Page 26 of A Breath of Life (Shadowy Solutions #4)

Diem

I sat in the Jeep out front of the Toronto Police Headquarters building for over an hour after dropping Tallus off, scrutinizing every person who came or went through the main doors, itching to go back inside and drag him home by the scruff of his neck where I could be sure he was safe.

Echo sat in the passenger seat, tongue lolling, enjoying the sunshine on her face like she didn’t have a care in the world. Her squinty eyes and puppy smile were about the only thing keeping my blood pressure from entering the danger zone. I wished I could be so carefree.

I stroked her fur and scratched her ear, thinking, not for the first time, how I wished I hadn’t burned bridges with all my cop friends. Driving away would have been easier if I could have recruited someone to keep an eye on Tallus.

Tallus, who had burrowed into my heart unexpectedly and seemed content to stay there .

Tallus, whose presence in my life made breathing both easier and harder.

Tallus, who glowed with life most days despite my chronic mood swings.

Tallus, whom I wasn’t sure I could live without.

I’d gotten a taste of happiness and love. He was the one addiction I didn’t want to quit.

If something happened to him…

Gritting my teeth, I pulled up Asshole ’s number and hit Connect, anticipating it either wouldn’t go through or no one would answer. On the second ring, a click sounded, followed by a patronizing, “Mr. Krause. If you have a location already, I’m impressed.”

“No. I need to verify the parameters of the rules.”

The asshole sniffed in what could have been irritation or boredom. “Go on.”

The Consigliere’s random call in the middle of the night suggested the card wasn’t listening to me as I feared, but before I allowed Tallus to tail along in my search for Clarence, I wanted to be absolutely certain no one thought I was spilling secrets.

Visions of my helpless Nana in a nursing home flashed incessantly through my mind and haunted my dreams last night. Anguished at being unable to check on her, I’d woken in a toxic mood.

“Mr. Krause? Hello? You called me, remember? If you aren’t going to speak, I’m hanging up.”

“I’m here. Before you assholes kidnapped me, Tallus and I had planned to either toss the card in a dumpster or find the guy who gave it to us so we could return it.”

“So you claimed.”

“Last night, he suggested finding the guy instead of throwing it away. He saw me with the pouch. I didn’t prompt him.

I haven’t agreed or disagreed because I didn’t know if it broke your fucking rules or not.

He doesn’t know about you or the true purpose of finding Clarence, but Tallus could be an asset.

I can work faster with his help, and he would never need to know the end results.

If I try to dissuade him…” I left the sentence hanging because I couldn’t think about the consequences.

Tallus was hardheaded and unswayable most days. He didn’t always take no for an answer.

One thing I’d learned in the time we’d been together is that Tallus didn’t like to be controlled. Insisting he stay put today was already boiling his blood. We’d been ten seconds from another shouting match. If I shut him down where Clarence was concerned, I might lose him for good.

Silence bled through the line.

Blood whomped in my ears.

Echo whimpered and leaned into my hand when I stopped petting her.

I feared the Consigliere would tell me no. Redirecting Tallus’s attention was a feat I wasn’t sure I could manage. He was already suspicious.

When the Consigliere spoke, it was in a low, dangerous tone. “I hope you don’t think you’re manipulating us in any way, Mr. Krause, because it won’t end well for you. This is not a joke. We are not afraid to kill.”

“I’m aware.”

Another pause.

“Proceed cautiously. We’re watching you and your little sidepiece. He’s cute. I forgot to mention. Ace has certain… predilections. Sometimes, he enjoys playing with his mice before snapping their brittle necks. You wouldn’t want Tallus to become one of his toys. ”

Icy fingers tickled down my spine as his words unearthed unwanted memories from my past. I scanned the street, heart thundering as I peered into every idle car and examined every shadowed corner. Were they out there now? Was someone surveying the headquarters building? Me?

Did they have a man on the inside watching Tallus? A dirty cop?

My stomach curdled at the meaning behind his statement. I wanted to crawl down the phone line and strangle him with my bare hands. No one would ever touch Tallus in that way. Over my dead body.

A growl climbed my throat. “If you touch a single fucking hair—”

“You are in no position to threaten me, Mr. Krause. Don’t give Ace a reason to hurt your little mouse, and he won’t. Simple as that. Do your job. Find Clarence.”

The line went dead, and I spent another ten minutes picking apart the street, looking for watchful eyes, and debating how much Tallus would hate me if I went inside and planted myself at his desk to watch him work all day.

He’d kill me.

Poisonous bile stirred my gut, and I was glad I hadn’t eaten.

When I caught a glimpse of myself in the rearview mirror, I flinched.

Jesus, I looked like hell. The bruising shone more prominently against my bloodless complexion, and I looked like a fucking ghost. No wonder Tallus wasn’t letting up about knowing the truth.

If he had come home half as injured and haunted, I would have razed the fucking city to find the people who had done it.

I glanced at Echo, harnessed and buckled safely in the passenger seat. “Should we go?”

She chuffed and licked my hand, loyally agreeing to every suggestion. Some days, I wished she could offer sounder advice.

Another lick .

“If you’re asking for treats, I don’t have any.”

Another chuff, and she nuzzled my face.

Despite everything, I nuzzled back, my heart aching. “Yeah, yeah. I love you too. I don’t want to leave him here.”

She cocked her head as though listening.

Barging inside would shatter the fragile truce Tallus and I had found. Leaving soured my gut. I could sit in the Jeep and watch the building, but I’d never locate Clarence while idle, and my timeline had been cut short.

Could they have a dirty cop on the inside with eyes on my boyfriend? It made sense when I considered the Bishop. How big was this organization? Who were these people? How far did they reach?

I punched the steering wheel. “Fuck.”

Echo rested her paw on my thigh.

“I know. I’m sorry. It’s just… All right. I’m going.”

Reluctantly, I put the Jeep in gear and headed to the office. Every mile between Tallus and me pulled at something deep in my core.

The Consigliere’s newest threat surfaced ugly memories I’d long ago vaulted away. I couldn’t shake them, and they ate at me with every mile that separated me from Tallus.

The temptation to turn around was almost too strong to resist. If I didn’t believe Nana’s life was in danger as well, I’d have packed a bag, forced Tallus into the Jeep, and gone on the run. It sounded cowardly, but his well-being mattered more than my pride.

Another instinct wanted me to steer toward the nursing home, to disobey the rule about visiting Nana, but I’d been warned to keep a distance. No phone calls. No police. Nothing sneaky.

So I stayed my course, squeezed the steering wheel until my fingers ached, and tried not to throw up .

At the office, I filled Echo’s water bowl and gave her a few treats.

She curled up in the cushy dog bed that lived beside the desk.

It was some fancy memory foam bullshit that cost me eighty dollars, but she loved it.

A chewy squeak toy entertained her for all of five minutes before she was fast asleep.

I opened the laptop, unsure where to begin. Tracking individuals was a common part of the job. Finding Clarence seemed like it wouldn’t be difficult, but I was na?ve. If the man was easy to locate, these people wouldn’t have nabbed me off the street and threatened my loved ones.

“Ace has certain… predilections. Sometimes, he enjoys playing with his mice before snapping their necks.”

I ground my teeth and forced the echo of the Consigliere’s words out of my head.

Tallus… good god, not Tallus.

“Focus,” I said under my breath.

Based on what I knew, Clarence—whoever he was—had been targeted by Ace. He was meant to die in the alley before Tallus and I had interrupted the killer—the Bishop. With a fast-swelling throat and obstructed airway, Clarence must have understood his predicament.

Closing my eyes, I returned to that fated night and recalled telling the dying man that help was on the way. Instead of relief, Clarence’s only concern had been getting rid of that goddamn card. He’d expended all his energy ensuring we understood the request. Find it , he’d said. Throw it away.

Why?

I opened my eyes and focused on the leather pouch around my wrist, feeling the weight of the object within. “Because it was fucking tracking his position. That was how the Bishop knew where to find him. ”

It was how the Consigliere knew where I was at all times afterward because I’d kept the fucking thing in my pocket to keep it away from Tallus.

Echo lifted her head at my comment and made a questioning sound like she was asking what I meant.

“Nothing, girl. I’m talking to myself. Go back to sleep.”

She chuffed and lowered her head again, closing her eyes.

I bounced my knee and continued dissecting the night in the alley.

Why did Clarence carry the card if he knew it was tracking him?

Especially if there was bad blood between him and Ace.

Maybe he didn’t know it was on him. Maybe he only suspected it had been planted after he was attacked.

Maybe he, too, had been threatened and told not to remove it from his person.

“Find it,” he’d said.

Clarence wanted to unload the card because he knew Ace had targeted him and wanted him dead. He knew that if he lived through the ordeal, his killer would find him again and finish the job.