Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Inside, I’m introduced to Jaxson who is already at the head of the table, broad-shouldered and intense, giving off I could crush you but I won’t if you behave energy. His gaze flicks to me for a beat—assessing—but not unkind. He gives a short nod.
Seated beside him are two more men, both cut from the same military-grade cloth: Gunner, lean and sharp-eyed, and Miller, who looks just as fierce. His smile softens when he sees me, but the edge in his expression remains.
And then there’s Rae. Short dark, curly hair. Combat boots. She swivels from her setup at the comms desk, popping a lollipop from her mouth as she grins at me.
“You’re the famous River,” she says, spinning the chair all the way around. “Heard a lot. Glad you’re alive.”
“Thanks,” I manage, voice still hoarse from everything.
“And I’m Rae. Don’t worry—I’m the one that makes sure these knuckleheads don’t break the law too badly.”
A man steps out of the shadows behind her. Long beard, tattoos down one arm, a brooding stare that makes Gage stiffen beside me.
“Riggs,” Rae says casually. “He’s not a people person. But he’s a damn good shot.”
Riggs gives me the smallest of nods.
I take the chair next to Gage. He hasn’t let go of my hand.
Jaxson leans forward, forearms braced on the glass table. “Alright, River. We need to know what you know. Start from the beginning.”
I take a breath. And I tell them everything.
How Helena, the woman I used to have lunch with in the HR lounge, isn’t just part of Cathedral—she’s the one running it. How she kept her hands clean by manipulating people from the shadows, and how she was the one who orchestrated the murders of Benny, Alan, and Ryan.
“She’s planning to pin everything on Gage,” I say, turning to look at him. “That’s why they faked the surveillance footage. She’s going to feed it to the police and media. She has contacts—judges, maybe even someone higher. She’s been building this for a while.”
Jaxson taps his fingers on the table, thinking.
“She was always cold,” I add, “but I never thought… She and Andrew were sleeping together. I think she’s using him to cover up a death.”
Miller’s eyes narrow. “What death?”
“A developer. Shawn Presley. He…died last year. They said it was an accident. But I found some code fragments on my old hard drive. He was digging into something at Cathedral before he died. Helena’s name was in a few commit logs. So was Tasha’s.”
“You still have those files?” Rae asks quickly.
I nod. “They’re encrypted. I didn’t even know I had them until Gage and I started combing through.”
“Send them to Rae,” Jaxson says. “Now.”
I forward the file to the secure address Rae gives me. She’s already typing furiously before the upload is done.
“Shawn Presley’s death might’ve been the first cover-up,” I say. “She’s gotten away with it before.”
“Then she won’t hesitate to try again,” Gage mutters, jaw tight.
Before we can keep going, Dean, Sawyer, and Ranger enter the Aquarium.
“We scoured NovaPlay. If Helena was there, she’s gone now,” Dean says, and then he glances at Rae. “Pull security footage.”
She nods, tapping away at her computer. “Already on it.”
Dean looks around the room. “She’s got her hooks deep into NovaPlay. We need to move carefully. We bring her in too soon without concrete proof, she’ll slip the noose.”
“What do we do?” I ask. “She’s dangerous. She kidnapped me.”
“Which means she’s desperate,” Ranger adds. “That makes her sloppy. People like her always think they’re the smartest in the room—until they’re not.”
Rae pipes up. “That file River had? There’s a name buried in the metadata. Lancer. That’s one of Cathedral’s shell accounts. Used to move money through the darknet. If we follow the transactions, we might find her exit plan.”
Sawyer leans forward. “Then we intercept before she can vanish.”
Dean finally nods. “Let’s set the trap.”
My pulse races.
This is happening.
They’re really going to stop her.
I glance at Gage, whose arm is now wrapped around my shoulder. He gives me the softest smile, one meant just for me, and I melt into it.
I’m still shaken. But I’m not alone.
Not anymore.
And this time, I’m going to help take her down.
FORTY-FOUR
GAGE
I don’t trust many people, but here at Maddox HQ, I feel like I’ve finally found my crew. Sure, Arrow and Knight have been my best friends since grade school, and Ozzy, Render, and Poe are great friends we’ve met along the way. Hell, I even consider Juno a bestie as we met in middle school too.
And well, I’ve known Lark since my parents brought her home and changed my life. But the men of Maddox Security are top notch, and I can see the determination in each of their eyes as we sit here, laying out the plan.
I’m sitting in The Aquarium, elbows on the table, my knee bouncing with barely restrained energy. River’s file, the one Rae decrypted an hour ago, is up on the large screen behind Dean. Lancer. Shell accounts. Code commits with Helena’s signature.