Page 20 of My Ghost

I grind my teeth so hard it’s a miracle they don’t crack.“What about him?”I snap.My voice is sharper than I intended, but I don’t care.“If unmasking a digital shadow was that easy, I’d have done it already.You want him identified?Be my fucking guest.”

Luc holds up both hands, brows shooting up.“Whoa, chill.I wasn’t coming at you, all right?I know you’re the best at this, you’ll nail him.I simply thought you could…I don’t know, ask him to join forces?If he hates trafficking, maybe there’s a chance he’d help us.Two birds, one stone, something like that.That’s all.”

I exhale through my nose in a harsh, bitter sound.I know he means well, but today I’m a hair away from losing it.Everything lately feels like a weight pressing on my shoulders.

“I’ve tried,” I grind out.“I’ve reached out through secure back doors, left job offers on the message boards I’m sure he haunts.He’s ignored every damn one.”

Luc sighs, deflating.“Well, shit.”

“But…” I hesitate.“There was something.A few days ago someone tried to breach my system.They slipped past a couple firewalls, just enough to get my attention, then vanished.”

D’s eyes narrow.Luc stiffens.

“I think it was him even if I can’t prove it,” I continue, low and grim.“I traced the signal, it came from somewhere here, in Boston.I couldn’t get a precise location.”

That gets their attention.Luc lets out a low whistle.

“Could be him,” I add, voice low.“Or it could be someone else entirely.But my gut says it was him.”

“Boston,” D repeats, eyes narrowing.“You really think he’s here?Watching us?”

“I think he’s aware,” I grunt.“And maybe waiting.But whatever his angle is, I don’t trust him.And I’m not handing him a seat at the table until I know what he wants.”

“You going to act on the signal?”he asks.

“I’ve locked things down and rigged the whole system.If he comes back, I’ll catch him.”

Silence stretches in the room, heavy and taut.

“Shit,” Luc mutters under his breath.“That’s fucked up.”

You have no idea.

Chapter Thirteen

Erin

By the time Monday rolls around, I’ve mostly pulled myself together.

Sunday was a blur of digital noise and ambient silence until I collapsed on the sofa somewhere past midnight.

Today, I go to the clinic like nothing happened.I’m cheerful, efficient, maybe even extra sunny, offering to replace Mira and Debbie for an hour or two so they can catch up on paperwork.It is a perfectly normal day, and right now I need normal.I need the comfort of animals who don’t lie or reject you.I keep smiling until my cheeks hurt.

Then Lily texts.

Let’s meet for lunch?I’m near the clinic.

I hesitate for a beat, before I reply.

Of course.

We meet at the small café down the block where she took me out for lunch the first day.She is already seated at our table when I arrive, sipping her mint-infused water.Her eyes brighten when she sees me, but they scan me too, catching details I didn’t want her to notice like the dark circles I failed to conceal, or the tension in my shoulders.

“So,” she says after we order.“You ghosted brunch.”

I wince.“Sorry about that.I had too much champagne, my brain was mush.”

Lily raises a brow.“Was it just the champagne?”