Page 87 of Drowning in Darkness

TWENTY-NINE

JAMES

Justice builds warriors. Love creates monsters.

She drifts to sleep somewhere between the end of the first movie and the middle of the second. She’s stretched herself out on the sofa, her feet pushed against my thigh. She keeps wiggling her toes and pushing to get them under my leg. I’ve spent the hour hunting Burnside down, given he surfaced at his offices in New York this morning. Being the leader of abillion-dollarr company, you can hardly disappear for an extended period, so I knew it was only a matter of time.

The task now is figuring out where he’s going to be next and deciding how to handle him. Again, he’s high profile so I can’t just make him disappear like I’ve done many others. But accidents happen, and when you have one of the best hackers in the world at your disposal, things like his car or helicopter can be tampered with. The problem then becomes collateral damage because this scum doesn’t drive himself anywhere. I could lead him into a trap and deliver him into Camryn’s arms, but she’s fighting her own battles right now.

I pull up my messages on my laptop.

Me: I have eyes on Burnside.

The three dots appear instantly.

Camryn: Where?

Me: NY

Camryn: On it. But I assume he’ll be behind a wall of muscle, and I have nothing but the knowledge of his intentions, gleaned from his previous victims who can’t advocate for themselves because they’re dead.

She’s fired up today.

Me: I’m keeping you updated as promised, not pressuring you to do something about it.

The three dots bounce across my phone for a few minutes, as if she’s drafted either a huge-ass dissertation or is procrastinating on what to say.

Camryn: Sorry. It’s not you, it’s the fucked-up system I’m part of and the failure to enforce the moral judgement that is the core philosophy of our entire legal system.

Me: It’s fucked. It’s always been that way. It’s only now that you’re seeing it.

Camryn: Sad but true. How is our girl?

I glance at the sleeping beauty beside me.

Me: Running rings around me and fucking up my life.

Camryn: You love it, really.

I arch a brow. I love my peace, the slice of serenity I’ve found out here in the mountains with nothing but the wildlife to worry about.

Stephanie is chaos personified. She’s bright, bold, a little rash, and utterly devastating.

I swipe a hand down my face.

Me: That’s me updating you. Catch you on the flip side, Agent.

I drop my phone next to my laptop on the table and lean back, letting my eyes fall closed as I run through various scenarios of how to get rid of Burnside once and for all.

Each one causes a problem—for me, for Camryn, for Stephanie. I wish I could drop all of these men on a ship and sink the fucking thing. I’d be the captain, and I would sail it straight to its doom with a smile on my face.

“I don’t want to want you,” Stephanie murmurs.

My hands drop, and I snap my head toward her. Apparently, she not only sleepwalks, but talks in her sleep for shits and giggles too.

“I sometimes wish I could take it back, but then I would have never met you, and maybe I wouldn’t want the dark things I see swimming in your eyes.”

“Steph? Sweetheart, wake up. You’re dreaming,” I coax.