The Epilogues: Part I: Badge of Honor (The Potentate of Atlanta Book 6), Hailey Edwards [year 2 reading books TXT] 📗

hadn’t noticed when I stood and crossed to the TV. I hadn’t registered bringing my food with me, but the plate in my hands was empty. I passed it to Midas, and he fought off a smile at having tricked me into caring for myself. He was sneaky like that.

“Where did I put my phone?” I turned a circle. “I want to watch it again.”

“One more time, then you’re going to bed.”

Bristling at his tone, I felt my hackles rising to do a gwyllgi proud. “I can’t—”

“—run yourself into the ground?” He tilted his head. “You’re no good to Neely if you’re too tired to think.”

He set the plate on his empty one then brought me my phone.

“I have to find him, Midas. I have to, or Grier will hate me forever. Then Linus will hate me out of solidarity. Cruz already hates pretty much everyone, but losing Linus? What will I do?”

“Linus won’t hate you.” Midas rubbed my back. “He’s your friend, independent of Grier.”

“Couples don’t work like that.” I shook my head. “You know they don’t.”

“You’re working yourself up over nothing.” He cupped my face. “Grier won’t hate you either.”

As Amelie, I had betrayed her trust over and over. I didn’t want to go there as Hadley.

“Besides, you’re doing this for Neely. He’s your friend, and you care about him.”

A tiny voice that sounded too much like Mother whispered in my head I was in this for myself now too.

If I didn’t find Neely before the gauntlet, I had a tough call to make, one that would change the course of both our lives.

Neely or Atlanta. Atlanta or Neely.

Either choice cost the other everything.

I had to get to the bottom of this before the kidnappers forced the decision on me.

“I need to replay this.” I got it back to the start. “Are you staying or going on?”

“I can’t trust you to come to bed, so I’ll stay here.”

With his warm presence at my back, I began the video again, fingers crossed for an epiphany.

This time, I watched from the second the blogger arrived at the restaurant to be sure I missed nothing.

“Wait.” Midas took my phone halfway through. “I need to hear that again.”

“His thoughts on terrapin soup?”

“No.” He rewound it to seconds before the soup course. “This.”

Holding my breath, I strained my ears but heard nothing aside from the buzz of a crowded restaurant.

“Their reservation is at ten,” Midas repeated softly. “Cruz Torres is always punctual.”

Unable to stop myself, I clutched at his arm like I might squeeze more information out of him.

“Text the driver as soon as you spot them.” Midas cocked his head. “We have seconds to make this happen.”

I hung on his every word as the blogger began another monologue I tuned out in favor of Midas.

“Keep watch from the podium.” Midas tilted his head. “Don’t leave your post.”

We stood there a few more minutes before he paused the recording.

“Two employees were in on it,” he confirmed what I had been thinking. “Both male.”

“I’ll text Reece a transcript, see if he can pick up anything else now that we know where to look.” I noted the time stamp on the video and sent that too. “Anca can dig up who was on duty at Marx’s. She can compile a list of employees for us to interview at dusk.”

“Right after your run,” he reminded me. “You can’t let your training lapse.”

The dogged way he refused to accept defeat of my dreams lent me the strength to play along.

Fake it till you make it, right?

“Your team will have everything ready by dusk,” he promised. “We’ll run, shower, and then hit Marx’s.”

“Are you sure? You have your hands full with your own job. You don’t have to help me do mine.” I bit the inside of my cheek. “I didn’t mean for that to come out so sharp.”

“You’re under a lot of pressure.” He kissed my forehead. “I won’t hold it against you.”

In thanks, I burrowed into his chest and kissed the spot over his heart, grateful he was safe.

Not everyone was so lucky with their loved ones tonight.

“As to the rest,” he said dryly, “I believe you’ve met my mother.”

For an alpha determined not to involve her pack in OPA business, she skirted a lot of lines.

A lot.

A whole lot.

And I… Honestly? I loved her for it.

“You guys would be working this case with or without me,” I mumbled against him. “Is that it?”

“I wouldn’t phrase it like that, but yes.”

“Give me thirty,” I negotiated. “Then I’ll go to bed as promised.”

Midas withdrew and began shutting things down while I made my calls and sent my texts.

Then, proving he knew me better than anyone, he sat on the couch and set a timer on his phone.

Ready or not, in thirty minutes, I was spirited off to bed.

Five

Sweat dripped into my eyes, and I gasped for air as I rounded the last corner and hit the home stretch. It wasn’t fair that I mated a gwyllgi with stamina for days. Okay, okay. Under the right circumstances, I enjoyed that part. A lot. Just not when he was in drill sergeant mode.

“Hadley Whitaker,” a throaty voiced called. “Is that you?”

I wasn’t ashamed of how fast I abandoned the finish line for a chance to catch my breath. “Yes.”

“I thought so.” A tall woman with black hair and gray eyes smiled at me. “You look like your picture.”

There were pictures of me circulating with my hair plastered to my scalp and sweaty pits? That was less than flattering. Accurate, but ugh. Talk about a branding fail. Maybe Neely could help me with that after we found him, and he recovered from his ordeal.

Rubbing at the stitch pulling in my side, I dialed up my manners. “How can I help you?”

Ambrose uncoiled from my shadow, slithered across the pavement, and tasted her magic.

Necromancer.

A powerful one at that.

Midas had picked up on my shadow half’s cues too and moved into position to flank me.

“I wanted to