Page 105 of Shadow

Lance grunted affirmatively. “I have very little proof, but I’m working on it. You would be surprised what people leave lying around in cyberspace.”

“I have some clue, believe me.”

“Right. You used to work on a cyber-terrorism task force. Why aren’t you digging into these digital footprints?”

Ripley laughed. “I’ve been a little busy with my girl. And I started on Fiona first.”

“Fair enough. I’m going to keep digging here. But the main reason I called is to get your help. DeBarr is back in London, and I’ve got his address. If you wanted to put some of your skills to good use, maybe enlist Samuel’s help since he’s there, I could get through this faster if someone got me remote access to his computer.”

It was something he’d done dozens of times over the course of his career, but Olivia was sitting in the next room, waiting for him to come back. His training taught him not to share mission critical details with anyone outside his team. But his heart told him if he didn’t tell her what he was up to, it would break something between them. Stalling, he asked an obvious question.

“If this is old news, what’s the urgency? Clearly, they aren’t using him now.”

The sound of keys clacking as Lance typed came through the speaker for several seconds before Lance answered. “Because if I can get some digital footprints between DeBarr and Brian, it might help me connect the dots to Fiona. Right now, I just have the rumors that they dated. I’ve got no digital footprint that shows them colluding.”

Ripley knew the answer was going to be something like that. “OK. Send me the information and give me a couple of hours to figure this out.” At the very least he could finish dinner with Liv.

Lance hesitated, and Ripley frowned. “What is it?”

“He’s out right now. At a grand opening. You’ve probably got a three-hour window to get in when he’s not home.”

“Shit. You couldn’t have called sooner?” He dragged a hand through his hair and started formulating a plan before Lance answered.

“I just finished making the connection. Didn’t want to call unless I had something useful. Information is on its way to you now.”

Ripley ended the call and headed back into the restaurant where Olivia sat picking at the second course.

“Hey, baby girl,” he said, trying to keep his tone light. “Something has come up.”

Chapter 29

OLIVIApokedatherLemon Soufflé but couldn’t bring herself to eat a bite. Thirty minutes after Ripley said, “we need to talk,” he’d walked out of the restaurant with no clear idea on when he would be back. Tonight was supposed to be their night, and her stupid ex-husband was ruining it.

He’d insisted she stay at the restaurant with Tyson, because he was certified to keep her safe—whatever that meant. But she just wanted to go back to the hotel and wait for him.

The chef, who almost certainly had some sort of military background, approached her table with a Lemon Soufflé of his own. He’d changed out of his chef’s uniform and wore a crisp gray suit that had a shimmer to it that almost looked silver. Underneath the jacket, he had a light purple shirt with the top two buttons undone.

“I’ve cooked my last dish for the night, and you now have my undivided attention.”

He looked around at the uneaten food as he slid into the booth beside her. “I’m confident enough in my cooking to know the trouble isn’t with the food. What’s on your mind, Olivia?”

She chuckled and forced herself to take a bite of the decadent dessert. It was heavenly. But her stomach still threatened to revolt, so she shoved it aside. “Ripley and I have a complicated history. And him walking out the way he did is giving me all kinds of anxiety about whether or not he’ll come back. There’s a part of me that wants to believe he will. I’ve even got his phone number this time. That’s a first. But our history is screaming in the back of my head, telling me he won’t. He gave me his collar tonight, so I feel guilty for having any doubt at all.”

Tyson smiled. “Boomer—Ripley—is complex all by himself, so I don’t doubt the two of you are complicated together. But you should listen to the part of you that wants to believe he’ll be back. Because he will. He’ll always come back to you, Olivia. I can guarantee that.”

“How would you know? After all, you’ve only ‘crossed paths,’” she said, holding up air quotes around the last two words.

He laughed. “I am going to give him so much shit for describing our connection that way. Obviously, I can’t say much about our history, but let’s just say we worked together for a long time before I left and gave into my true calling, which is food.”

Olivia perked up. It never occurred to her she might find out information about Ripley from this man. There was so much she didn’t know about him, and the only other people who knew him well had never been open with information.

“How is he complex? He doesn’t talk a lot about himself.”

Tyson ate his soufflé and didn’t answer right away. “His brother was a celebrity, you know?”

Her eyebrows shot up. “I had no idea. Who is his brother? Or was? You said was. Does that mean his brother is dead?”

Tyson chuckled. “No. Just not so much of a celebrity anymore. It was a child stardom thing. Not to mention, Ripley doesn’t speak to his family anymore, which is why he never talks to anyone else about them.”

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