KEISHA’S POV
I sat there for ten seconds.
Then I thought about the person who Dane had said had been ssing with the trails again.
I thought about how Dane had lost the trail.
And I thought— what if they were the ones out there right now?
What if I just let them walk away?
I stood up.
I was being stupid. I knew I was being stupid even as I picked up my phone, put it in my pocket and walked to my front door and opened it quietly.
I stepped outside in my sleep shorts and oversized shirt with my bare feet on the cold porch.
The grounds were dark and quiet.
I looked toward my bedroom window from outside.
Nobody there now.
I moved off the porch slowly and walked along the side of the house and then further out into the path that ran along the residential stretch.
Co on, I thought. Follow .
Let see you.
I walked slowly down the path and turned at the fork that led toward the east storage buildings and felt it.
Soone was following .
I kept walking and kept my pace exactly the sa and did not look back and thought— Okay. Okay. There’s actually soone there. There is actually soone following right now in the dark and I am in my pajamas and I have no plan beyond seeing their face.
I kept walking. The storage buildings ca up on my left and the path narrowed.
I counted steps and when I reached the corner of the second building, I turned sharply and pressed myself against the wall and waited.
The footsteps were closer.
I stepped out and the figure stopped.
For one second I saw the person. They were tall, broad, wearing a dark coat, face turned slightly away and then they moved fast. Disappearing like they were never even there.
I stood in the middle of the path staring at the space where they had just been.
They were gone.
Completely gone.
I stood there feeling my heart pound and my bare feet going numb on the cold ground.
Who the fuck was that?
"What are you doing outside?"
I spun around.
Dane was standing ten feet behind with his arms slightly out like he had been about to grab and had stopped himself. He was in his patrol gear and his eyes were moving over rapidly, checking to see if I was okay.
"Are you hurt?" He said. "What happened? Why are you—" He looked at my bare feet. "Keisha. It’s midnight. You’re in your pajamas?"
"There was soone outside my window." I whispered.
He went still. "What?"
"Looking in." I said. "I saw the shadow. So I ca out to—"
"To catch them." He said flatly.
"To see their face." I said.
"In your pajamas." He cut off. "Keisha. Are you insane?"
"I had my phone." I told him.
He stared at .
"I saw them." I said quickly before he could get any further into the look he was giving . "They moved fast when I ca around the corner." I looked at him. "You’ve been following the trails too. Did you see anyone?"
"I was following a trail from the north boundary." He said. "Lost it about three minutes ago near the storage buildings." He looked at the gap between the buildings where the figure had disappeared and his jaw tightened. "Sa person."
"Has to be." I muttered.
He looked at for another mont. Then he pulled his coat off and held it out.
I took it, put it on and felt imdiately better about the cold.
"We’re going to Callum." He said, leaving no room for argunt.
"Now?" I asked.
"Now." He said and looked at my feet. "Can you walk or do you need—"
"I can walk." I nodded.
"Your feet are blue." He said.
"They’re fine." I looked away.
He looked at them for one more second then started walking while I fell into step beside him.
The mansion was dim but Callum’s study light was on. It always was.
Dane knocked once.
"Co in." Callum’s voice.
We went in.
He was at his desk and he looked up. His eyes moved from Dane to and then down to my bare feet and back to my face.
"Sit down." He said to specifically.
I sat.
"What happened?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.
Callum looked at while Dane talked.
I looked at the desk while they spoke.
"You saw soone outside your window?" Callum asked when Dane finished.
"Yes." I nodded.
"And instead of calling Dane or coming here you decided to go outside alone?" He sounded irritated.
"I wanted to see their face." I said.
He didn’t say anything.
"I’m sitting right here." I crossed my arms.
"I know." Callum said. "That’s who I’m talking to." He looked at steadily. "What were you going to do when you found them? You had no weapon. No fucking shoes and no backup."
"I had my phone." I repeated what I told Dane.
"What good would that have done?!"
"It was a split second decision." I looked away. "I saw the shadow and I thought about the border trails and I thought if I could just see their face—"
"You could have been hurt." He cut off. "You understand that? If that person had wanted to hurt you, they could have and you were out there alone and I was—" He stopped.
The room was quiet.
"I’m okay." I whispered.
He looked at for a long mont. "I know." He said. "You’re okay." He exhaled slowly. "Don’t do that again."
"Okay." I said.
He held my gaze for another second. Then he leaned back and looked at Dane. "The build you saw." He said. "Broad, tall and a dark coat."
"Yes." I nodded.
"Vanessa brought staff with her." Dane said. "Two personal attendants. Both male. Both broad." He paused. "I haven’t run full checks on either of them yet."
Callum looked at the wall for a mont. "Do it first thing." He said. "Cross reference with Osric’s known contacts." He paused. "And check Vanessa’s movents for tonight. I want to know where she was between nine and midnight."
"Already on it." Dane said.
Callum looked at . "You’re staying here tonight." He said.
I looked at him. "I’m fine in my house—"
"You’re staying here." He frowned. "Nadia’s room has a guest bed. She won’t mind."
I nodded. "Do you think it’s Vanessa?"
Callum looked at Dane. "I don’t like not knowing. But truly, we don’t know yet."
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