Shadowed (Team Zero #4) by Rina Kent

In the meantime, we come here whenever we like. It used to be our sanctuary when we were children. Amongst these cushions, Liam taught us our first punches and Elle defeated me for the first time — and every time since, basically.

“I’ll be out soon,” I say in a honey tone. “Promise.”

His green eyes stare down at me. They’ve always been the dark of my bright one like some sort of a yin and yang. “Again, bollocks. You shouldn’t have gone into this mission in the first place. If they find out you’re snitching on their drug business, you’ll be killed just to set an example.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” My lips tremble and I clamp them shut. “But I have to do this.”

“Elle is getting restless.” His voice is calm, toneless. “She’s distracted by her championship, but once that’s over, she won’t leave you be.”

He’s using guilt to make me backpedal. Liam is my brother, but he can be scary when his mind is set on something. I don’t want to imagine what it feels like to be interrogated by him.

“I’m trying to leave and I will. So instead of arguing, how about you help me come up with a plan so I can leave sooner?”

His fingers tap on his thigh. “What did you have in mind?”

I grin. “I only need to find the factory’s location, right? So maybe I should follow one of the members.”

“No. Risky.” He leans over and plants his elbows on his thighs. “We’ve been trying to do that for a long time and it doesn’t work. You’ll be compromised.”

I mimic Liam’s position and place my elbows on my thighs. “Do you think Mist’s office has anything useful? I did my research and there are no cameras in there.”

“If there are no cameras then there isn’t anything of value.”

“Or it could be a deflation method.”

“Whatever you do, avoid direct confrontation.”

I laugh and do a salute. “That’s my M.O, Lieutenant!”

Except with Shadow, damn me.

Liam ruffles my hair, and I swat his hand away.

“Hey, don’t treat me like a kid.”

“Nah.” He grins. “You’ll always be that kid who collected frogs and threw them in Maria’s room.”

I smile back. “She bloody deserved it.”

“Damn straight.” He pauses for a second. “You know how proud I was when you chose to become like me, right? Both you and Elle are the only family I have, but you’re my mate for choosing the law route.”

I bite my lower lip in self-loathing. I hate to disappoint Liam or admit that my intentions aren’t as noble as his. I don’t deserve to wear that uniform when I’m plotting through illegal methods.

“Liam…”

“That’s why I don’t like that you’re risking your uniform for this.” He narrows his eyes. “Whatever this is.”

I rub his arm and give a cheeky smile. “All will be well.”

I’m not sure whether I’m lying to him or to myself. I don’t even want to think about what will happen to my future in the forces. If I still have one.

“Isn’t that thing choking you?” Liam motions at the scarf around my neck.

An awkward laugh bubbles from my lips. “I’m cold.”

If he catches a sniff of what that monster did, he’ll raise hell.

Liam goes back to tapping his finger against his thigh. He doesn’t believe me, and he seems to be contemplating how to get the information out of me.

My phone vibrates, and I swear I can kiss whoever interrupted Liam’s chain of thoughts.

A text from Scar.

Why are you out of Le Salon?

I type back.

I needed to buy a few things. Why?

There’s a long uncomfortable pause before she replies.

Your phone has a GPS and Shadow disappeared. Come back. Now.

I jerk up, my phone almost cluttering to the ground. Son of a gun. Do they track people’s locations without their permission? They’re not the bloody police.

Liam pounces into a stiff posture. His shoulders are squared and his hand reaches back — for a gun. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m being monitored. I have to go back.” I open the door of the small lake house.

The eerie night stakes claim outside. The lake rests in a black, endless silence. No moonlight shines on the surface so it appears like dark bottomless ink. Only the small hisses of air through the tall, bent trees can be heard. They’re like ghosts of the past, suffocating my breathing.

I need to be out of here before Shadow finds Liam and –

A rustle sounds from across the dark lake. Call it instinct, paranoia or a sixth sense, but I know it’s Shadow.

There’s only one boat and it’s wrapped around a pole on our side of the lake. That should delay Shadow’s arrival.

I turn towards Liam and push him to the boat. “Leave.”

He resists. “What about you?”

“I’ll be fine. You need to go! Both of us could be compromised.”

That seems to convince him since he gives a curt nod and heads to the deck. I follow him while keeping a close eye on the lake and our surroundings. Shadow would need a boat to get here, so I’m safe. At least I try to feel that way.

The sound of troubled water fills the air.