HauntingAdie {1}

C23

The Manipulator

“You’re going where to do what?” Daya barks through the phone. I sigh,
closing my eyes in resignation. “And with who? Zade? That’s your stalker’s
name?”
“Yeah.” I bite my lip. “I don’t know if I really had a choice…” I trail off.
Because that’s not entirely true. Zade was going to say no to Mark. But I made
him say yes. Mark has information on Gigi and supposedly has valuable
information for Zade as well.
“Look, I don’t know what this man is into, Daya. But whatever it is, it’s really
fucking serious. And I can say that he really did try to avoid the situation.”
“How the hell did this even happen, Addie?” Daya asks, frustration evident in
her tone.
“I was working on my manuscript at Bailey’s when Zade and a fucking senator
approached me, introduced himself and said he wanted to meet Zack’s girlfriend.
Zade was staring at him like he wanted to murder him. And he asked me to go
along with it until he could get rid of Mark. Long story short, Mark’s father was
best friends with my great-grandfather, John. He said he’d tell me more if I
agreed to go to the party.”
“So the man manipulated you,” Daya deadpans.
I sigh. “Pretty much,” I say, before rubbing my lips together.
Daya stays silent, and if it weren’t for her angry breathing on the other line, I’d
think she hung up. Wouldn’t blame her if she did.
I am going to a party with my stalker.
All for some information that might not even help me.
“Addie, what does this man do for a living?”
I blink. “I’m not entirely sure, to be honest,” I answer truthfully.
“He’s not Z, is he? Because that would be fucking insane, but it would also
make sense.”
I frown. “What makes you think he is? Do you know a lot about that
organization or something?"
Daya hesitates before she admits, "That's who I work for."
My mouth pops open.

I've heard of Z from social media and news outlets. It's a massive vigilante
organization built around destroying the government. A we for the people type of
org, and basically the government's public enemy number one.
I knew Daya was a vigilante of sorts, I just didn't know she did it for Z. In that
case, it doesn't sound like she is aware of a connection between Mark and the
organization.
And if Zade is indeed who she thinks he is, that means I'm now involved in
something so much more than I thought it was, if even Daya is ignorant to it.
God, could Zade really be Z? It would explain his inexplicable ability to get
past my security cameras. But more than that, it would explain him befriending
and hiding his real identity from a goddamn senator. How the hell did I get so
unlucky that the ultimate hacker would stalk me?
I never really stood a chance.
“I don’t know, Daya. I honestly don’t. I just… really want to solve this case.
Gigi didn’t deserve what happened to her. And I think Mark might be able to give
us some insight on the case.”
“Addie, I love you, but you’re crazy. There are other routes to look at, you
don’t need to go to a goddamn senator’s party with a fucking stalker to get a bit of
information. A stalker that might be a world-renowned hacker and vigilante.”
She’s right.
Totally valid point.
But I'd be a liar if I said going to the party tonight didn't stir something in my
chest that feels sublime. The thrill. The adrenaline rush. The danger. It stirs
something deep in my core, too.
It calls to me and I’m too weak to ignore it.
But that’s something that I can never explain to Daya. She’s logical.
Reasonable. Smart. And she’s not an adrenaline junkie like I without a doubt am.
She doesn’t get a thrill out of danger.
I should’ve been a stunt double or something.
“I know you’re going to think I’m even more insane than I already am, but at
least for this occasion, I really feel like Zade will protect me. In fact, I know he
will.”
It’s Daya’s turn to sigh. “Honestly, I don’t doubt that, Addie. If he is who I
think he is… he’s doing some good in the world. And he’s clearly obsessed with
you in a very unhealthy manner, but from the sounds of it, he’s not the typical
stalker where he’s out to murder you. I think he just really, really wants to be with
you and is handling it in a very creepy fucking manner.”
I laugh even though it’s not a funny situation. It’s not necessarily something to
make light of, considering we don’t know if he’ll just turn around and kill me, but
it makes me feel better.