The Sleepless Stars by C. J. Lyons Read Free Book Online Page A

At least this time, I wasn’t screaming in agony or slobbering, helpless as the pain swamped me.
    Thank God Ryder isn’t here to see this , was my last thought before I reached out to take Daniel’s hand in mine.
    Then I fell, spiraling through a black void, no end, no beginning, barely able to hang on to the fact that I was me...
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 8
     
     
    RYDER LEFT GREY ferreting among the crime scene debris and stepped into an alley to call Devon Price. Rossi’s cell had been taken when she’d been kidnapped by Tommaso Lazaretto last night—it might even be part of the wreckage from the explosion. Although Price had given her a new untraceable replacement, Ryder didn’t want to chance calling her from his phone.
    Any precaution to keep her safe. At least that’s the excuse he told himself. In reality, it was just too painful to think of talking with her, knowing he couldn’t see her, be with her. Here they were, each trying to protect the other, both suffering for their efforts.
    Until they knew the full extent of the threat against her, it was the only way.
    “Our mutual friend okay?” he asked Price as soon as the other man answered. Wasn’t the greeting he’d planned on, but Price would understand.
    “Just fine. Should be a quiet evening at home.”
    Whatever the hell that meant. “I’m at the crime scene with a Fed from DC headquarters.”
    “Got a name? I’ll run him.”
    Price was taking operational security extremely seriously. Ryder liked that in a man who was protecting the lives of twenty-some families along with Rossi. “Grey. With an ‘e.’ Michael Grey.”
    “Got it.”
    “From what he’s not saying, I’m guessing he’s from some hush-hush counterterrorism unit. He knows about the lab—not sure exactly what. Mentioned that he was on the trail of a domestic terrorist, but that could be for show. I’m going to stick with him, see if he has any leads that might help us.”
    Price had told him about the Almanac Care Institute that had provided financial backing for Lazaretto’s lab and thugs—including the ones who killed Jacob and kidnapped Rossi. If they weren’t all dead already, Ryder would have loved to have a few minutes alone with them.
    “Be careful,” Price answered. “Most of what we have going for us is that Almanac has no idea we’re on to them. If this Fed stirs up trouble—”
    “They’ll know we know.” Ryder thought about that. “Grey wouldn’t have gotten here so soon, especially with the drug lab explosion cover story the brass gave the media, if he didn’t already suspect someone. Plus, he dropped Lazaretto’s name, said he was missing, not among the dead found at the scene.”
    Price was silent, not admitting to anything over the phone, but they both knew Lazaretto was dead. Ryder still wasn’t clear on the details; Price had assured him it was self-inflicted and that he’d “take care of things.” Ryder hadn’t asked for specifics—couldn’t, not without being forced to make a decision about upholding the law versus protecting Rossi. Although he guessed that by refusing to make that choice, he’d already committed himself.
    To Rossi rather than his job. Still, it felt right. As if protecting her was the best way to also serve and protect the civilians he’d sworn an oath to.
    “How could Grey know Tommaso wasn’t among the dead if no one’s been identified yet?” Price asked.
    “My point exactly. He knows more than he’s saying.”
    “More than we’ve got, then. Okay, stay with him. See if he’ll give you anything we can follow.”
    Meaning Ryder’s job would be to keep the Fed company while Price and Rossi did the real work. Damn it, if he could just be there with her... “Who knows? Maybe this domestic terrorism lead is another Almanac front to cover their tracks. A good way to hide something—like blowing up your own lab to destroy evidence.”
    “Detective Ryder, when did you start concocting such devious and