When Carlos’s face loses all sense of humor, I know it’s serious. In all the years I’ve known him, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him look so blank. “Yes.”
“Yes?” I jump to my feet and lean my hands on his desk. “What do you mean, yes?”
“They’re good. Like, really good. You know I’m excellent at what I do, Sinister. It’s why Aidan hired me. I’m one of the best. But this?” He waves his hand toward the largewindow overlooking the server room. “This is beyond anything I can deal with.”
“Shut it down.”
“If I do?—”
“Can we recover?” I demand.
Carlos hesitates but nods. “There might be losses, though. I can’t accurately predict the outcome. But Sinister, Aidan—” I slice my hand through the air.
“I’ll deal with him. The important thing is keeping the business and Aidan’s assets safe.” I move toward the door before turning back. “Out of curiosity, were there any searches on Aidan? Or just me?”
“Just you.”
I hum and leave his office. As I walk back through the maze, the computer lights go dark, and the fans slow before cutting off. An eerie silence falls over the room, and the staff drift from their desks to stand at the doorways to their offices, watching me as I stride past them.
Who the fuck is searching for me? And why?
“Do what you need to do,”Aidan says weakly before racking coughs render him speechless. My chest aches at the sight of the man I’ve come to see as a father figure. He’ll only be seventy on his next birthday, and if it wasn’t for the cancer spreading throughout his body, I would have expected him to see many more years.
The one bonus of him having established me as his heir ten years ago—and having the reputation I do—means the transition of power should go smoothly after his passing. However, I can’t ensure there won’t be another attempted coup, whether from internal or external forces, so I haveresorted to bribery and threats to maintain secrecy regarding his medical condition.
Someday, I’ll weed out all the corruption plaguing Arcadia and return it to what it once was. But until then, I’ll do what I need to do.
I snatch the cup of ice water off the trolley sitting by his bed and cradle his head so he can sip from the straw. The nurse sitting in the corner watches me with wide eyes, but I ignore her. She has nothing to fear from me as long as she does her job and takes care of Aidan the way he deserves.
After straightening his blanket, I leave the depressing room and tamp down on my feelings. With the anniversary, the unknown hacking threat, and Aidan’s looming death, not keeping my emotions in check could be disastrous.
It’s too bad I’ve been unable to locate the other men responsible for Wren’s death. Spilling blood would go a long way toward soothing my mood. My hands curl into fists, and the corner of my mouth lifts. That’s precisely what I need.
Let’s go hunting.
Chapter 6
Sinister
The full moon peeks from behind silvery clouds, blazing a white trail over the gently lapping waves of Hera Bay. A salty breeze pats my shoulders and ruffles my hair before moving on, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
My hands tighten around the rusted railing that blocks the unwary from falling into the bay. Passivity is not my strong suit, and it’s becoming more difficult to ignore the eyes on me.
It started three days after Carlos shut the computers down two weeks ago. They’ve followed me downtown, into the hills, and along the Aries. They watched when I savagely beat a man for attacking a woman and when I handed out food bags to the women working Eros Lane.
The only time the feeling disappears is when I’m at the compound. Now, I’m not a paranoid man, but I pay attention to my instincts. They rarely steer me wrong. Still, I might have doubted myself if I hadn’t caught my stalker’s reflection in passing store windows or car side mirrors.
They dress in all black, with a hoodie pulled low to hide their face. I’m unsure whether it’s a teen boy or awoman, but I’m leaning more toward a woman. It’s in the way they move, the way their arms swing when they walk.
I’ve led them on a merry dance around the city, cataloging clues they unwittingly let slip. I also wanted to check their dedication. How long would they follow me? After two weeks, I can safely say they don’t have commitment issues.
Spinning around, I sweep my gaze over the surrounding warehouses, and the corner of my mouth lifts when my stalker ducks back into the shadows. I’m done with the cat-and-mouse game. It’s time to turn the hunted into the hunter.
They take off into an alley, and my feet pick up their pace as I hurry after them. I’ll give my stalker credit for bravery; they never once turn their head. They know there’s a monster at their back, but they keep to the shadows and continue trying to dodge me.
It almost works. My gaze catches on the fire escape above me. I come to a stop, letting my stalker out of my sight before leaping up and grabbing the rungs of the ladder. A grunt punches out of me as I pull my bodyweight up and land awkwardly on the metal grating. After taking a moment to catch my breath, I race up to the roof, hoping they’re still within view. I stride along the edge, searching the alley.There.My stalker crouches behind a dumpster, peering out around the side. I lean my elbows on the short concrete balustrade, watching with interest as they wait a full ten minutes before creeping out and disappearing around the corner.
I follow along, noticing they never look up. They remove a key from their pocket and push into a warehouse, closing the door behind them with a last glance over their shoulder.Gotcha, little stalker.
