Whispered Shadows

Chapter Fifteen

Crossroads

Ryder

The living room of my hotel I've been calling "base" is barely more than a broom closet with a desk, couch, and a coffee machine that looks like it might date back to the Reagan era. Papers are scattered across every surface—photos, notes, timelines—but nothing that answers the questions spinning through my head.

The last few days had been long, and Noa's discovery at the storage unit only added more weight to the growing mystery surrounding Gia's disappearance.

Now there's Shadow—taunting Noa with cryptic texts, baiting us like we're pieces in a game I didn't sign up to play. It pisses me off more than I let Noa see. If I could, I'd barricade her in a safe room until I untangle this mess, but she's stubborn. Hell, maybe even braver than I give her credit for.

I left the journal with her. I don't I could have pulled that thing from her pale small hands with how tightly she was clinging to it. I told her to just mark down the entries I should see.

Luke Asher is waiting for me when I walk in, leaning back in my chair like he owns the place. His boots are up on the desk, crossed at the ankles, and he's flipping through Gia's file like it's the Sunday paper. His trademark smirk is firmly in place, his light hair perfectly mussed in that way that makes him look like he doesn't give a damn.

"Make yourself at home," I say dryly, shrugging out of my jacket and tossing it onto the coat hook.

"Don't mind if I do," he replies, closing the file and tossing it onto the desk. "Nice setup you've got here, Fox. Real cutting-edge."

"Thanks. I was going for 'budget FBI.'" I grab a mug and pour myself some coffee, ignoring the burnt smell.

Asher sits up, his smirk fading. "You sounded urgent when you called. What's going on?"

I take a sip of coffee, wincing at the bitterness. "Shadow reached out again a few minutes ago. This time, he sent Noa an address."

Asher's eyebrows shoot up. "An address? Did you check it out?"

I shake my head. "Not yet. I didn't want her going anywhere near it, so I told her to stay put. Asher, this guy is playing games, and I'm sick of it."

He nods, his expression growing serious. "What's the address?"

I slide the paper with the address across the desk to him. "It's local. Could be nothing, but I doubt it. Every move he makes feels calculated."

Asher studies the address for a moment before leaning back in the chair, tapping the paper against his palm. "So, what's the plan?"

"First, I want to know if this place is on anyone's radar. If there's been any police activity, reports, anything unusual. Then, we're going to visit it."

He nods. "Fair enough. What about Noa? You really think she's safe?"

I hesitate, running a hand through my hair. "I don't know. She's smart, but she's stubborn. She won't sit back and wait for me to handle this, no matter how much I tell her to. And Shadow knows it. He's targeting her for a reason—maybe to get to me, or maybe because she's closer to figuring out the truth than we realize."

Asher gives me a long, appraising look. "You care about her."

It's not a question, and it pisses me off. "She's my best friend's little sister," I say sharply. "I promised Gia I'd look out for her."

"Sure," he says, but there's a hint of amusement in his tone. "You're just keeping a promise. Got it."

I glare at him, but he doesn't back down. Instead, he leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk