Chapter 103
The room was thick with silence, one of those silences that pressed down on the lungs, making it hard to breathe. Jace stood a few feet from Ben, his chest still heaving from the outburst.
"If you did not know that there was a tracker, who turned it off?" Jace’s voice cracked, sharp and trembling.
"I swear, Mr. Crane," Ben stammered, his hands shaking slightly. "I never knew there was a tracker in the car."
Morgan stood a few steps back, his arms folded, eyes narrowing. He did not look angry, just focused and calculating. "So, who turned it off then?" he asked quietly, but his tone carried weight.
"I don’t know," Ben said, swallowing hard. "The car stopped halfway to your office, so I called a mechanic. Maybe he turned it off while fixing it."
No one spoke. The words hung in the air like smoke, thin and uncertain.
Jace’s jaw tightened. He looked at Morgan, then back at Ben. "And you expect me to believe that?"
Ben’s eyes darted between them. "I would not lie to you, sir. Please. I would never risk Mila’s safety. I swear on my life."
Morgan took a slow step forward, voice calm but edged. "What was wrong with the car?"
Ben blinked. "The engine... it started sputtering. I thought it was overheating."
"Did you see what the mechanic did?"
"I...." Ben hesitated. "No, sir. He asked me to wait by the side of the road. Said the fumes were not safe."
Morgan nodded slowly, expression unreadable. "And you didn’t think that was suspicious?"
"I did not, sir. I just wanted to get Mila home safely."
The silence returned. The ticking of the wall clock filled the space, each second sharp as a pin.
Finally, Morgan sighed. "You can go, Ben."
Ben blinked, surprised. "Sir?"
"You heard me," Morgan said evenly. "Go home. We will talk tomorrow."
Ben nodded quickly, relief flooding his features. "Thank you, sir. I am... I am sorry again." He turned to Jace, eyes pleading. "I would never hurt her, Mr. Crane....Never."
Jace did not respond. He just stood there, arms limp by his sides, eyes cold and distant. Ben took the silence as permission and hurried out.
The door clicked shut.
Morgan let out a long exhale. "He said he was not the one who turned the tracker off," he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. "If that is true, then maybe it was the mechanic. Still, it does not sit right with me."
Jace dragged a hand down his face, exhaustion showing through his movements. "You think someone is targeting us Again?"
Morgan did not answer immediately. "I think," he said finally, "we should not dismiss the possibility."
Jace looked up sharply. "You think this was intentional?"
"I don’t know." Morgan’s gaze drifted toward the window. "But whoever turned that tracker off... probably knew that it was there. That’s not something a random mechanic just stumbles on if hidden well."
Jace’s throat tightened. "So what do we do?"
Morgan turned to him, his expression softening a little. "For now, we watch him."
Jace nodded, though the tension in his shoulders did not ease. He sank down on the edge of the sofa, rubbing his temples. "Alright. We will do it your way."
Morgan stepped closer, his voice lowering. "Mr. Crane—"
"Jace," he interrupted softly.
Morgan blinked, caught off guard.
"You don’t have to call me ‘Mr. Crane.’" Jace looked up, a tired smile ghosting across his lips. "Just... Jace."
Morgan’s expression eased into something gentler, something almost fond. "Alright..Mr. Cra– i mean, Jace."
The sound of his name from Morgan’s mouth was oddly grounding, pulling Jace back from the spiral of panic still thrumming in his chest.
"Thank you," Jace said after a moment. "If it weren’t for you... I don’t know what I would have done today."
Morgan shook his head. "You don’t have to thank me. I am just doing my job."
"Still," Jace said, leaning back with a quiet sigh. "I mean it."
Morgan studied him for a moment. The lamplight caught the edge of Jace’s jaw, the tension still etched there. He looked exhausted, but there was something else beneath the surface— fear, maybe. Or something heavier.
"You should rest," Morgan said finally. "You have had a rough day."
"I can’t," Jace replied softly. "Not when I still don’t know who touched that tracker."
Morgan’s voice was steady. "I will keep an eye out. I will make some calls, see if anyone knows about a mechanic working around the area today."
"You don’t have to—"
"I want to," Morgan interrupted. "Besides, I feel better now. The allergy’s gone. Might as well make myself useful again."
Jace frowned slightly. "You sure you are okay? You sounded terrible on the phone earlier."
Morgan gave a half-smile. "I am fine. Guess I am more allergic to nature than I thought."
A small laugh escaped Jace. "That’s ironic, considering you picked them."
Morgan’s lips curved. "Yeah, well. I won’t be making that mistake again."
Silence settled between them again, but it was not heavy this time.
"Why don’t you take tomorrow off?" Jace said suddenly. "You deserve a break."
Morgan shook his head. "No, really, I am fine. The allergy’s gone, and I would rather be here."
Jace’s brow furrowed. "Morgan, you have done enough. Take the day."
Morgan smiled faintly. "I'm fine sir. You don't have to worry."
Another silence stretched, softer now. The air between them felt charged but not tensed.
"Okay. Let me go check up on Mila," Jace said, pushing himself to his feet. His voice was gentle.
Morgan nodded. "Okay, Mr. Cr—" He caught himself, smiling faintly. "I mean... okay, Jace."
That earned another small smile from Jace before he turned toward the hallway. The sound of his footsteps faded, leaving Morgan alone in the dimly lit room.
\~~~
The apartment was dim except for the yellow glow spilling from the single lamp near the couch. Empty takeout boxes cluttered the coffee table. Aiden sat on the edge of the sofa, elbows on his knees, eyes fixed on the glass of whiskey between his hands. The amber liquid caught the light every time he moved, trembling slightly as though echoing his unease.
The image of what had happened today at Jace’s house earlier, flashed again in his mind.... The driver’s story about the engine breakdown..... The tracker mysteriously shut off.....The panic in Jace’s voice when he could not reach them.
Something about it did not just add up.
He exhaled, dragging his hand through his hair before grabbing his phone. His thumb hovered over the screen for a moment, then pressed the call button.
The line rang twice before a familiar voice came through. Smooth, taunting and amused.
“Hello.”
Aiden did not waste time. “How did you know about the tracker in the car?”
Silence stretched on the other end. Then a soft laughter. It started low, then built into a full-bodied, careless chuckle.
“Ah,” Justin’s voice dripped through the line like honey and venom all at once. “You are smarter than I thought, boy. I never thought anyone could see through that act.”
Justin’s laughter came again, but there was steel under it this time. “I almost underestimated you.”
Aiden’s grip on the phone tightened. “You didn’t answer me.”
“I did it because I was bored.”
The bluntness hit like a slap.
“Bored?” Aiden’s voice rose slightly. “You caused all these drama just because you were... bored?”
Justin’s tone stayed maddeningly calm. “Relax. I was also trying to test you”
“Test me?”
“To see how you would handle it,” Justin said.
“You think this is a game,” Aiden said, voice dropping low.
“Of course not. It is not a game.You know that better than anyone.”
“Then why did you do it,” Aiden shot back. “You could have gotten Mila hurt. Jace was so terrified.”
There was a pause, then a sharp inhale from the other end.
“Ah.” Justin’s voice softened into mock curiosity. “There it is.”
Aiden froze.
“Tell me, Aiden,” Justin continued, voice quieter now, more deliberate. “Are you catching feelings for Jace again?”
Aiden said nothing. His silence was its own confession.
Justin chuckled darkly. “Unbelievable. You just never learn, do you?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Oh? Then how is it?” Justin asked. “Because from where I’m standing, it sounds exactly like that. You are getting sentimental again and losing focus. And you know what happens when you lose focus, don’t you?”
Aiden’s jaw clenched.
“You were always too soft when it came to him.”
“That’s not true.”
“Really?” Justin’s tone sharpened, the laughter gone now. “Then why the hesitation, Aiden? Why the sudden concern over a man who does not even know who you really are?”
The words landed heavy and cold.
Aiden pressed his lips together, swallowing the ache rising in his throat. “Because he does not deserve this, you already took mason. Don't you think he has suffered enough?” he muttered.
Justin laughed again, short and cruel. “Oh, how noble. How predictable. You still think you can save him, don’t you?”
“I am not trying to save anyone.”
“Then what are you doing there?” Justin asked, voice calm but cutting. “Remind me, what’s your mission?”
Aiden stayed silent.
Justin’s voice dropped lower. “You have been with them for months. You have had every opportunity to strike, and yet here we are, still talking about feelings, morality, and innocence.”
“I am working,” Aiden said quietly.
“Working?” Justin scoffed.
Aiden’s breath hitched, but his tone stayed even. “It’s not that simple.”
“It’s exactly that simple.”
Aiden’s steps slowed. “The driver Ben, was he your man?”
Justin’s smirk was audible. “Did you think I was going to send only you out there? You need backup... Insurance, in case things go south.”
“Insurance?”
“Of course.”
Aiden gritted his teeth. “You mean a fall guy.”
“Call it what you want,” Justin replied smoothly. “If you are caught, he takes the fall. If you fail, he finishes the job. Everyone wins.”
“You are insane.”
“No,” Justin said, voice eerily calm now. “I am efficient.”
Aiden stopped pacing, staring at the city lights through the window. The night glowed with quiet life outside, but inside his chest, everything felt like static.
“I told you from the start,” Justin went on. “This is bigger than you. Bigger than your emotions. You play your part, or you get replaced. It is that simple.”
The silence that followed stretched like wire.
Then Justin's tone shifted to playful and eerie. “And besides…” he murmured, “why are you overreacting over small fry, when there will be bigger fish to fry soon?”
Aiden’s heart thudded. “What do you mean by that?”
There was only a dark chuckle on the other end.
“You will know,” Justin said softly. “In due time.”