veins itch with need. They only stop at the peak of their high or when they are too sick to move during their low. They spend the majority of their day searching for means to maintain their level of stupid. Junkies don’t spend money on tattoos, so our guy was new to the game.”
Avery felt a rush from Sasha’s words.
“We know for a fact Krueger’s day job was selling drugs, and his night job was taking out kneecaps or putting people in the morgue. My father paid Krueger to kill you. In turn, Krueger paid your Spider to do the job. Why? Because Krueger sees an opportunity to get paid for a job without the risk of going to jail for it. Spider’s rapid descent makes him say yes. He knocks you down, hesitates, then uses his feet. Why? Because his hands would be too personal. Even though he’s higher than a rocket to the space station, he knows somewhere that what he is doing is wrong. ‘Don’t look at me.’ His words. Not because he doesn’t want you to see him, but so he won’t see your eyes.”
Avery ran a hand through her hair. Everything Sasha was saying made sense in a twisted, fucked-up way. “So I’ve wasted my time searching nightclubs.”
“No. Not entirely. You know where he isn’t. We know he isn’t in jail. What did I say about Homeless Men Three and Four?”
Avery had to think for a minute. “That they would buy drugs until they hit rock bottom or die.” Jesus . . . was she chasing a dead man?
“We stop searching clubs and start searching rehabs and morgues.”
Avery held a staring contest with Sasha. “You knew all of this before we sat down to eat, didn’t you?”
“I suspected. Between what you’ve told me and what the police have found . . . or more importantly, haven’t found, I’ve drawn my conclusions.”
“Then why waste time with all of this?” Avery waved her hands around her, as if including the entire city in her argument.
Sasha stepped closer, her face nothing but harsh lines of sobriety. “Because you need to learn who this man is on your own so you can accept whatever it is that we find. Me telling you who we are looking for will always raise doubt in your head.”
Avery sighed, ran the back of her hand against her chin. God, she was tired. With a deep breath, she asked, “Okay. Where do we start?”
Sasha stepped back. “Tomorrow.”
“But—”
“You need to eat again and sleep. Warriors only enter a battle rested and fed.”
Avery glanced at the tattoo on her arm and resigned. “Okay.”
Sasha glanced behind Avery. “Take her back to the hotel. I will call on you in the morning.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Avery turned around so fast her head spun. “Liam.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Liam had to force a smile to his face.
He’d been tracking Sasha’s location via Reed since he landed. He dropped a bag off at Avery’s hotel and taxied to Times Square. Having never been to New York before, he found himself turned around more than once while GPS tangled with the tall buildings and sometimes had him on the wrong side of the street.
The two of them walked into his line of sight, and Liam stopped behind Avery right as Sasha described Avery’s attacker. Even though he stood right there, Sasha’s eyes never left Avery.
Slowly, as Sasha’s conclusion settled in Avery’s head, Liam noticed her entire posture sink. For a brief moment, he thought she might just slump to the ground right in the middle of Times Square.
Now Avery was staring at him, and they were the clog of traffic as people walked by.
Eyes hollow, lips swollen . . . Liam reached out and traced a hand to the bruise on her cheek. His simple touch and she closed the gap between them and pressed her face to his chest.
“I’m sorry,” she choked out.
Liam wrapped his arms around her and buried his head in her hair. “It’s okay.”
“I was such a child.”
“It’s okay, Princess.”
She hugged him tighter.
Liam closed his eyes and held her. “I’ll get her back—” He glanced up and Sasha was gone.
Avery disengaged long enough to look around.
“Where did she go?”
Avery shook her head. “I’m sure she’ll be back.”
Liam brushed a hair behind her ear and cradled her cheek in his hand. So many words needed to be said . . . instead, he brushed his lips against hers.