Page 74 of Shadow

Patterson was on a mole hunt.

“I’ll make sure he’s there,” Daphne said.

“Good.”

Patterson headed for the door.

The house went quiet, just Dani and Michael standing awkwardly in her foyer.

“I’ll make coffee,” Dani said.

Daphne pulled out her phone.

Daphne

Patterson wants to see you. 9am. FBI office. Where are you?

No response.

She waited. Five minutes. Ten. Watching the phone screen. Willing it to light up. Willing him to respond. Willing him to have a good explanation.

Nothing.

Outside, the fire trucks finally pulled away, red lights fading down the street. The rain started to let up, the thunder far away, a low, bare rumble.

Daphne sat on the sectional. Tablet in hand. Security feeds on screen showing an empty driveway where a car had exploded. Where Asher had saved her life. Where he’d saved Mark’s life. Where he’d been the guy she could trust.

Until he wasn’t.

Until he’d disappeared without explanation.

Until the questions came flooding back.

Was he genuine, or was this an elaborate setup? Was he protecting them or playing them?

Was he the agent trying to stop evil, or was he part of the evil they were trying to stop?

She wanted to bang her head on something. Sheesh, she’d started to trust him. Felt safe with him.

Even started to believe the partnership was…well, real, in a way.

Daphne stared at the security feeds. At the empty street.

Wondering if he would come back.

And trying not to think about the fact that waiting for him felt exactly like the thing she’d promised herself she’d never do again—depend on someone walking through a door.

But this time was worse.

Because this time, she didn’t know if the person she was waiting for had ever really been on her side at all.

She stared at her phone. Debated a moment and then…fine.

He’d left her no choice.

Stay calm. Stay controlled. Stay in character.

The mantra that had kept Asher alive for eighteen months.