Page 9 of Whisper

So did I. I was going to figure out this lawsuit thing because it was one of the only things I could do.

I opened the envelope and took a deep breath. The copyright dispute was more complex than I had originally imagined, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something sinister lurking beneath the surface. Maybe it was the paranoia of the last few weeks–truly no one would come out of any of this unscathed.

I scanned each line meticulously, searching for any inconsistencies or clues that might shed light on the motives behind this lawsuit.

“Any luck?” Grayson asked, his cool green eyes watching me intently from across the room. He was doing something on his phone. By now, I’d learned that he was usually texting. When he was texting, it was sources, people he knew, people he gathered information from. Victor’s cat obscured his face for a second as she walked on the table past him.

Grayson was sharply observant and incredibly smart, and the more information he had, the more likely he was to make an informed decision.

Until a flip switched in his brain. Then he went all in without thinking of any consequences.

It might have been offputting if it wasn’t also really fucking sexy.

He leaned against the doorframe with a dangerous glint in his eyes, ready to jump into action if needed. He was wearing a well-tailored black suit, accentuating his commanding presence. I had also quickly realized that the jeans and shirts of the last few weeks were a result of the Strangler, of everything that was happening with me and my brother.

These men usually wore uniforms. And the uniforms were usually Versace.

I continued to scrutinize the legal documents, my frustration mounting as the complexity of the copyright dispute became more apparent. It was a tangled web of legal jargon and clauses that seemed designed to bury me in litigation. His presence felt comforting in the chaotic storm of all of it.

“You good, Sof?” Grayson asked me, his voice deep.

I took a deep shuddering breath and looked up to meet his gaze.

“Nothing concrete yet,” I sighed, frustrated by the lack of progress. “Whoever is behind this lawsuit really covered their tracks.”

“Do you think this has anything to do with the Olivier girl?” he asked. “I mean, the influencer, the fact that you were served life on a stream…it all has to be connected, right?”

“It does,” Jace said. He’d gone to the kitchen to get himself a cup of coffee and steam rose from it. “I haven’t looked into her much yet, only her socials and public information. Do you want me to keep going?”

I knew what that meant. In a way, it went against what I dealt with as a journalist. The way I gathered information was very different from the way Jace did.

But then again, was I even a journalist anymore? I was prey. I was being stalked. And the more information I had, the better.

Grayson met my eyes. Teo came in from the balcony then. He’d finished his cigarette a while ago, but I thought he needed time to gather himself. He flashed me a smile as he looked around. “I don’t know,” I said.

“Do it,” Teo said at the same time.

I picked up my head to look at him. Jace seemed to think about it for a second, then shrugged. “You got it, boss,” he said. Before I could give it a second thought, he was already on the case, his fingers dancing across the keyboard as he delved deeper. “Okay,” he said after what felt like no time. “I’m in her inbox.”

“You’re in her what?” I asked.

Teo squeezed my shoulder. “It’s okay. We’re doing this to protect you.”

I sighed, my head suddenly pounding.

“Anything?” Grayson asked.

“This might take me a while to parse,” Jace said, a line appearing on his forehead, between his brow. “She has a lot of messages.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I knew I could trust these men with my life, but I didn’t want to put them in more danger than they already were.

“Thanks, Jace,” I murmured, the weight of the situation settling heavily on my shoulders. “But be careful. We don’t want to make things worse by attracting unwanted attention.”

He winked at me, blue eyes twinkling under the bright electric lights overhead. “Don’t worry,” he said. “This is a piece of cake.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on the task at hand. I couldn’t let myself get distracted by the dangerous allure of these men. It was easy to lose myself in their smoldering gazes and commanding presence, but I had to stay focused on the bigger picture. We were all in danger, and it was up to me to figure out how to stay alive.

And, more importantly, how to keep them alive.

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