Page 45 of Ghost

“Mila?”Neo hissed.“What the hell happened?”

She stood, wrapping her free hand around her waist.Nerves coiled in her stomach, making her wish she hadn’t eaten the snacks.“A lot.”

“Where are you?I’ll come get you.”

She closed her eyes.Part of her hated herself for what she was about to do.“You can’t.I need your help.”

“Mila, what’s going on?”His voice was low, concerned.“Did you get caught?”

“Yes.”

He cursed under his breath.

“Listen, I know this goes against everything you stand for—all the work you’ve done to put layers between yourself and danger.But I need to know who ordered the hit on my target.Ghost.”

Silence.

She chewed the inside of her cheek as she turned her back to Ghost.The man who’d brought her here.The man whose unlikely friendship might pivot her in a clean direction for the first time in her life.

“Mila, you know I can’t do that.There’s one code we live by in this business.The line between hirer and target doesn’t blur.”

She glanced over her shoulder, her bottom lip between her teeth, and met Ghost’s gaze.His expression darkened.She shook her head.

He got to his feet and tension rattled up her spine.She needed to protect Neo but also needed to give Ghost what he wanted.“I’m leaving the business,” she said flatly.

Ghost rested his hand on the middle of her back, silently offering to take over if needed.

Neo’s sharp inhale made her wince.“What?You can’t be serious.”

“I am.”Neo didn’t know everything about her past, but he knew Irinia well enough and had always been curious about Mila’s connection to the diabolical older woman.

A beat passed.“How’d you manage to get a phone if he caught you?”

She lowered her gaze.“We struck a deal.”

Neo muttered something, then raised his voice.“Mila, listen.Whatever bullshit he’s fed you, it’s lies.He’s going to kill you the second—”

Ghost snatched the phone from her hand and punched the speaker button.“You know nothing about me, cocksucker.”He enunciated each syllable with force.“But I will find you and pull the name of the man you’re protecting from your mouth.”

Mila yanked the phone from Ghost, shooting him daggers.“Okay, I understand you don’t want to say who it was.Ghost”—she turned toward him—“who would be a likely suspect?”She held out the phone.

Ghost rocked his jaw.Hunter’s brother was the first that came to mind.“Asher Emmette.”

Neo didn’t respond.

“I’m going to take that as a no,” Mila said.“Next?”she asked Ghost.

“Dax Jennings.”

Again, silence on the other end of the line.This wasn’t the most reliable method, but given Neo’s lack of protest, it seemed he was playing along.

“One more,” she urged Ghost.

He dragged his hand through his hair, his brow furrowed.“I can only think of one other suspect.But it’s almost impossible.”

“It’s worth a shot,” she pressed.

His lips firmed.“Hunter Emmett from Trident Securities.”