Page 41 of Tempest’s Torment

I retreat to the couch, putting the coffee table between me and the envelope. It isn't much, but it feels better than standing over it. A second later, the front door opens and Ghost steps back inside, slipping his phone into his pocket.

"Rogue's already started digging," he says. His eyes drop to the envelope. "I'm going to take this with me."

My chest tightens at his words. "Take it?"

"I've got a couple of contacts in the department who owe me a favor. They can dust it for prints, maybe pull some DNA if we're lucky." He looks between the two of us. "I'll be in touch as soon as Rogue finds anything."

Tempest nods. "Appreciate it, Prez."

Ghost turns to me. "If you need anything before then, you go through Tempest. He'll get hold of me."

I nod. "Okay."

He holds my gaze. "We'll get to the bottom of this." He gives me a reassuring smile before opening the door. "Try and get some rest." The door closes behind him and the apartment falls quiet.

I stare at the empty spot on the coffee table where the envelope had been. When I finally look away, Tempest's watching me; he doesn't say anything, just waits.

"You don't have to stay," I say.

He just looks at me with a raised brow. "I know."

I sigh. "I'm serious."

He stares at me. "So am I."

I study him for a second. He's still sitting in the kitchen chair, coffee mug between his hands, looking completely at home despite the fact we've known each other all of five minutes outside of passing in the hallway.

"You're impossible."

He shrugs, a smile playing on his lips. "I’ve been called worse." The corner of my mouth twitches before I can stop it. "Go get some sleep, Lilah."

"I'm fine,” I tell him but one look from him tells me he doesn't believe me. "I'm not taking the bed."

He glares at me, his jaw tight. "You are."

I shake my head. "It's my apartment."

"Exactly,” he says and I frown. "You get the bed and I take the couch."

I lean forward on the sofa. "I can't ask you to do that."

"You didn't," he says simply. “I was raised right.”

I sigh. "I still feel bad."

He shrugs. "You'll survive."

I let out a breath somewhere between a sigh and a laugh. "Are you always this stubborn?"

His grin is the widest I’ve seen it, and it makes him look softer than usual. "When I need to be."

I shake my head. "I don't like this."

"I know." He says it so simply that there's nothing left to argue with.

I give up. "Fine." I roll my eyes and head toward the bedroom, and his quiet chuckle follows me down the hallway.

I don't expect to sleep, so I leave the bedside lamp off and lie there listening to the apartment. Outside my bedroom door, the floor creaks: Tempest. The thought settles something inside me.