Shadow of Doubt - Hailey Edwards Page 0,50
had no clue. Lately he’d found himself watching movies he thought she might enjoy, curious what she saw in them, what comfort she found in them, and why she needed comfort in the first place.
But he couldn’t ask without reciprocating.
Show me yours, and I’ll show you mine.
His past was written in the crosshatch scars marring his forearms. He didn’t cover them, didn’t hide them. They were a warning sign, an indicator that he was broken. Not bent. Broken. It was easier for everyone if they got that sorted upfront without him having to say a word.
“She ran to you.” Ford ruffled a hand through his hair. “She didn’t gut-check herself against her team, or Bishop, or Lawson. Or me. We visited Mendelsohn, and she wanted you after.”
“You just finished telling me she’s smart. Hadley saw I have a soft spot for abuse cases, and she brought me one. End of story.”
“Your mother would rip out her throat before she let Hadley steal her heir,” Ford said quietly.
“She would try.” Midas almost found a smile for the mental picture of his mother going toe-to-toe with Hadley. “There’s more to Hadley than meets the eye.” He shook his head. “That’s why I keep turning up, why I keep getting involved. There’s something about her. She’s dangerous, more dangerous than a well-trained woman with swords ought to be.”
“Tonight Ayla mentioned Lee’s shadow. Do you know what that’s about?”
Midas tugged on his ear, thinking. “Are you sure she wasn’t talking about you?”
“I don’t think so.” He shrugged. “No one else is following her that I can tell.”
“Bishop might be the face of the POA’s team, but there are more of them. Some who patrol the streets the same as Hadley.” Midas gave up on shaking loose whatever thought was slowly forming and left it to simmer in the back of his mind. “Do you think Ayla meant one of them? Linus might want tabs kept on her while he’s out of town. Who better than one of their own?”
“Maybe,” Ford allowed. “I’ll pay closer attention, see if I can figure it out one way or another.”
“You should go.” Midas checked the time on his phone. “She’s ready to call it a night.”
“I won’t ask her out if you don’t want me to, for whatever reason.” Ford glanced back the way he’d come but hesitated before turning. “Any reason at all.”
“Try your luck.” Midas ignored the vibration tickling the back of his throat. “Just let me know if you need to step down from your position. I need an impartial witness, not rose-colored updates.”
“I’ll do that.” Ford reached for the keys in his pocket. “You’ve got time, if you change your mind.”
“I won’t.” Midas pivoted on his heel and walked away before Ford made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Eleven
I gave Ford fifteen minutes, and when he still didn’t show, I collected the grumpy corgi and left him a note pinned under a windshield wiper explaining I had called for a Swyft. I was tired of waiting, tired in general, and all I wanted to do was sleep for a few years and wake to find the case had been solved while I was unconscious.
The Swyft driver, who rolled up in a bland white sedan and not the racy lime-green number I hoped to continue avoiding, didn’t speak a word to me, even when I asked permission to bring my dog, so that was nice.
Less nice was how the doorman ran his eyes over us as we entered through the front door of the Faraday, his attention lingering on Bonnie then jerking back to me when he felt my stare.
“What?” I stopped on the threshold. “Do I have something stuck in my teeth?”
Maybe I was a tad irked Ford had ghosted on me, or maybe this confrontation had been a long time coming.
“Midas asked me to let him know when you got home. Just checking to see if you’re intact.”
“Oh.” All my righteous anger evaporated in a blink. “Well, here I am. Two arms, two legs, so forth. Unless you count the dog. Then it’s six legs—or maybe six arms? Either way, all limbs are accounted for.”
At least he waited until I was through the door before reaching for his phone to tattle.
Goddess knows, I had enough keepers. What was one more? Midas must be worried about Bonnie. As soon as she got herself unstuck, she would be out of my hair, and so would he.
The elevator had been repaired since Bonnie took a bite