ledger and light

chapter eight

The car outside didn’t move for ten minutes.

Neither did Claire.

She stood at the window, watching the Dela Cruz crew sit in their unmarked SUV like they owned the street. They weren’t trying to hide anymore. That was the point. Marco wanted her to know she was being watched.

“Still there,” Tessa said from the desk, eyes on her laptop. “You want me to make them blink?”

“No,” Claire said. “Let them watch. We’ve got work.”

Tessa’s fingers didn’t stop typing. “I’m in,” she said quietly. “Partial ledger. Dates, amounts, shell accounts. It’s not everything, but it’s enough to tie Dela Cruz to three shipments this month.”

Claire turned from the window. “Send it to me. Encrypted. No cloud.”

Tessa nodded, moving files. “If they find this on you, you’re dead.”

“If they find this on me,” Claire said, “they’ll have bigger problems.”

Her phone buzzed. Adrian.

She answered without stepping away. “Tell me you’re not on Pier 9.”

“I’m not,” Adrian said. “I’m two blocks out. You’ve got company.”

“We know,” Claire said. “They’re watching. Not moving.”

“That’s worse,” Adrian said. “Means Marco’s deciding. When he decides, he acts fast.”

Tessa glanced up from the screen. “He can decide all he wants. We’re not running.”

Claire gave a short nod. “Tessa’s right. We hold here until we have the rest.”

“Adrian,” Claire said, “can you get to the back alley in five?”

“Four,” he said.

She hung up and looked at Tessa. “Save and scrub. If they come through that door, you drop the laptop and run. No arguing.”

Tessa hesitated, then nodded. “Be careful out there.”

Claire moved toward the door, Tessa falling in step beside her. No more splitting roles. Tessa handled the tech and had her back on the ground. Cleaner that way.

The back alley was narrow, wet, and smelled like old fish. Adrian was already there, leaning against the wall, face half in shadow.

“You’re out in the open,” he said.

“So are they,” Claire replied. “We can’t keep hiding. Not if we want that ledger to mean anything.”

Adrian pushed off the wall. “You’re right. And you’re reckless.”

“Maybe,” Claire said. “But it worked.”

He studied her for a second, then let out a breath that wasn’t quite a laugh. “You’re impossible.”

“Keep up,” Claire said, and moved toward the street.

Adrian caught her arm before she stepped out. Not hard. Just enough to stop her.

“Claire,” he said. “If this goes bad, I need you to listen. No heroics. You pull back.”

She looked at his hand on her arm, then up at his face. The tension between them was still there, but it was different now. Less sharp. More like two people who’d stopped pretending they could do this alone.

“I hear you,” she said. “But I’m not leaving Tessa behind.”

“I’m not asking you to,” Adrian said. “I’m asking you to trust me to cover you.”

Claire held his gaze. Then she nodded once. “Deal.”

That was as close to acceptance as they’d gotten. No argument. No edge. Just agreement.

A shout came from the front of the building. Dela Cruz. Two men, moving fast, coming around the corner.

Adrian stepped in front of her without thinking. Claire moved left, low, using the dumpster for cover. Tessa was already on the right, knife in hand.

The first man came in fast, over confidence. Adrian met him with a strike to the ribs, hard enough to drop him. The second hesitated, saw Claire, and turned.

Big mistake.

Claire moved. One clean strike to the wrist, the g*n clattered to the ground. Tessa’s boot kicked it away before he could reach for it.

It was over in twenty seconds.

Adrian stepped back, breathing hard but steady. He looked at Claire. She was already checking Tessa’s escape route, eyes sharp, no panic.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Fine,” Claire said. “You?”

“Fine,” he said.

Tessa exhaled and nudged the downed man with her foot. “Dela Cruz really sends the worst rookies.”

Claire glanced at Adrian. “We can’t keep doing this in alleys.”

“No,” Adrian agreed. “Next time, we bring the fight to them.”

She nodded. “Then we need the rest of that ledger. Tonight.”

Adrian didn’t argue. He just fell into step beside her as they moved back toward the building.

The conflict was still there. Marco was still out there. But for the first time, Claire and Adrian weren’t pulling in opposite directions.

They were moving together.

And that made all the difference.