Page 30 of Midnight’s Captive (Stroke of Midnight #2)

Ash slipped out of the Jack’s office and into the bar, regretting every step that took him away from Taryn. Exhaustion rode him, but he knew he’d get no sleep tonight. He was still processing what he’d shared.

He almost never talked about that night or about Hope but telling Taryn had felt... right. Every moment he spent with her felt right.

That should freak him out.

He couldn’t afford to get attached, since he would be taking Hope on the run when she was free. There was no way they could hide in the Tremaine-controlled city.

He was trying to figure out why the thought of leaving Seattle—of leaving Taryn—bothered him more than it should when someone ran into his shoulder.

“Sorry about that, man.”

“No problem. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” Ash aimed for the door.

“Fēnix?”

Shit.

Ash focused on the speaker. Recognition flared.

It was a hacker Ash had run with. They’d shared some jobs, some beers, but they’d never been friends.

Definitely someone that he’d prefer to avoid.

“Patches.” Ash nodded, then started inching around the other man.

Patches had other ideas. He slapped Ash on the shoulder. “What the hell are you doing here, man? Haven’t seen you in years!”

Ash cringed. He absolutely did not want to get into why he’d disappeared. Especially not with the real story so fresh and raw in his mind tonight. “Working. Hanging out. The usual.” Anxious to get to the door, he tried edging around the other man.

Patches stared at him. “Huh. Seems like you’re never around anymore.”

“I got better,” Ash said. “Trickier.”

It was all somewhat true. He just had to hope that Patches was drunk enough not to think about it too hard.

“Cool.”

“Good to see you, man.” Ash slapped him on the shoulder like a buddy and angled his body to pass him.

“Uh, yeah, you too.” Patches looked bewildered.

Ash wanted to be out of his sight before the other hacker thought too hard about seeing him.

He ducked into the crowd and wove his way toward the door.

Running into Patches was bad. Maybe he was drunk enough that he wouldn’t remember seeing Ash. If he mentioned their encounter to the wrong people... If certain people learned that Ash was out and about, his life could get more difficult.

The pressure was building to get out of the Tremaine Corporation before Portia learned the extent of his betrayal. Add in the hacker community suddenly becoming curious about him?

He’d be fucked. He’d burned some bridges—both before and after his capture by the Tremaine Corporation.

He couldn’t trust anyone in that community.