Bending over to clean up, Claire froze.

An Enforcer data cube…

Information on Shepherd might be there. Maybe even Svana’s name was tucked into inside an Enforcer file.

Claire plugged it into Corday’s COMscreen and typed out the name ‘Shepherd.’

Nothing.

‘Svana.’

Nothing.

This resource was too valuable to ignore. There had to be something on there she could use. Claire just needed to think. She needed to slow her mental chatter, to breathe. A cold sweat came as her finger tapped the screen, spelling the name of the only criminal Claire knew. The COM flashed, beautiful chocolate eyes staring back at her.

Claire knew the contemptuously smirking face on that woman’s credentials, every angle of it. Even though it had been years, Claire still knew how she smelled, what her laugh sounded like. Leaning nearer the screen, the Omega almost smiled.

The next hour was spent absorbing every single detail the data cube contained on one repeat felon. Maryanne Cauley had amassed quite a record: assault, larceny, burglary, arson… her file was massive. From the looks of it, the stunning lawbreaker had gone from cocky repeat escapee of farm labor to… nothing. Her file just stopped—no record of further incarceration, no address, no date of death. She had just disappeared.

If Claire had not known what had been done with Shepherd’s mother, it would not have felt like a very… disturbing coincidence.

She did not know what made her do it, but her fingers typed out one final name: ‘Claire O’Donnell.’

It only took a moment to see the flaw on her citizenship registration. If Maryanne Cauley still lived, Claire knew where she’d gone to ground.

Corday had come back to find his apartment cold and empty, lifeless where there should have been a small Omega resting on the couch. Corday had hated leaving her, but she had sworn so faithfully, admitting that she could hardly walk on her feet, that he had believed her.

Claire had fooled him. Claire didn’t trust him. Claire had left him… again.

There was a note:

Dear Corday,

I can’t live a lie and stay hidden. Not the way things are now. I want you to know that no matter what happens, I chose – fully aware of the consequences.

Love,

Claire

She had signed ‘love’ but there was no apology. He knew where he stood and the position was painful and deeply upsetting. Knowing her obsession with the Omega situation, Corday folded up the letter and shoved it in his pocket. Zipping up his jacket, he went right out onto the causeways and fought through the snow to where Brigadier Dane secretly sheltered the leader of the resistance.

Banging on the door, Corday refused to let up until the woman answered.

Dane glared. “You shouldn’t be here.”

Corday did not wait for an invitation, pushing his superior officer aside as he growled, “Like hell I shouldn’t.”