FIFTY

GRAYSON'S POV

I was hunched over my desk, papers spread out in front of me and my laptop glowing in the dim light of my room. Jocelia was fast asleep on the bed behind me, her breathing steady and soft. The clock on the wall showed it was well past midnight, but sleep was a luxury I couldn't afford right now. The stakes were too high.

My phone buzzed on the desk, breaking the silence. I glanced at the screen and saw Stewart's name. I picked it up quickly, my eyes darting to Jocelia to make sure the noise hadn't disturbed her. She shifted slightly but remained asleep. Deciding it was best to avoid any chance of waking her, I slipped out of the room and stepped into the hallway.

"Yeah, Stewart, you got anything for me?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

"Grayson, I found the Marlon family," Stewart said, his tone grave. "But there's a problem."

"What kind of problem?" I pressed, my gut tightening with a sense of foreboding.

"They were killed a few hours ago, before I could get to them. The