Page 42 of Power of Shadow

Theo shrugs, unaffected. “Let’s burn him at the stake afterward. Victory by slaughtering our enemies. That’s fine with me.”

“Let’s focus before the bloodshed overshadows everything else. Eli, are you able to find this hacker?”

He nods. “There’s no other option.”

“My father wants this guy’s head, but—but it actually gives us a chance to get into the vault. Everything is in those systems, on his computer. We’ll set up security measures that will give us full control, leaving no traces. At least until I find Aisling and can kill that motherfucker.”

For a moment, I see my sister’s little girl face in my mind, and a wave of guilt washes over me.

It’s my fault she’s not here with me today.

“I’ll take care of it,” Eli promises. “And while I’m at it, I’ll destroy one more life. Someone’s trying to piss me off. Someone’s snooping around about me online, trying to find out stuff, trying to get into my accounts.”

“You have an admirer,” Theo jokes darkly.

“An admirer who wants me dead,” he sneers.

“It’s nothing new that we’re being targeted. Because of who we are, there will always be some cop who wants to be a star, or someone from a rival cartel, or some lost soul.” Theo is right. Our lives have been bound up with risk since the moment we were conceived.

“I have a feeling it’s something else, something more. I don’t like it.” Eli says.

“Just flush him out of his own den, lure him into your trap,” I suggest.

“How are things going with the senator and Shadow?” Theo suddenly changes the subject. “I learned nothing in the underground that we didn’t already know. She’s elusive; no one knows who she is. You’re really the only person who’s seen her alive and real. To everyone else, she’s like a legend.”

The thought of Shadow brings a wave of calm. How is that even possible?

“That’s another thing.” Eli frowns. “Shadow is heavily protected at all levels of the web. Someone is standing behind her, making sure nothing happens to her.”

“Or maybe they’re one and the same person?”

Silence falls in my office, and they both think about it.

“It’s possible,” Eli replies after a moment. “It’s a strange coincidence that all these things are happening at once. But what does Shadow want to achieve with this? Maybe she knows more about us than we think and wants to mess with us? Maybe it’s a matter of wounded pride, or maybe she’s pissed off by your ugly face, Ryker?”

“Shut up or I’ll smash your face in.” The corners of my mouth turn up.

“What the fuck? Did you see that?” Eli points accusing at me but directs his question to Theo. Both of their eyes widen.

“Definitely, but I’m not sure if I was hallucinating,” he replies.

“Surely not, since I saw it too.”

“Is that even possible?”

“I’d sooner teach a pig to fly than believe this day would come.”

Finally, I can’t stand the exchange between them any longer. “What the hell are you talking about?”

The brothers look at each other in silence. Finally, Theo breaks it. “You smiled.”

“What? That’s not true,” I deny.

“It’s true. I saw it too,” Eli agrees, nodding. “You smiled. A little crooked, as befits a virgin, but still.”

Rolling my eyes, I try to glare at them. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing.” Eli’s accusing finger points at my chest again. “And you know it. You haven’t lifted those nasty lips in a smile since we stopped playing with building blocks. I didn’t know mentioning Shadow would be enough…”