*Keera*
I hurried out of the kitchen, a smile spreading across my face when I caught sight of Trevor standing in the Middle, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. “Trevor!” I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him and wrapping him in a tight hug. He laughed, squeezing me back, the luxurious scent of his cologne enveloping me. No one had told me he would be coming to the pack. Seeing a familiar face made me realize just how much I’d missed home.
“Hey, Keera. How’ve you been?” He asked, leaning back to study my face. I grinned, feeling a sense of comfort wash over me. Trevor was more than just my boss; he was a friend. I let him know I was absolutely fine, stepping to the side and the rest of my team walked out of their rooms to give him a warm welcome. My gaze drifted to Grayson who stood watching us with a loosely clenched fist.
I felt a pang of unease.
What had crawled up his butt?
Trevor’s visit was a surprise, but it wasn’t unwelcome, and he knew how close Trevor and I were. I gave him a flat look, silently imploring him to tone down the caveman behavior. I didn’t need Trevor suspicious of the kind of relationship that existed between Grayson and me. If anything, the look I shot him seemed to irritate him even more. I looked away from him. “Trevor, what are you doing here?” I asked, trying to sound casual. “No one had told me you were coming.”
I looked at my team members and they shook their heads to show that they hadn’t known either.
Trevor’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “I wanted to surprise you guys,” He said, his voice light. “Plus, I couldn’t stay away from the action any longer.” I raised an eyebrow. I was glad he had chosen to come when he did, now that we seemed to be on to something. Or he would have been extremely disappointed to realize that there was in fact no action.
“You should’ve given us a heads up,” Grayson said, his tone neutral, but an undercurrent of tension lingering. I shot him a glance, trying to decipher his mood.
“Come on, Grayson, don’t be mad,” Trevor said, clapping him on the back. “I wanted it to be a surprise.” Grayson gave him a smile, returning his hug but I seemed to be the only one who could tell he was faking. Lexi took Trevor’s duffel bag and gestured to one of the empty guest rooms downstairs where he would stay for as long as he would be in the pack. I wiped my nose, remembering I had almost finished setting up breakfast.
“Breakfast would be ready in two minutes,” I announced, pointing towards the dining table. I watched Grayson head back upstairs from the corner of my eyes, wanting to scream at how unfair he was being. Instead I met Trevor’s gaze. “Join us.” I invited warmly. His face lit up. He brushed his hair away from his eyes, shooting me a small smile and rubbing his hands dramatically.
“Sounds amazing. I’m starving.” We filed into the dining room, the team gathering around the table. I portioned the pancakes and coffee and served everyone. Josie and Joe chatted with Trevor, catching up on lost time. They were the ones who communicated with him the least. I took my seat between Kathleen and Lexi. As we passed plates of eggs and bacon around the table, the conversation turned to the case.
Trevor listened intently.
“So, what have I missed?” He asked, his eyes scanning the room. Lexi filled him in on the latest developments. We chipped in here and there as she filled Trevor in on everything that had happened; from the extra killings that had occured since we’d arrived at the pack to the cameras we’d installed down to the fact that one of the cameras had been recently destroyed and we’d discovered another victim. I told him I’d already sent the virus we’d gotten from the victim’s body to the lab and he confirmed that they were working on it.
“What’s the plan moving forward?,” He asked. I subtly met the eyes of my team, relieved no one had mentioned the fall. Trevor would only wonder why we’d kept it from him and then he would ask questions. Questions that would lead to him finding out about the oil and wanting to investigate it. Now that we were heading somewhere with the case, finding out how the oil had gotten to the stairs was the last thing on my mind. It no longer mattered as much.
I just had to be more careful moving forward.
Trevor informed us he was only staying for about two to three days as he had something important to get back to. I trudged up to my room after breakfast, my mind still reeling from Trevor’s surprise visit and Grayson’s tense reaction. I shut the door behind me, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. Finally, some time to myself. I flopped onto my bed, reaching for the book Elena had given me. The worn leather cover felt familiar in my hands. I’d been reading it a lot lately, desperate to find answers.
I flipped through the pages, noticing something odd for the first time. A page was missing. Ripped out, to be exact. I blinked hard, bringing the inside spine of the book closer so I could properly inspect. I hadn’t been seeing things. The paper left on the page was uneven, an indication that someone had torn a page out. Why would someone do that? I scanned the surrounding pages, trying to make sense of the missing section. It seemed to be a crucial part of the book, detailing werewolf lore, ancient rituals and witch potions.
Witch?
I had thought witches were myths. Did these people really believe some of the potions they had been handed down had come from witches. I frowned, my mind racing. Who could have ripped out that page? And why? Was it related to the case? I thought back to my conversation with Elena, trying to recall if she’d mentioned anything about the book being incomplete. My memory drew blank. Elena had never said anything about the book being incomplete. Was it because she hadn’t been aware? Or was it something more sinister?
I hopped down from my bed, pacing around my room. My mind shifted to Dahlia. I didn’t know how long Dahlia had been working with Elena for before they had officially made her volunteer. I wondered if she had had access to the book. I recalled her suspicious behaviors and remembered Lexi’s comments about her inquisitiveness about the case. Between her secret relationship with Gusto and her weird behaviors, I was sure she was hiding something. I debated bringing it up with Grayson.
That would also mean coming clean with him about her relationship with Gusto, and wouldn’t that put both Elena and Gabe in a compromising position? Grayson trusted both Elena and the security team head. There was no saying how he would react when he found out they’d been keeping Dahlia’s secret all these while without letting him know. And what proof did I have anyway? I could be wrong. Maybe the page had ripped out accidentally. Whatever the case may be, there was only one way to find out.
I grabbed my phone and dialed Ginny’s number. She answered on the first ring. “Hey, Keera. What’s up?” Her voice was light but curious. I picked up the book again, inspecting the worn out pages under the lamp resting on my nightstand. If Ginny heard my aggressive flipping, she didn’t comment on it. “Keera?” She called out warily when I had been quiet for too long. I had flipped to the last page. No other page had been torn. Just the page that according to the book’s table of contents was under the section labeled portions.
“I… I need your help with something,” I said, trying to sound casual. Ginny was not only Grayson’s sister but also a valuable resource when it came to pack history and lore. Sometimes I forgot she was also an important member of the council.
“Of course, what is it?” She asked. I heard shuffling in the background and realized she must have been resting in bed. I apologize for disturbing but she simply waved it off. I waited for her to get to somewhere private, like I’d requested. At this point, I wasn’t willing to take any chances. I heard a screen door slide and then the sound of flipflops. “Okay. I got out of the house. What’s wrong?” I couldn’t blame her for sounding wary. She knew this wasn’t a friendly call.
I returned my attention to the book in front of me.
“I’m researching some stuff for the case, and I stumbled upon an old book Elena gave me,” I began. I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. I didn’t want to come right out and say that someone had ripped a page out. Partly because I wasn’t completely sure yet and partly because I didn’t know how she would react. Grayson might be coming to terms with the killer being closer than we had imagined, but what’s to say that Ginny would think the same. “I need your expertise.” I said tentatively. “There’s a section that’s unclear.” I hedged.
Ginny’s silence was palpable. “You think someone took it out on purpose?” she asked finally. Her tone was measured, but I detected a hint of concern. She didn’t sound surprised though, and I realized she might not have voiced it out, but she was thinking the same thing Grayson and I had. I knew how hard that must have been for her to accept. Ginny had strong emotional connections and I knew the truth about the killer would cut her deeply.
“I don’t know what to believe yet,” I admitted, combing out my hair with my hand. “That’s why I need your help. Can you meet with me so we could discuss it further?” I asked.
“Of course,” She replied. We picked a location and decided to meet up in an hour. “Keera, if someone did take that page out intentionally… it could mean the killer is closer to us than we thought.” My stomach twisted into knots. Was she right? Was the killer hiding in plain sight? I ended the call and sent her an image of the page before the ripped one and the page after. I sent my team members a text to let them know I might be onto something and they should keep a closer eye on Dahlia from now on.
I didn’t want to text them the rest of the details. It was much safer to explain in person at our next brief. I stepped out of my room, intent on grabbing a glass of water from the upstairs kitchen before heading to meet Ginny. I twisted the doorknob, catching sight of Ria as she walked out of Grayson’s room. Her eyes met mine and I saw the sly smile spread across her face. She sent me a wink before disappearing downstairs. I shifted my attention to Grayson’s closed bedroom door, feeling a pang of jealousy.
What had they been up to?
I forced myself to take a deep breath, trying to shake off the feeling. It was none of my business, I reminded myself. Grayson’s personal life was his own, and I had no claim on him. Hell, I’d pushed him to get close to her in the first place. Still, the image of Ria walking out of his room, that knowing glint in her eye, made my skin prickle. I inhaled a steadying breath, trying to calm myself down. I pushed aside my feelings and continued my preparation to meet up with Ginny, reminding myself I had more important things to think about.
“Hey,” I greeted when I got near, gaining her attention. I noticed the way she was staring intensely at her phone. Her eyes met mine.
“I think I know why someone might want to rip out that page.”