empty bed where Callan had nuzzled against her under a shared blanket only hours ago, their limbs entwined as they decompressed from the nonstop stress of this grueling case. Now, in the dim light of dawn, loneliness crept over her. The man who had been her solid refuge amid the chaos and darkness was out there risking his life while she sat here bathed in the artificial glow of monitors and madness.
She longed to call him, to hear his reassuring voice telling her he was okay, but she resisted. Contacting him now could be dangerous if he was in the middle of a precarious situation requiring stealth and absolute focus. As much as her heart pounded with worry, she would not be the liability that compromised his safety. And so, she anxiously waited for her phone to illuminate with a message from him indicating he was all right. The radio silence only worsened her dread.
A reckless idea entered Roseline’s mind as she stared intently at the financial records on her computer screen, data points she had analyzed relentlessly for any trace of their adversary. She contemplated hacking into the offshore Endymion LLC account linked to the Game Master to freeze or claw back the assets, cutting off the main source of funds he had been using for his sadistic plots against New Orleans’ criminal underworld for his own profit.
She knew taking such direct, vigilante action on an overseas account would be insanely illegal, not to mention dangerously stupid. But she felt desperate to actually do something tangible to stop the horrific brutality instead of just endlessly analyzing data patterns that didn’t change anything. If she could hobble the Game Master financially, even a little, it could save lives by crippling his ability to orchestrate elaborate live streams, abductions, and murders.
Roseline glanced between her encrypted decryption program and her keyboard, fingers resting lightly atop the keys. She seriously weighed the potential risks of felony criminal charges or violent retaliation from the Game Master and his faceless cabal of online fans against the possibility of lives she might save by choking off the cash he had used to bankroll such depraved sadism. Even a brief disruption could buy them precious time and possibly save a life. Anything that might spare potential victims a gruesome fate captured on camera for bloodthirsty voyeurs felt worth attempting to her, no matter how reckless or dangerous for herself.
Heart pounding, Roseline made up her mind. Illegal or not, freezing those illicit funds aligned with her deepest values of justice and duty to protect the vulnerable. She had to try, even if failure or reprisal was all but certain. This could be their one shot to wound the beast. Steeling her nerves, she began unleashing her most advanced decryption software, holding nothing back in this all-or-nothing gambit.
