Chapter 46. She Wants My Attention? She'll Get It

S:

Kieran drags a file from the desk and drops it in front of me.

“There. Watch this. Pulled it from a storefront near West Elm Café—three days ago.”

I hit play.

The feed’s grainy. Grey-toned. But clear enough.

A woman steps into the frame. Long coat. Dark heels.

Karina.

Even from behind a low-resolution camera, her arrogance bleeds through.

She’s smiling at someone off-camera. Waiting.

Then—he steps in.

Hood up. Shoulders broad. Same fucker from the truck footage.

They don’t talk like strangers.

They lean in close. Real close.

There’s an exchange—something small. A flash of silver. Keys? A USB? Too fast to tell.

Then she laughs.

He reaches for her waist.

Pulls her in.

She lets him.

Their mouths meet, just for a second, but it’s intimate. Familiar.

I pause the video. Click on another.

It loads slowly. Blurry at first, then the pixels clear.

A bar