Page 30 of My Ghost

After several beats he leans back on the couch and rests his head on the backrest to look at the ceiling.The silence stretches on and I don’t dare to move.

After an eternity I hear him exhale.“You’re good,” he tells me quietly, and my pathetic, stupid heart swells with pride.

“Who taught you?”

“No one, I taught myself.”

That snaps his gaze back to me.After another beat of staring at me, he wordlessly stands and goes to the open-plan kitchen to retrieve two shot glasses.He opens the freezer and takes out a bottle of vodka I didn’t even know was there.

“Why don’t you make yourself at home?”I mutter and I think I see his lips twitch as he sets the glasses and the bottle down on the coffee table.He pours clear liquid into each glass and hands me one.I cautiously scoot closer and take it, lulled into the illusion of safety but still wary.Maybe he wouldn’t offer me a drink if he wanted to silence me.But then again, it would be easier for him if—

“I have an offer for you.”His low voice cuts through my chaotic thoughts.

“Mm-hmm,” I answer distractedly as I take a sip from my glass, letting the vodka burn its way down my throat.

“Work for me.”

The liquid spews out of my mouth.

“Wh-what?”I ask, wiping my mouth with my sleeve, not sure of what I just heard.

“You heard me.”

“No.I thought I heard you ordering me to work for you, but I misheard because that’s not what—”

“That’s exactly what I said,” he cuts me off and I gape at him.

“But…but why?I mean, you are good yourself, that much is obvious.What would you need me for?”

That earns me a long, unreadable look.

“I am…we are investigating a trafficking ring, and so far they are elusive.A new eye will be helpful and you’re obviously qualified.”

I scoff.“Thank you, but no thanks.I already have a job at the clinic.”My mind is spinning.Is this a trap or some kind of test to see how much I know?

“I thought we already established that this was not a plea.”

“That’s too bad because you can’t force me,” I sneer.

“That’s open for debate.I have everything I need to identify you as the Ghost.”He motions to the laptop and burner phone lying on the floor.“I have surveillance footage of you throwing them in the bin in the alley.What would happen if, let’s say, the Bureau got their hands on them?They would be more than pleased to catch the hacker who’s been sending them all these anonymous tips.”

I grit my teeth so hard my jaw hurts.

“If you do that, I’ll tell them everything I know about your little organization and your illegal operations.I’ll even testify.And believe me, I’ve found a lot of interesting stuff when I dug around for fun.”I send him a saccharine smile.“Looks like we’re in a stalemate.”

He is smirking now, slow and dangerous, and I can’t help but feel my heart kick in my chest.

“Maybe…or maybe not.”His voice is as smooth as velvet.“I have unlimited funds to drag out any lawsuit.But do you, little ghost?”

I snort.“Don’t you worry about me, I have more than enough to hire my own team of lawyers.”

He pulls his phone out of his breast pocket with a bored expression and taps away.Then he holds it out to me so I can see the screen.

“Do you mean with the money in this wallet?”

I lean closer to have a look and my heart stutters.That is my crypto wallet, the main one I use to funnel funds from the illegal operations I uncover.And it is empty.

I let out a dismayed gasp.“Wh-what the…”