Chapter 74

Chapter 74
Garrett's POV

I pulled out my phone immediately and that's when I saw it, a new message flashing across the screen from an unknown number.

For half a second, my brain went blank, torn between reading it and shoving the phone back in my pocket so I could keep my focus here. But my fingers were faster than my caution.

The message was short, displaying just a single sentence. “They’re watching you.”

There was no name, tag or anything else attached to it, just that very sentence.

My heart skipped a beat, a sharp cold rush flooding through me. I looked up instantly, my eyes scanning the cafe.

The windows, the door, the street outside, everything seemed normal. Nothing obvious or out of the ordinary. Just a couple in the corner talking too quietly, a man hunched over his laptop, a woman stirring a cup of tea she hadn't taken a sip from yet.

I slid the phone onto my lap, keeping my eyes on my contact. "How sure are you that you weren't followed?" I asked, keeping my voice low but sharper now.

His lips pressed into a tight line. "Ninety nine percent."

I gave him a look that bordered on displeasure. "That missing one percent is the part that gets people killed."

Lila's eyes darted between us, worry starting to creep in again. "Garrett, what is it?"

I shook my head slightly, not wanting to spook her yet. "It's nothing." I leaned in closer to the table. "Tell me fast. Whatever you've got, spit it out now."

He glanced at Lila, then at me again, then reached into his coat pocket. I tensed, ready to move if he tried anything. But he pulled out a thin manila envelope, creased at the edges like it had been shoved in and out of hiding places more than once.

"This," he said, sliding it across to me, "is a list of transfers. There are names, amounts, dates, all on it. All linked to one account…"

I started at the envelope as he continued, "I stumbled upon it by accident, but when I saw what it contained, I knew it had to be what you were looking for.aybe more, maybe more. The account there was the same account tied to the videos, the fake witnesses, the money paid to keep certain mouths shut. And Garrett—" he leaned forward, lowering his voice to almost a whisper, "the name on the account is one you've already heard before."

I didn't touch the envelope yet. I didn't want my fingerprints on it until I knew where this was going. "Whose name?"

His eyes flickered toward Lila. I saw her stiffen, her knuckles going white around the papers she'd brought. "Nora," he said finally. "Nora Bennett."

Lila's breathing hitched. I could see the recognition in her eyes, the rage starting to burn under her skin.

"I knew it," she whispered.

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed again in my lap. Another message from the same unknown number.

"They know where you are. Get out."

I didn't even realize my hand was already on Lila's arm, pulling her closer to me. My voice came out more like a growl than anything else. "We're leaving. Now."

"Garrett—" she started, but I didn't let her finish.

"No. We're done here. You have what you need, right?" I asked my contact, already sliding out of the booth.

He looked annoyed, but he nodded. "Everything in that envelope is a copy. Keep it safe. And Garrett....be careful. You're not the only one who's interested in her."

That last part made me see red. I didn't even respond, just grabbed the envelope, shoved it inside my jacket, and guided Lila toward the door. My eyes stayed locked on the street as soon as we stepped outside, scanning for anyone watching, anyone lingering more than they should.

We got to the car, and I opened her door first, making sure she was inside before I circled around to mine. My pulse wouldn't slow down. Every sound felt too loud. Every shadow felt like it was moving.

As soon as I started the engine, I pulled away from the curb faster than I should have. "Garrett," Lila said finally, her voice sharp now, "what the hell is going on?"

I exhaled hard through my nose, gripping the wheel tighter, my eyes looking at the mirrors. "Someone's watching us. And I don't think your friend Nora is the only problem we've got."

Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean ‘watching’? You think they followed us here?"

I didn't answer right away. Instead, I reached into my jacket and tossed the envelope onto her lap. "Look through it. But keep your head down while you do."

She shot me a look but opened the envelope anyway, pulling out the stack of papers. I could see her scanning them quickly, her lips pressing into a thin line with every page she turned.

"This… this is everything," she said, her voice trembling now. "It's all here. Dates, amounts… even her damn signature. Garrett, if we get this to the right person—"

"That's the problem," I cut in. "There's no ‘right person.’ Not anymore. Everyone's either bought or scared into silence. If we hand this over without locking down who's watching us, we're as good as handing them our necks."

She went quiet at that, staring down at the papers like they weighed ten times more than they actually did.

The rest of the drive was silent, tensed more than I wanted it, like we were both too aware that something had shifted today. All I wanted to do was clear her name, but now, it seems that someone out there didn't just want her ruined, maybe they wanted her gone.

We pulled into the garage quickly, my hands were still aching from gripping the wheel so hard. I parked, killed the engine, and sat there for a second, just breathing.

"You can go through the files in your room." I said plainly.

"What about you?" She asked, hands al
ready on the handle.

"I need to make a call. After that I'll come find you."