She sweeps out her hands. “And you won't be distracted here by customers coming in and out?”
Shrugging, I tug on my headphones from around my neck. "I'll block all of you out."
Lucky chuckles. "You can't do that at home?"
I shake my head. "Wish I could.”
I’ve never been able to work there, and I need somewhere Connor won’t be able to track me down. Willow’s office is a great place to hide out. When Killian bought this place for her, he had suggested I use the upstairs as a formal workspace, rather than holing up at the bakery, but truth be told, I kind of need people around me to work. I just need to be able to shut them out, too.
Her eyes narrow on my computer. “What are you working on anyway?"
The question makes me stumble a step as I move toward the back room, but I manage to catch myself before I fall or drop my laptop. "Nothing, the usual."
Willow narrows her gaze on me again. "You're lying."
I smile. "Nope. Just gossip, gossip, gossip."
The kind that can get people killed.
The kind that has.
The kind that haunts all of us.
Which is why this story has to happen.
I slip down the narrow hallway and into the tiny office at the back and close the door, releasing a sigh of relief before I settle into the chair at the small desk.
It isn’t my table at the bakery, but it’s something other than the big, empty space upstairs that’s so lifeless.
I push some of Willow's paperwork to the side to make room for my laptop, then flip it open and wait for the screen to light back up as it reboots after Connor so unceremoniously slammed it shut.
That fucking asshole.
All I'm doing is my job, protecting the citizens of McBride Mountain, protecting the people of the world as much as I can.
There are some people who don't deserve to be walking this earth, who don't deserve to have the money and power they wield like weapons, and it's my responsibility to take them down.
Nothing will stop me now.
4
THREE DAYS LATER
RAVEN
“Please, Barry, just…meet with me.” I try to keep the desperation from my voice, just like I have been since the moment this call connected and during every call I’ve had with him since I first managed to track him down. If he hears even a hint of my anxiety, he may shut this down even harder than he already has attempted to. “I’ll come to you, so you don’t even have to leave your house.”
Crossing my fingers of my free hand like a damn middle schooler, I pace my apartment, praying he at least gives me a chance to change his mind in person. If he ends the call without at least leaving me that opening, I’m royally fucked.
“I already told you, Miss Perry, I’m not saying a fuckin’ word.” His voice has that same quiver of fear as everyone I’ve spoken with over the past few months. “I value my life too much.”
I squeeze my eyes closed, tightening my grip on my phone, trying to think of any way possible that I can get through to him short of screaming at the man that he’s the only one who can potentially help and that he needs to grow a set and step up and do what’s right.
Unfortunately, I’ve already let my slight annoyance enter my voice, and keeping anything more at bay while I’m talking to this man is absolutely necessary…because he’s important. Potentially the most important source I’ve tracked down so far. Because I need him. Because he’s the type of source who could push this story so far beyond the limits of what I had imagined when I started it.
I need what he knows.
And that’s proving harder than I contemplated to secure.
