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“Did… you fall asleep on me?”

“Well, someone woke me early in this morning after four days of little to no sleep. I took advantage of the situation yes because you’re warm and comfortable. Can you blame me?”

Hunter blinked several times before he stepped off the chair and stretched his arms above his head. After a minute, he looked awake. He leaned down and kissed Neri.

“No, I can’t,” she agreed.

Xander chose that moment to interrupt before she suggested they pop home for an hour.

“What did you find?”

Both turned to Xander, who brought his laptop and set it on a free table near the door, taking a seat and letting his fingers fly over the keyboard.

Silas bounced in a moment later and when he leapt into her arms, she was ready for him. She cuddled him close and took a deep breath, loving the baby smell.

Hey, little man. How have you been?

I’ve missed you.

I missed you too, little man. Have you grown?

Silas laughed.I get that question all the time. I don’t think so.

Neri caught Xander nodding his head at her question while continuing to type away.

“Oh, Xander? Can you check out the address 1212 Treetop Drive and see who owns the red brick building and what it’s used for? We lost Zahava’s scent around there, but there’s something about the building I can’t put my finger on. It gives me the creeps and I don’t want to go in there unless I have to.”

“Sure thing.”

The rest of the assassins trailed into Liv’s lab, some taking a seat on two couches set in the back. Axel hopped up on a free table and messed with his cell while Ghost sat on a stool in front of Neri with a frown on his face.

“She doesn’t exist. I checked if there was any movement at the Crested Butte ranch and the sheriff reported the place burned down soon after we left.”

“No one adopted Zahava. She moved foster homes often for a range of excuses. She refused to listen to rules and did whatever she wanted until the foster families refused to take her. Because of this, the state emancipated her at seventeen,” Xander said.

He glanced at Neri and then at Ghost.

“And?” Ghost asked.

“After Anzû’s death in October of last year, Zahava applied and received a business license for the company Nightfall, specializing in security.”

Ghost rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Let me guess, specializing in surveillance and intelligence. Which means they get illegal information and sell it to the highest bidder.”

“But they also sell information to the government. They are on NSA and CIA’s payroll.”

“She has someone skilled in hacking and programming working for her or forced to work for her,” Gunnar said.

“Dr. Ames, the man Ara killed, Anzû, Dr. Stevens. Now we have confirmation of a connection,” Reaper growled.

“And Zahava has controlled everything from behind the scenes, until now. We must assume she’s after Neri for a reason we have yet to figure out and it’s tied to her plans on taking over Dark Company. If an intelligence agency contracts Nightfall, we might be in more trouble than we thought,” Ghost sounded disgusted.

As the group mumbled, Neri sensed a jolt up her spine and a woman’s scream echoed in her ears. She stiffened trying to match the sound to someone she knew.

Help! Moró, help me!

“Fuck, Thalia’s in trouble.”

Reaper moved, reaching behind his back before he thrust his hand toward her, holding out a familiar nylon rectangle. She reached for it, shoving it in the back of her jeans, before she nodded her thanks.