Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103027 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103027 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
“I won’t.” I reached for his hand, squeezing his fingers in mine. “I’ll be careful.”
He cleared his throat and tightened his hand on mine before letting go. “Keep your phone accessible.”
A chill slipped over my skin. “You’re freaking me out a little bit,” I said.
“Good. I don’t like the way this feels.” His gaze swept the abandoned office. “Stay alert.”
“I can do that.” My nerves were so on edge, I doubted anyone could get within a hundred feet without sending me screaming and running for Eli. But the office park outside the half-open loading bay door was quiet.
I pulled a pair of plastic gloves from my coat pocket and knelt down beside the closest overturned file box. From what I could see, it looked like information on a company looking to IPO—go from private to public. I couldn’t tell what the point of gathering the intel was. Maybe they were just interested in investing. Maybe they were working for a client.
I gathered the papers together, put them back in the file, and moved on.
Another similar collection of research, this one focused on a fairly well-known company’s R and D department. Some chemical solvent they were developing. Again, I was sure it was relevant to someone. But I couldn’t see how that someone might be me. Or Emily Shaw.
I’d been through five boxes before I found anything interesting, and this folder made up for days of finding nothing. The label on the front seemed familiar.
CREED GLOBAL
The sight of it sent electricity crackling down my spine. It took me a second to remember where I’d seen that name before. The letter in the PO box. That’s what had been on the letterhead. I flipped open the folder to find a cover sheet titled CREED GLOBAL, followed by a short paragraph and a list of bullet points.
Creed Global is a highly exclusive team of contractors who handle problems involving recovery, research, and protection. Founded by Silas Creed, Creed Global is composed of a team of six: Ryder Vale, Miranda Cross, Cage Maddox, Elias Bishop, Shade Navarro, and Wren Calder. Each of the team members were handpicked by Creed for their unique skill sets. They have a reputation for extreme loyalty to each other and to Creed, and are both expensive and effective. Rumor has Silas Creed off-radar for 7 weeks. The team has been seen working with Sinclair Security. No confirmation on a sale or Creed’s endgame.
Below that was a list of names and dates.
Cyril Bate et al. (July 2019)
Thompson Industries (Sept 2022)
Ambesen Ind/Haeys (Feb 2023)
It went on like that for over twenty entries. Were they clients? Situations the Creed Global team had been involved in? I flipped past the cover sheet and found seven paperclipped packets, each with a name at the top. Ryder, Miranda, Cage, Elias, Shade, Wren, and Silas Creed.
Eli had said he and his team were new to Sinclair, but we’d never discussed the specifics of his past employer.
They have a reputation for extreme loyalty.
Each of the team members were handpicked by Creed.
I’d met all of Eli’s team except Silas. I’d never even heard Silas’s name at all. Which was very weird considering how close they must be. Why hadn’t Eli ever mentioned him? And why would the data broker have a file on Eli’s team?
I pulled out Eli’s packet and scanned it. Most of it lined up with what he’d told me. Army. Ranger. Assigned to an operation that worked with outside contractors, putting him in Silas’s orbit. A year later, Eli left the army and went to work for Silas Creed. I double-checked the dates. He’d been with Creed Global for over eight years.
Extreme loyalty.
My investigator’s senses were ringing loudly that the omission was no accident. Eli had deliberately chosen not to so much as mention Silas’s name. Why? He’d told me about his family, about adjusting to Sinclair Security, but he’d never mentioned the mentor he must have been close to.
“Did you find anything?” Eli called from the door.
“Maybe,” I said, tearing my eyes from the bombshell in front of me.
I looked up to see Eli crossing the room. There were cobwebs tangled in the tips of his hair, a smear of dust on his nose that added a dash of adorable to his general hotness.
“Anything interesting in the offices?” I asked, noting his empty hands.
“Nothing,” he said. “I don’t think anybody’s been in that part of the building in years.” His eyes went to the folder in my hands. “What’s that?”
I handed him the Creed Global folder, curious what he would say.
Eli scanned through the seven packets, including Silas’s, and looked to me, his face carefully blank.
“Where did you find this?” he asked, his voice even in a way that didn’t speak of calm. Everything about Eli was controlled. Staged. Just like this scene.
I’d think about what that might mean later.