Page 8 of Shadow Lies

“Brother Lee then?” she asked as he listened closely, trying to place her voice.

It didn’t sound familiar. So if he didn’t know her, who was she? A reporter? An investigator?

He’d avoided the former and been forced to speak with the latter enough during the court martial.

That was over. He didn’t have to talk to any of them anymore. If he’d been alone in the room, he’d tell her what he thought of her bothering him here—bothering his brothers—and hang up.

“Who is this?” he demanded.

“You can call me Charley.” Her voice sent chills crawling across his skull.

He didn’t like the feeling.

“Charley. Great. What do you want, Charley?” His tone was so sharp, the monk at the computer cut his eyes up to give him a brief sideways glance.

Kane moved as far away from the desk as the cord on the desk phone would allow.

“We’re calling to offer you an opportunity.”

“Not interested.”

He was in the process of pivoting back toward the desk so he could hang up when she said, “We can wipe your record. We can get you your SEAL career back.”

Now he really wasn’t interested.

“Don’t call here again.” He slammed the receiver down in the cradle of the desk phone, bringing the startled monk’s head up.

Palms pressed together, he offered the man a small bow and spun for the door.

He’d gone to the opposite side of the globe. As far as he could get from Virginia. He had no social media. No cell phone.

How had she found him here? And why had she gone to the trouble?

ChapterFour

Her phone vibrating across the nightstand yanked Alexis out of a sound sleep.

She squinted at the clock on her bedside table through eyes that were mere slits. The glowing blur of red numbers told her it was eight something in the morning.

Who would call her this insanely early?

At least, it was insanely early in Alexis’s opinion.

She’d only gotten to bed a few hours before. She hit the sheets about six, after she’d given last call at the bar at four a.m., got the drunks out the door, cleaned up, counted and split the tips, and then made her way home to her apartment in Hamilton Heights.

Even though she felt sticky and smelled like spilled beer, she was too tired to shower. She’d fallen into bed exhausted just before the first glow of sunrise shown on the horizon.

And now someone was calling her while she was still so tired it hurt to open her eyes.

Reaching out, she blindly slapped a palm on the nightstand until her hand hit the cell. She pulled it toward her and forced her eyes open.

She could barely focus but through the blur she could make out the caller ID. Blocked number.

That figured.

She swiped the screen. “Yes, Charley?”

A quiet chuckle greeted her ears. “Good morning, Alexis. How did you know it was me?”

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