Love in the Shadows

Chapter Seventeen

(Lucy's POV)

My goal to free myself from my warm and fuzzy feelings hadn't worked, but I had managed to distract myself. Between Tash's multiple surprises and the plan for our day, I felt my nerves receding and my brain heading into my calm, work zone.

I was self-aware enough to register that my feelings were easier to shove aside after my talk with Tasha. She had known who I was and had been concerned enough to run a thorough background check on me. Plus, I hadn't missed the teasing looks that Wolfe and Tash were giving him. I just didn't want to add to his embarrassment. Although the way his blush had matched the red of his hair only added to his attractiveness.

Leaving the three of them to finish their coffee, I went to get ready for the day. Once I loaded up my computer, I logged in and left it running while I showered.

Last night, when I was getting ready for bed, the bulk of my toiletries had been missing. I'd immediately realized that I'd unpacked and set up the guest bathroom at Declan and Lee's and then forgotten almost everything, in the rush to get up here.

This meant that I was going to be smelling like Sam for the next few days. As I dried myself off, I took a sniff. I was so far gone at this point that immersing myself in Sam's clean scent all day sounded goddamn glorious.

What is wrong with me?

I considered the clothes that I had brought, deciding on a pair of leggings and a red hoodie. If we were heading into the high school, we would want to stay as invisible as possible. Enough of my time was spent in the shadows, that I knew exactly how to blend in and a lot of that began with outfit choice.

Dressed, I opened Sam's bedroom door and sat down on the bed pulling my laptop on top of me. Sam must've been waiting for the door to open because he came in almost right away. "I'm glad you and Tash met up this morning. I was worried when I read your message that you went by yourself."

That adorable flush was back and I paused as I took him in. He wasn't telling me that I shouldn't have gone by myself. He was just sharing his concern. It had been a long time since I'd had anybody to worry about me. It was... nice.

"Look, I wanted to talk about..." The red in his face seemed to deepen and I looked away to give him a minute to gather his thoughts, causing my eyes to catch on the flashing red icon on my computer.

"Holy Shit!" I exclaimed, interrupting him. "Sorry. The system caught something."

I felt the dip on the bed as he came over and got comfortable next to me, with his back against the pillows and his arm brushing mine. "Okay, explain."

"Sorry, I interrupted you. What were you going to say?"

He waved a hand at me. "This is more important. It can wait."

I leaned back next to him and pointed at the data flagged on the screen. "I had the shoe you found last night run through the system for missing persons. There was a pair of size twelve, white, Air Jordan's that were flagged as belonging to a seventeen year old boy who went missing two years ago."

"So, not necessarily our shoes, because they haven't been analyzed yet. But, the right brand and size."

I appreciated the fact that he picked it up right away. "Yup. It could be a completely unrelated find."

His arm brushed mine as he used his finger to move the data down on my touch screen and I felt a shiver run through me at his closeness.

You're working, Luce.

"It popped because it's a match for colour, size and brand, but it's most likely a coincidence. There are a lot of those shoes around." It didn't change the fact it sent a jolt racing through my body.

Sam nodded, leaning back once again, his green eyes snaring my own. "Do we know any details about the missing kid? Where is he from?"

I tore my gaze away and went back to what little data we currently had on him. "His name's Brad Harrington and he was living just outside Halifax."

I swallowed. "He'd be nineteen now." The chances that this had anything to do with Tanya were slim but I believed in chasing all avenues and had come to trust my gut. There was often a reason that things felt connected. "I also flagged a missing girl from a case we worked on the West Coast last night. Summer Jacobs. She was in a similar situation to Tanya, where she found some pictures of herself shared without her permission. Again, probably unrelated. I know it all seems like a stretch but I don't think it ever hurts to pull as much information as possible."

"Okay, we've got two missing girls, both victims of a revenge porn scenario. One from the West Coast and one from here in Lake Ridge and then a shoe that is possibly connected to a missing teen from outside Halifax. What are the chances that these are even connected?" Sam's hands tugged at hair in frustration and I wanted to reach out and smooth the angry auburn strands back into place. They looked impossibly soft.

Focus.

I forced my eyes to make their way back to the computer and shrugged. "I don't know but I'd rather chase everything than risk missing anything."

I found myself transfixed by the way his biceps flexed as he shifted and got up off the bed. "The best we can do is request the cases for Brad and Summer, and see if anything else flags." I typed up the request as I talked and sent it off. In the meantime, we would continue to sort through Tanya's last day at school.