Page 71 of Lethal Attraction

She reaches around me before slapping my cheek lightly and then pointing at the screen. “Pay attention.”

I touch my jaw. “You didn’t have to slap me—”

“My god! Shut up!”

She opens her web browser before typing the name Arthur Stout into the search engine. Two links down, she clicks open an article that was posted two days ago by an influencer who was at the same event as the political candidate.

“What is this?” I ask.

“I’ve been doing some digging since I got home last night,” Taryn says.

I finally get a good look at her, only to notice the dark purple bags under her eyes. “Oh. Does Emma know about this?”

She presses a finger to my cheek before forcing me to look back at the screen. “This isn’t about me, genius. This is about your fucking spy girlfriend.”

“Spy girlfriend?” I ask before the pieces connect, and I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Taryn, Thalia isn’t a spy.”

She scoffs before tapping her nail on the computer screen. “Then you read this and tell me what the fuck your interpretation of it is.”

I sigh before taking out my reading glasses and balancing them on the tip of my nose. My eyes scan the lines and as I read, everything begins to slow around me.

“I was sipping a sparkling mocktail at the city’s most talked-about charity gala when the evening took a dramatic turn. Just as politician Arthur Stout—always eager for a photo opportunity—stepped out of his car, the blood of Miami ran cold. He was fatally shot from a vantage point high above (the detective’s words. Not mine) before the whole event erupted into chaos. It was like trying to wade through water just to get away from the shrill shrieks and sobs surrounding me. That is…until I saw something no one else did. I just so happened to look up as my guards were escorting me to my car when I saw her—long, raven black hair, almost like a doll’s, the sharp stare of someone who’s done this a time or two, and pale, perfect skin that was almost like porcelain. She was gone just as quickly as I had seen her. None of the authorities would entertain my findings, but if anyone was there that night, I would love to connect on what you witnessed.”

I reread the paragraph. Over and over. My mind is trying to play catch up as my pulse pounds in my ears.

Long raven hair like a doll’s.

Pale skin.

The stare of someone who’s done this before…

“No…” I whisper as I shake my head. I can’t tell if it’s because I don’t believe it or I’m trying to convince myself that this person wasn’t Thalia—my mystery girl.

“Just think about it,” Taryn orders as she plops down beside me and uses her hands to talk. “She was found at that event. She fell from the same building that detectives claim the shooter was posted at. The hair and the body match the details of the perp. Everything aligns with this being Thalia.”

I’m still shaking my head as my brow furrows. “But why? Say she did do it. What was the point?”

Taryn smirks. “Now you’re thinking like a true crime junkie.” She pulls up another article before highlighting a few lines for me to read.

…it’s said that Arthur Stout had many enemies due to his vile actions and horrible disposition. Back in October, his security team picked up on a possible bounty left on his head…

“A bounty?” I ask out loud, still trying to process all of this.

“Like a spy or some shit would complete!” Taryn shakes my shoulders, clearly excited. “My guess is that she was completing the bounty to get the payout and that Brooks guy happened to find her.”

A memory I haven’t thought about in a long time slams into me like a freight train.

“What if I told you there is a whole underground network of assassins—hitmen who take money for eradicating targets?”

Burton’s words cause cold clarity to wash over my psyche. When I speak, it’s barely audible. “Not a spy. A hitman.”

“What?” Taryn asks as I rise from the desk.

“I-I need a moment,” I say distractedly. “Have you seen Burton anywhere?”

She gives me an incredulous look. “Seriously?! I just uncovered this huge secret, and you’re worried about our boss?”

I close my eyes, using a hand to stop her. “Just tell me where he is. I need to know.”