Page 29 of Keeping Caroline
Solitude surrounded me as I entered my apartment, the space seeming cavernous and empty. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the floor. The security system was in place, Evie was in remission, and Caroline was safe with her family. I should have been content with that because she didn’t owe me anything, but I felt so unbelievably lost.
Grabbing my cell, I sent a quick text to Caroline as she’d requested, the words “made it home safe” the only thing I could muster. For several minutes, I watched the screen, but no response came.
A hollow ache settled inside my chest where the happiness from being intimate with Caroline had been. Part of me wanted to cut my losses and fall back into who I was before—who I’d always been—but I realized with clarity that I didn’t want to lose her. I didn’t want to lose any of them. In such a brief period of time, they had become my family, filling the void that had existed for so long.
And now I was alone again, but I’d had a taste of being close to someone amazing, and I didn’t think I could go back to the way things were before.
Shaking my head, I stood up and walked to my computer lab, needing to busy my hands, needing to get back to work. I had already lingered there too long, my thoughts consumed by a woman who held my heart in her hands, whether she realized it or not. A woman whose family I was determined to protect, no matter the cost.
For the next few hours, I dove into the familiar world of code, needing to update my other clients, losing myself in the challenges that had once brought me solace. But there was no escape from the thoughts of Caroline that persisted at the edges of my mind—the memory of her smile, the sound of her laughter, the way she looked at me with those big blue eyes and saw into my soul.
Fingers faltering on the keyboard, I rubbed the back of my neck, frustration mounting. I couldn’t focus, couldn’t think of anything but her and how we’d left things. The time we had shared replayed itself like a movie in my head, my brain trying to understand where it had gone wrong. Although I knew she still grieved for her husband, I just couldn’t shake the worry that it was something I’d done.
Abandoning my work, I took a quick shower and climbed into bed. Exhaustion settled into my bones, but sleep eluded me. My mind refused to quiet, racing with concern for Caroline’s safety on top of the confusion about the drastic shift in her temperature.
Closing my eyes, I swallowed against the ache in my throat. Tomorrow, I thought. Tomorrow, I needed to find a way to close the chasm between us, because Caroline was worth fighting for.
Chapter 19
The Phantom
The next morning, I woke to no messages from Caroline on my phone, but when I stumbled into my lab with a cup of coffee in hand, there was an alert flashing on one of my monitors. Bleary eyed and yawning, I dropped into my chair and clicked on the message waiting in my encrypted inbox from ShadowRunner.
As the words came into focus, dread pooled in my stomach, cold and heavy. Someone had placed bounties on Scarlett and her father, revealing details about their appearances, last known locations, and a significant reward for information leading to their captures.
Heart racing, I read the message again, panic and fear mingling. I took a deep breath, doing my best to calm down, knowing any rash decisions could put them in greater danger, but my veins were filled with live wires.
My fingers flew across the keyboard, scrolling endlessly through the darkness. Somewhere in the tangled web was a trail leading to Umberto Aresco. The ShadowRunner’s message mentioned him by name, which meant he was involved in the threats against Scarlett and Ivy—if ShadowRunner was telling the truth.
I didn’t know much about Aresco, but after hours of searching, one name kept appearing again and again in hidden chat logs and encrypted messages: Cinder.
The name echoed in my mind as I leaned back in my chair, eyes burning from staring at the screens for so long, but my searching had paid off. The trail of clues, as entangled as it was, led back to only one conclusion: Umberto Aresco was Cinder, but that wasn’t the worst part. Aresco had been on the FBI's radar for years but had remained untouchable, a ghost in the machine who didn’t leave loose ends. He engaged in organized crime across the East Coast at the highest levels, and he wanted Scarlett and Ivy captured or eliminated.
My stomach churned as the truth sank in. Being related to the Italian mafia, he had eyes and ears everywhere, informants who would do anything for the right price. I didn’t know why the Italian mafia had a stake in New Orleans organized crime, but if he was truly after them, they wouldn’t last long, not on their own. Even Ethan would be out of his league if Aresco was truly after his wife and father-in-law.
Heart pounding against my ribs, I pulled off my glasses and ran a hand through my hair. There was still a lot I didn’t know, but I needed to call Ethan and tell him what I found out. I dialed his number on a secure line, and it only rang once before a familiar voice answered.
“Talk to me.” Ethan’s voice was clipped, impatient, clearly suspecting it was not a social call.
“It’s worse than we thought,” I said without preamble. “Umberto Aresco is involved. Italian mobster. He’s been using the alias ‘Cinder’ and has put a bounty on Scarlett and Ivy. Alive or dead. I don’t know how much time we have before his men find them.”
Silence. Then a muffled curse. “How did you uncover this?”
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the tension coiled there. “A lot of digging. It took time to trace everything back to him, but the signs are irrefutable. I still need to dig more into his connections to the New Orleans gangs, but from what I’ve found thus far, it looks like gangs from the North have illegal shipments coming in through the port of Orleans. Delacroix’s gang was like the troll under the bridge, more or less. Everyone else pays a toll for their products to pass.”
“Shit. Alright.” Ethan’s voice turned steely, authoritative. “I know we’ve already wiped Scarlett’s digital footprint, but search again, make sure we didn’t miss anything.” He went quiet for a moment, and I knew he was pacing.
“You got it, boss. Anything else?”
“Monitor the FBI’s movements and communications. See what they know and if you can find out where Ivy is being kept. We need to get to him before Aresco’s men do.”
Adrenaline surged through my veins, and I tapped on my mouse, needing to do something with my pent-up energy. “Consider it done. I can send an anonymous tip that Ivy’s location has been compromised—force the feds to move him again. Maybe that will buy more time.”
“That’s a good idea.” His tone softened for a moment—my friend coming through. “Call me as soon as you have any updates. And Tristan, be careful. If these assholes find out who you are and that you’re involved, they won’t hesitate to take you out too.”
Dread sent my heart into my stomach, but it was an inevitability I’d already considered. Nothing about this situation was safe. “With all due respect, boss, he’ll have to catch me first.”
Ethan huffed out a laugh. “Godspeed, Phantom.