Page 95 of Shadow

He closed his eyes, drew in a breath.

And all she saw was him diving toward the man who had grabbed her.

To save her life.

All she heard was his “Daphne—RUN!”

And of course, “Go!”

He grunted, and maybe she needed to take a breath too. “Sorry.”

He didn’t open his eyes.

The room smelled like pine paneling and cheap soap and the antiseptic she’d bought at the twenty-four-hour drugstore on their way out of town. Knotty pine walls. Dated furniture. Two double beds with faded quilts. A bathroom with rust stains in the sink. A window overlooking the creek and the highway beyond, where headlights occasionally swept past in the darkness.

They’d rented two rooms. Cash. Fake names. Connected by an interior door that was currently open. Daphne would stay with Destiny. Asher with Roger.

“How did they find us?” Destiny’s voice came from the bed. Quiet. Shaking. “How did they know where we were?”

Good question. “I don’t know,” Daphne said. Another stitch. Pull tight. Tie off. “But we’re going to find out.”

“Internal leak,” Asher said, his voice tight with pain. “Has to be. No one could have found that location through surveillance alone.”

“Who knew where we were?” Daphne asked. Not looking at him. Focusing on the wound. On the work. On anything except the way his skin felt under her hands.

“Patterson. Michael. Dani. The FBI office staff.” Asher paused. “Pretty much everyone on the task force.”

“So we narrow it down.”

“To what?” He opened his eyes. “Half the law enforcement in Renegade?”

Daphne didn’t answer. Just finished the last stitch on his ribs. Tied it off. Cut the thread. Reached for the gauze and medical tape.

Roger stopped pacing. “Or maybe they just followed us. Maybe there’s no mole. Maybe you people are just bad at your jobs.”

Daphne’s hands stilled. She looked at Roger. Really looked. His face was flushed. His eyes wouldn’t meet hers. His hands were shaking slightly. His body language screamed panic attack.

Or maybe guilt.

“Roger.” Her voice turned hard. “What do you know?”

He looked out the window. “Nothing. I don’t know anything.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“I’m not lying!”

“Then why won’t you look at me?”

Roger’s jaw clenched. He glanced at her, then away. “I don’t know anything. Leave me alone.”

He stalked through the connecting door into the other room. Slammed it behind him.

Daphne stared after him.

“He’s just scared,” said his mother.

Yeah, so was she.