I moved back through the garage, scanning the shadows, my eyes sharp. Tools lined the walls, glinting faintly, and I wondered if one of them could help. A crowbar leaned against a workbench nearby, and I picked it up, feeling its weight, the cool steel reassuring against my palm. Could I pop the door enough to break the lock off? Or maybe hammer the lock until it snapped?
No. That would be too loud, too reckless. I couldn’t risk alerting anyone that I’d been here—not yet. I needed their guard down around this place. I needed them to know I was watching, but not know I was this close. I put the crowbar down, taking a deep breath, steadying myself. There was another way, a quieter way, one that would let me slip in and out without a trace.
Stepping closer, I kneeled beside the door, reaching into my pocket for a set of small lock picks. I’d honed this skill over the years, learned to feel the clicks and turns with an instinct that made it as easy as breathing. I slid the first pick into the lock, carefully twisting and listening for the subtle, telltale clicks. She thought this would keep her secrets safe, but I’d been in and out of tougher places than this.
The lock gave way with a soft, satisfying click, and I pushed the door open enough to slip inside. Her office was small and overly decorated, the entire desk cluttered with papers, notebooks, and a computer, which sat turned off. I flipped through the papers quickly, scanning for anything that stood out, any hint ofwhat she was after. Most of it was nonsense, schedules, receipts, things for Maverick Moto that meant nothing to me.
I flipped through more folders until one piece of paper with one single word made my breath hitch.
Veritas.
I flipped open the folder, eyes scanning the pages, pulse hammering as I absorbed the words. She had a mess of names, receipts, logs. I tried to find what trail she was following but it was a jumble of nothing. That was until I found the building logs, her father’s name stamped clear as day again and again.
So this was how she found the building and why she went.
I flipped back to the singular page, Veritas stamped at the top.
She was getting closer.
Foolish girl. She had no idea what she was stepping into.
This wasn’t some petty little revenge plot. This wasn’t about her curiosity. She was clawing at the same darkness that had swallowed her parents. It seemed the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
I flipped to the next page, my eyes narrowing as I scanned her notes. She’d drawn a thin web of connections, a shaky attempt at mapping out something far bigger than she could ever understand.
The sound of a motorcycle outside made me freeze, my heart pounding as I slipped back into the shadows, blending into the corner of the small room. I held my breath, listening, waiting.
The motorcycle passed by, fading into the distance, and I let out a slow, silent exhale. Too close. I needed to be faster, to get what I needed and disappear before anyone knew I was here.
Returning to the desk, I opened the laptop, tapping a few keys to see if she’d left it unlocked. A password screen flashed up, andI cursed under my breath. No matter—I’d have other chances. For now, I’d learned enough. I knew where she would be looking next, and I’d make sure to follow her trail. If she dug into Veritas, she would quickly find the Order, and the members.
I slid the papers back into place, careful to leave everything exactly as I’d found it. I took one last look around, scanning the room, memorizing every detail. I’d be back. And when I returned, I’d be ready to destroy whatever hope Evie had about what she thought she could uncover.
The door creaked as I slipped back out, my movements quick and fluid. I moved across the garage, my eyes adjusting to the darkness, the thrill of the chase settling into my bones. They wouldn’t see me coming. She’d be too busy chasing her little mysteries, too caught up in her naïve little plans. And when the time was right, I’d be there, watching as their world came crashing down.
I left the garage as silently as I’d entered, the door clicking shut behind me, leaving no trace that I’d ever been there. But I’d be back. They had secrets I wanted, answers I needed, and I’d make sure I got them. Their world was about to crumble right in front of them.
And I wouldn’t just watch as their world fell apart—I’d be the one tearing it down.
Chapter 18
Evie
The parking garage was nearly empty, the soft hum of faded fluorescent lights buzzing above me as I pulled into a secluded corner on the third floor. I listened for any sign of a bike following me, but there was nothing. This meeting was meant to be a secret, and I didn’t want Aiden involved. He’d hate it, which was exactly why I hadn’t told him. If he knew I was meeting with one of the pack’s informants alone, there’d be hell to pay from him and Rook. But I needed answers, and Aiden couldn’t be looking over my shoulder all the time. Plus, he should know better than anyone if a man was going to forbid me from doing something, it was going to be the exact thing I would do.
I glanced around, scanning the dark corners of the garage. The informant wasn’t late, but I was already anxious. With the threats and apparent escalation of people coming after us, I knew I had to be alert. I threw my long braid back over my shoulder, trying to look as casual as I could.
It’s not like this was the first time I had met with this informant alone, but there hadn’t been any threats then. The last time we met months ago, he’d barely told me anything, only hinted he knew more than he let on. It had pissed me off so bad, I had thrown something at him, and I wasn’t sure if he had forgiven me yet.
This time, I’d made myself more clear—if he wanted to keep getting paid, he needed to give me something useful. I could easily twist a story to make Rook and Aiden cut him out of our business for good if he didn’t. He needed to give me something to lead me to Veritas or any sliver of information to help me get closer to understanding what led to my parents’ deaths.
Footsteps echoed in the distance, and I straightened, squaring my shoulders. I wasn’t exactly nervous about him—more than anything, I was impatient. The footsteps grew louder, and a figure emerged from the shadows, his face obscured by a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. Typical. He was always so over the top with his outfits.
I looked down at my cute, full black outfit finished with a black leather jacket—maybe I wasn’t one to talk.
“Do you actually have something for me this time, or are you here to waste more of my time again?” I asked, already crossing my arms and pushing out a hip.
“Wow. Already catty tonight?” His grin was slow, teasing, and absolutely annoying. “Is it really a waste of time if we’re here together?”
