Chapter 13
Chapter 13 — Other Forms of Damage
Elara and Kael bring Renee DuVall to the safe house and assess their situation. DuVall reveals the scope of Cross's surveillance network. Elara retrieves a backup of her files from a secure offsite location, confirming Cross still possesses stolen drives containing her studio footage. Kael contacts a trusted ally within the wrestling world who confirms Cross has hired private trackers. Elara and Kael discuss eliminating Cross permanently versus continuing the evidence strategy, acknowledging their lethal natures. Their physical intimacy deepens before cutting away. Elara identifies a new lead: Mercer's chief of staff, whose name appears in Cross's financial records, suggesting a wider network.
The safe house smelled like paint thinner and poor decisions.
Not literally—there was no paint here, and the decisions had been made with the kind of precision I usually reserved for canvas composition. But the metaphor held. Every surface in that cramped Bushwick apartment reflected something stripped down to essentials: bare walls, a mattress on the floor, a kitchenette that hadn't seen a meal more complex than instant coffee in weeks. My kind of place. Or at least, my kind of place when someone with stolen surveillance footage knew where I actually lived.
Kael carried DuVall through the doorway like she was luggage he'd reconsidered checking. Not unkind—efficient. There was a difference, and the fact that I could tell them apart probably said something about me that no therapist would let slide.
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