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“I tried to find Avni, but all her social media has been wiped. She’s in the wind.”

Rowan sighs deeply and I can picture him thinking. “We can’t worry about the Scarlet Ravens right now,” he says. “We need to figure this out before something else goes wrong.”

We.

The word makes my heart stutter. Even though I am from Canning, I realise my loyalty now lies with Rowan—and byextension, The Snake. It’s a choice I’ve already made because I know Rowan is the choice Iwant.

“Okay,” I whisper.

“Alex?” Rowan says on the other end.

“Yeah?”

“I love you,” he says quietly. “Please come home.”

“I love you too. I’ll see you soon.”

By the time I make it to Rowan’s house, the sun has already begun to set, and a half-moon hangs over the city. The grand early century brownstone home is nestled in the hills of Queen’s Peak, a far cry from Daniel’s dingy apartment block in Harrow.

I spot Xander’s matte black bike parked out front, and my stomach twists a little in apprehension.

Despite everything that has happened today, I feel myself relax when I see Rowan’s face. He is dressed in a white dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up and his hair styled perfectly, probably coming from whatever meeting he had this morning. He looks mouth-wateringly hot.

Blue eyes flash and without a word, he pulls me into a tight hug. I hold him just as tightly, the strange weight in my stomach dissolving.

“I’m fine,” I tell him when he lets go. “Promise.”

He looks at me for a second longer, analysing my face to see if there’s any new damage. Once satisfied, he moves aside to let me in, and I’m engulfed by his scent. It’s strange. I’ve only been here a couple of times, but it feels comfortable, like a world I share with him alone.

Yet, the world has begun to encroach.

“Hello, Detective,” Xander says when I walk into Rowan’s office. “It’s good to see you alive and kicking.” He’s leaning against the desk, a glass of whisky in his hand, twisting tattoos on full display.

“Xander,” I say in greeting, not returning the sentiment.

His mouth spreads into a menacing grin at that. Ignoring his obvious attempts at making me uncomfortable, I turn back to Rowan. “You had eyes on Daniel, right? Someone knew that and slipped past them, anyway.”

“That’s impossible,” Xander says. “My men wouldn’t let something like that happen.”

I shrug. “Then maybe they are working for whoever is behind this.”

“They wouldn’t,” he pushes back.

I open my mouth to argue, but looking at Xander makes me realise I probably shouldn’t.

“Tell me what happened?” Rowan asks, pulling my attention back to him.

I nod and tell them everything, replaying the image of Daniel and Trist on the floor. None of it feels real, like I’m telling them about a bad movie I watched, cheesy bloody scenes and poverty-stricken areas.

When I’m done, Rowan’s jaw is clenched, his hand gripping my waist tightly enough to bruise.

“Avni is also missing,” I finish. “All of her social media has been wiped.”

Rowan swears under his breath.

“Avni?” Xander asks.

“Trist’s…” I trail—what can I call her? “His partner. She was with him at Spirito.”