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“Maybe Grace.” Cade’s lip twitched.
“I’m not sure marrying your former brother-in-law is normal.” She smiled. Vander’s eyes narrowed, not liking the reminder of the man who’d hurt her. But it didn’t matter now since he was dead and had been before we’d found out what he’d done.
“Can we focus?” Angelo grumbled, eager to get home to his wife and infant son. “Did you find any dirt on Aaron?”
“Not enough.” Zara sighed. “He’s good. But he has some family. A brother who is in the same business as him. He’s setting up shop a few hours away. There’s a sister who—.”
“What’s he talking about?” Ryder tipped his head to me, cutting her off, but Cole answered.
“He’s stalking a pretty doctor who saved his life a few weeks ago.”
“She cute?” Zara jabbed him in the ribs, but he only held her tighter. His eyes sparking at her violence.
I turned the screen towards him. The image was distorted since Lark had burnt her dinner, and smoke hung in the air. Ryder’s lips twitched, and he nodded his approval.
I felt Cade move in behind me to see the tablet. His head turned. The look in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine. “She looks familiar. Why do I know her face?”
Zara leaned forward. Her features pinched. Her gaze shot to mine, then her eyes bounced around the room. They landed on Cade, anxiety clouding in them. “She was the job we just turned down.”
Cade’s skin paled. Ryder held Zara closer. My shoulders snapped tight. This is why Vander wanted me to follow her. To make sure she stayed quiet. But it appeared now she was attempting to identify who we were. Maybe even trying to take out our family.
Why didn’t that tamp down this urge to keep watching her? To be close to her again?
My family was the only thing I cared about. The only people who didn’t make me feel like my unordinary personality was wrong. Yes, they pointed it out. But they didn’t try to change me.
“What did she want you to do?” Vander’s tone was sharp. I heard the criminal in it. The threat of death.
“It wasn’t her.” Zara shook her head. “Someone wanted us to go after her.”
“What?” Grace’s voice trembled as her hand covered her mouth.
“We didn’t take the job.” Ryder’s eyes narrowed. “We don’t touch innocents.”
“When did they contact you?” My fingers curled around the tablet, but my gaze was focused on the people in front of me.
“Two days ago, maybe.” Zara shrugged. “I only did enough research to realize she was clean.”
A few days? Which means they had time to hire someone else by now.
“Who?” Cole asked, but I was looking at the screen again.
“Anonymous.” Their words buzzed in the background as I frantically flipped from each camera angle. Kitchen. Living room. Bedroom. Balcony. I did the circuit again, hoping I’d missed her.
But I didn’t see Lark.
I needed to get to her. Needed to warn her. Needed to protect her.
My insides felt like they were eating themselves. I shot from my chair, ignoring their protests and questions. I was already out the front door when I realized what the feeling was.
Fear. Cold, gut-tightening fear.
10
Lark
The acrid scent clung to the back of my nostrils. I could taste it on my tongue as I shoved my legs into sweatpants. Unfortunately, it wasn’t unusual for me to burn dinner. I was a terrible cook.
But I was great at knowing the best takeout places wherever I lived. Pulling a sweatshirt on over my tank top, I called it good. I wasn’t wearing panties or a bra, but you couldn’t tell with my oversized lounge clothes.
