Dangerous Devotion

the faint ticking of the old clock in the hall. She lay there for a moment, her mind swirling with the images from the day before-Jac

t the clock.

ng sense of dread that had been building ever since they found those papers. In the kitchen, the flickering glow of the dying embers in the fireplace ca

father been involved in all this? What was the Greywater Project

nspiracy go-and how far would the peop

hey needed more information. They needed answers. And they needed to tread car

ly broken by the faint creak of floorboards behind her. Elena f

ned in the faint light from the fire. His expres

ep either?" he as

e glass down on the counter. "To

he folder. "I've been thinking," he said, his voice steady

d, surprised

ou saw the way people reacted when we started asking questions. This isn't just some small-town

things had become. But the thought of leaving-of abandoning the investigation, of

irm. "Not yet. We're so close to finding out th

nt, his jaw clenched. "And wha

ir like a heavy weight. El

_____________

That M

he remnants of breakfast pushed to the side as they reviewed their notes. Elena had barely slept after her

ed with tension. "We can't just keep poking around

he Greywater Project, Carter Pierce, Jacob Morris, Linda Hart-it all felt like pieces

Hart?" Elena suggested. "She's clearly

e's not going to spill anything to us. You saw her off

have to try. We're running out of option

s darting toward the sound. It was faint-barely more than a rustle-but in the ten

ter. Elena followed, her heart pounding as they made their way toward the

. Just the quiet rustle of

ly visible against the edge of the pr

ood ra

s," she whispered, he

knife tightened. "We

_____________

ala

use any longer. The sense of being watched, the creeping paranoia, had finally reached a boiling point. Whoever was behin

here they hoped to find a safe place to lay low and regroup. The tension in the car

of danger didn

illcrest, Aidan glanced in the rearvi

being f

nd them. Sure enough, there was a black SUV that had been tailing them since they left R

he asked, her voic

nched. "We need

row off their pursuers. Elena's pulse raced as they sped through the w

UV stayed

couldn't outrun them. Whoever was following

ancing at Elena. "We

er voice incredulous

ad. "We're too easy to track in this. If

knew he was right. They ne

_____________

ing t

lled off the main road and down a dirt path that led into the woods. The trees closed in around them, thick and dark, b

ing off the engine. The silence that followed was deafen

rabbing a backpack from the back seat. He handed

r, food, and a few of the documents they had collected. Then

s muffled by the soft forest floor. The tension between them was palpable as they moved deep

e hours of walking,

to hide out for the night

they were, or how far they had come, but she truste

s. The structure was worn and dilapidated, its wooden walls covered in moss and i

dan quickly checked the perimeter, making sure there were no sig

t shake the feeling that they were still being

_____________

Reve

bin. For a brief moment, she almost forgot where she was-forgot the danger

ty quickl

ndow and watching the forest with a tense

he said, his voice low. "W

tion pressing down on her once again. They we

r a folded piece of paper. "I found this in the car

r heart racing as she read t

lose. Leave now, or f

oever was following them wasn't just wat

a doubt, that the real d