Page 99 of Shadow

Asher stared at water stains on the ceiling—brown rings shaped like continents on yellowed plaster. Knotty pine paneling. The smell of must and pine cleaner and antiseptic. Dawn light filtered through thin curtains, casting everything gray.

His ribs pulled with every breath. His forearm throbbed. Probably, she was right about the superglue. His head pounded from adrenaline crash and blood loss and too many hours awake.

But physical pain was nothing compared to the memory of Daphne’s face last night.

Tell me you’re not the reason they found us.

The suspicion in her eyes had burned through him.

And he’d wanted to tell her everything. Right there. While she was threading needle through his skin and her hands were steady and her eyes were guarded.

I’m not dirty. I’m undercover. I’ve been undercover for eighteen months, and Dmitri isn’t my contact—he’s my target.

Asher wasn’t the reason that the syndicate found them—that, he hadn’t lied about.

He shifted in the chair. The movement pulled stitches. Sharp pain radiated through his ribs.

Roger snored in the other bed. Deep. Rhythmic. The bed springs creaked every time he changed position.

Her words that had been circling all night wouldn’t stop.

There’s a mole. Someone knew where we were. Someone with access to operational details. Someone on the inside.

Someone knew where they were. Had access to their location. Had watched long enough to know the house would be empty tonight. To know they’d be at the dance. Dmitri’s tip had made the same thing clear.

Internal leak.

Patterson? His handler. The man who’d recruited him eighteen months ago. Patterson had access to everything. Could have leaked the safe house location.

But why? Patterson had built this case. Had spent three years investigating the Shadow Syndicate.

Unless that was the cover.

Michael Martinelli? Detective. Friend. Michael knew where they were. Had been coordinating with local PD.

Michael’s mother had been murdered while investigating the syndicate.

Michael had motive to want the syndicate destroyed. But rage could be manipulated. Could make someone vulnerable to offers they shouldn’t accept.

Asher knew that. He’d killed a man for his sister. Crossed lines he’d sworn he’d never cross.

Maybe Michael had crossed his own.

Dani Kim? FBI. Sharp. Part of the task force. She’d been at the safe house.

But Dani was new. Six weeks in Renegade. Before that, Baltimore.

Unless she’d been placed specifically to protect the syndicate. To monitor the investigation.

Anyone could hide anything for six weeks.

Or maybe it was someone Asher hadn’t considered. Someone administrative with access to files but who wouldn’t be suspected.

The problem was, Asher didn’t know. Couldn’t identify the threat.

Which meant he couldn’t protect Daphne. Couldn’t trust anyone.

Which was why he’d lain awake all night thinking about the ranch.