Chapter Fourteen
Sebastian
Ian Ross.
Flipping through the folder Easton dropped on my desk earlier today, I study the information yet again, regardless of the fact I already have it memorised. The mug shot stares back at me, dirty brown hair flopping over his forehead as he gazes carelessly into the camera.
It doesn’t make sense.
There are a few misdemeanours on his record—possession of illicit substances, a couple of assault charges, but nothing close to armed robbery and murder. Sure, it’s possible it was a crime of opportunity, but everything in my bones tells me there’s more to the story.
Slapping the folder closed, my gaze drifts to the camera sitting on my desk for the umpteenth time today, its cracked lens mocking how I feel inside. I don’t need to see the photos again to be reminded of how thisgirlwas able toget so close, for months, without me realising. Shaking my head, I try to jolt the thoughts free.
I push up the sleeve of my suit jacket and check my watch.
Four o’clock.
God, this day couldn’t be any longer.
Taking a sip from the mug on my desk, I cringe at the taste of stale coffee long gone cold. In a last-ditch effort to keep me sitting upright, I take a big mouthful, emptying the mug, and force the bitter liquid down my throat.
I barely slept last night—my mind racing with regrets and thoughts of my parents.
Then worse.Thoughts of the girl sleeping down the hall.
When I did sleep, it was broken.
Eventually giving up on sleep, I’d rolled out of bed, hoping my morning run would clear my head, but the half-open door of the guest room had stopped me in my tracks.
Reaching the entryway, I push the door open fully, but my plans to hunt her down dissolve when I see Grace asleep in bed, and I just manage to grab the door before it slams into the wall.
I don’t notice Shadow lying on the floor by the end of the bed at first. Did she know he was in here? His head is up, and he’s focused on me but doesn’t make any moves to get up.
My gaze drifts back to Grace’s sleeping form, but my insides twist when I get a better look at her. Without conscious thought, I hedge further into the room until I’m standing by the bed. Her brows are pulled into a frown, the early dawn light peeking through the curtains allowing me to see the little creases in her forehead and the light sheen of sweat on her skin.
Shadow moves to my side and rests his head on the edge of the bed. She looks so young like this—sheis young—but something pulls at my chestseeing her this way.
What is she afraid of?
I reach out, wanting to soothe the lines between her brows, but I stop before I make contact, my hand hovering above her.
I shouldn’t be in here.
I certainly shouldn’t want to comfort her. My mind tries to remind me that we don’t know if she had anything to do with their deaths, but it doesn’t change anything.
Shadow whines, and Grace flinches, her fist tightening around the sheets, but she doesn’t wake up. I pull my arm back and retreat from the room, pulling Shadow with me.
Closing the door, I leave the unwanted feelings behind me.
It feels like it’s been so much longer than one day since everything that led to Grace being in my penthouse. Maybe having her stay with me wasn’t the best idea, but how the hell could I trust her enough to let her go. Sure, she’d need to come back to get what I owed her, but if everything was a lie? This was the only way. She knows something, and if she hasn’t given me the truth, then I’ll pry it out of her.
Since giving me the folder this morning, I haven’t heard anything else from Easton. Being patient is killing me, but this is the first lead we’ve had, and I know Easton wants the bastard as bad as I do.
The address in the file was Easton’s first stop, and if the meeting I’d had earlier weren’t important, I would have been right there with him, but as more time passes with no word, I lose hope that anything came of the information. Maybe I should have rescheduled the damn meeting. At least then, I’d know one way or the other.
I run my hands down my face, hating the situation and the exhaustion weighing me down.
I wanted this.