Luke looked at his phone. “No. I told him to call as soon as they got him.”
“We need to talk to that damn kid.”
He stopped at a stop sign spray painted with a pentagram. “Do you think anyone will be at Graves? We’re creeping up on midnight.”
“It's the top forensic lab in the country. Someone’s always there. They work like we do—twenty-four-seven. Let’s head to the office, first, though. I’ve got a few things I need to check on.”
“You got it.” He turned onto the road that snaked through the mountains. “You know, this Jeep is really rubbing off on me.”
She looked at him sitting comfortably behind the steering wheel.
Comfortably.
Like he fit, perfectly. Like he was supposed to be there. And it was that moment, for the first time, that she was glad he was with her. She was glad she didn’t have to face the evening alone.
And she didn’t want him to leave.
He glanced over. “What?”
She paused. “Thanks.”
He flashed one of his oh-so-sexy smiles, with a nod in response, then turned back to the road.
Dammit, was she getting a crush?
**
Ten minutes later, they drove down the long, dark driveway that led to Black Rose Investigations. The old castle-like estate was dimly lit in the distance by outside lights, the moon sitting just above the tallest peak. It looked like the intro to some 1950’s horror flick. Luke glanced up at the trees above, their branches weaving together above him, creating a tunnel-like effect above the driveway.
Hell of a place.
He pulled around back, parked, and they got out.
Wearing a Black Rose T-shirt, baggy sweatpants and concerned expression, Ace met them at the back door. Luke had heard that Scar and her sisters aggressively recruited Ace and allowed him to live upstairs in the office, to be at their beck and call, he assumed. He’d never met Ace but had heard rumors that he was a bit of a ladies’ man, and also, a bit of a genius. Both of which he could respect, but it was the expensive imported beer in his hand that made him instantly like the guy.
Ace straightened the moment he saw Luke and cast a what-the-hell look at Scar.
She stepped up to the back door and mumbled, “Long story.”
Ace nodded, stepped back and opened the door for them as they walked inside.
“Holy shit.” Luke stopped at the threshold, awestruck at the demolished kitchen, still a mess from the explosion days earlier. He could tell that they’d begun cleaning up, but black smoke still stained the walls and ceiling, and plastic still covered the enormous windows. They had a ton of work yet to do.
Scar turned. “Oh. Yeah, Krestel’s a bitch.”
Ace glanced at Luke and opened a cooler that sat on the ground. “Beer?”
Hell, yeah. “Thanks.”
Ace tossed one to him and one to Scar, without even asking. Luke immediately noticed a seamless working relationship between the two, and he assumed it was like that with every member of Black Rose. He’d heard they were like one big family, and the evening’s events proved that to be true.
He admired it.
He popped the top and glanced around, his eyes landing on a massive bouquet of red roses on the counter. He looked at Scar, who had just taken notice of them, as well.
She looked at Ace.
“To you.”
She cocked an eyebrow.
“Paul.”
Paul? A spurt of jealousy shot through his system—surprising the shit out of him. Jealousy? Seriously, Luke?
Now he knew who the bouquet in the backseat of her Jeep was from.
Some dude named Paul.
For whatever reason, he’d just assumed Scar was single. And really, he shouldn’t have—any woman that beautiful and intelligent probably had a hundred men knocking down her door. So was Paul a boyfriend? Or, perhaps, just a casual fling? How long?
He tried to hide the unfamiliar emotion that had just hurled through him and looked at Scar, who was eyeing him. For a reaction, maybe?
Fuck, what the hell was happening between them?
Looking back and forth between the two, Ace grinned, picking up on the tension that had just weighed down the room.
“Yep. From Paul. Delivered early this evening.”
She plucked the card, read it and tossed it on the table. If Paul were a boyfriend, there were definitely some issues.
She turned back toward Ace and promptly changed the subject. “Have you heard from the girls?”
“Thirty minutes ago. They’re going to search for another hour or so and then set up camp. Dixie came by a bit ago, grabbed the tents and packed some bags.”
Luke watched her take a deep breath. She hated not being with them, that much was evident.
“How much ground have they covered today?” He asked.
“Miles. Haven’t stopped.”
Scar frowned. “No sign of her at all?”
“Not yet.”
“Not the other shoe, even?”
“Nope.”
She blew out a breath. “Okay, what have you been able to find out about Matthew Miller?”
“Ah, the eighteen-year-old star football player with a penchant for the outdoors and Coors Light. Yeah, I found him—he's been backpacking through Europe for the last month.”
“Month? Are you sure?” She glanced at Luke and he saw the utter disappointment in her eyes. Matthew being out of town meant he had nothing to do with Athena's disappearance, which meant they had one less lead to follow-up on. A solid one... not like a damn jean jacket.
“Yep, according to his social media accounts, he's been galavanting all over the continent for weeks.”
Scar shook her head and muttered, “Dammit.”
Ace set down his beer. “But I do have some info on the mystery runner's baseball cap.” He grabbed his laptop from the counter. “The symbol you told me about—
Luke’s gaze snapped toward Scar. “What symbol?”
“On the guy’s baseball cap. Sorry.”
He narrowed his eyes. She’d left that little nugget out.
She flashed innocent eyes and shrugged. “Sorry. That was right after you’d pulled a gun on me.”
Ace cocked an eyebrow. “If handcuffs are next, I don’t want to hear about it.”
“What was the symbol?”
“A red bullseye with two cursive words written underneath. Know it?”
Luke shook his head. Didn’t even sound familiar.
“Alright, well, Scar told me she thought the first word started with the letter O. Well, I spent over an hour researching that and got absolutely nothing. Nada. So what looks like the letter O? How about D? I spent another hour researching that and I got a hit.”
Scar’s face lit up. “You did?”
“Yep.” He clicked a few keys on his computer and turned it around. “Deadman’s Range, located in a small town six hours from here called Tanksville.”
Scar peered at the symbol on the screen. “Deadman’s Range?”
“A shooting range.”
“Did you say Tanksville?” Luke asked.
“Yep. Tiny town. Home of the state penitentiary.”
Luke looked at Scar. “The exact same penitentiary that just released Walter Thorne.”
CHAPTER 14
Scar’s mouth dropped open. “The hat on the man running from the library is from a shooting range where Walter Thorne was just released from prison. Holy shit.”
Ace frowned. “Walter Thorne? The creepy librarian’s ex-husband?”
Luke nodded.
Scar set down her beer, her mind racing. “Okay, now we know Walter’s definitely in town, then. It has to be him.” Her neck snapped toward Ace. “I need you to see if he recently purchased a white van. Older model.”
“White van, older model. Got it. Wait… this wouldn’t have anything to do with the report on the news a few weeks ago, would it? Someone reported seeing a girl being pulled into a white
van from the park. But no one had reported anyone missing.”
Scar glanced at Luke, her eyes wide, pleading—don’t say a word, Luke. Remember we can’t tell anyone that we’re searching for Athena.
A subtle nod in response.
Phew.
She looked at Ace. “Just please research it and let me know ASAP. And check his credit cards, too. See if he purchased any guns since he got out.”
“Someone who’s been in jail for assault isn’t going to purchase a gun on a credit card right after they’ve been released, Scar. Or, be approved, for that matter.”
“Shit, you’re right.” She began pacing. “But that doesn’t mean he couldn’t get his hands on one.”
“Oh, of course not.”
“Okay, well, regardless, look into his spending. See if you can pin his location. But first, I need you to do something for me.” She pulled the jean jacket and evidence baggie with the beer can from her purse. “I need you to take these to Graves and have them run DNA scans on them. Like, now.”
Ace looked at the clock, then shrugged. “Been there later than this, I guess.” He narrowed his eyes and glanced from Scar to Luke, then back at Scar. “What’s going on here? Where did you get these? What does all this have to do with Fiona? Because I know you wouldn’t be spending your time doing anything other than looking for Fi right now… you’re up to something.”
Her stomach twisted and she glanced down. She hated not being totally honest with Ace. He’d been invaluable to the team since his first day on the job, but more than that, everyone loved him. And she fell in love with him even more when he said—
“But knowing you, Scar, I can only assume this has to do with Fiona. And knowing you, I know that it must be a pretty big fucking deal for you not to be transparent with me. So, okay, do what you gotta do, and know that I’m here for whatever you need. Whatever you need.”
She took a deep breath and smiled. “Thank you, Ace.”
He smiled. “No problem.” He downed the rest of his beer and grabbed the evidence baggie and jacket from the table. “I’ll take these to Graves now. Knowing Max, he’s probably still there… unless he has a hot date, of course.” He paused in front of Luke, puffed out his muscular chest and stuck out his hand. “Take care of her, okay?”
They shook hands. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
Ace winked. “Didn’t think I did.”
The door shut as Scar began pacing, again. “Athena could be in trouble. Walter might have her. We know he's here, in town, now. And lurking around the library.”
“Where her mother works, whom he tried to beat to death.”
“And Athena’s statement is what got him locked up.” She paused. “Revenge, Luke.”
He pushed off the counter. “If Ace confirms that Walter purchased a white van after being released from jail, I can put out a BOLO for him, immediately.”
“Good; that’s good. What about your buddy? Walter's parole officer? Can you call him right now?”
Luke glanced at his watch. “It's late. There's a good chance he won't answer, but I'll try.”
“Okay. Shit, Luke, what if he has her? What if that’s where she is?”
“Then, we know she’s close.”
She blew out a breath of frustration. She was tired and hungry, and that mixed with the clock ticking down was pushing her into panic mode.
As if reading her thoughts, Luke said, “You need sleep, Scar. We have all day tomorrow, until tomorrow night, to nail this thing down. We will.” He stepped closer. “I promise. We’ll find Athena and Fiona.”
“What the hell was Walter doing at a gun range?”
Luke frowned. “That’s what worries me.”
She gazed out the window thoughtfully. “Is it a coincidence that he was sharpening up his shooting skills just before someone shot Maddie Potter in the back?”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing.”
She looked up at him. “It’s all connected. Walter possibly kidnapped Athena, who we know was at Maddie’s house at some point, who was just murdered. Maybe Maddie was going to go to the cops about Walter and he found out, maybe...” She ran her fingers through her hair. “Has Zander found Jax?”
“Not yet.” He pulled his phone from his pocket to make sure he hadn’t missed a call. “He’ll let me know as soon as he does.”
“Okay.” She took a deep breath and looked down the dark hall that led out of the kitchen. “Well, I need to pack a bag, then.”
“A bag?”
She nodded. “I can’t just sit around and wait for my next clue. I’m going to join the search for Fi until we hear back from Ace, or Zander about Jax.”
“Scar, you need to rest.”
“I will. I’ll sleep for a bit in the tent.” She looked out the window. “Your truck is still out by Ms. Thorne's…” Her voice trailed off and she paused, hesitated. Why did she hesitate? Did she want him to say don’t worry about it, I’m going to stay with you all night? A lump caught in her throat. Yes, she did. She wanted him to stay with her—so she wouldn’t be alone. So she felt safe and protected. So she wouldn’t risk losing the crazy, weird attraction she’d so quickly developed for him.
Her gaze shifted to his, which was locked on her. They stared at each other for a moment. Was he thinking the same thing?
He tore his eyes away and pulled out his phone. “I’ll have Zander or Hunter swing by and pick me up. I don’t think they’ve left Maddie’s yet.”
“No, don’t be silly. I’ll take you. Give me five minutes to get a bag packed.” She turned, and as she walked out of the kitchen, she felt his gaze on her back.
She stepped into her office, took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Shit. She liked him. A lot. Everything about him—from the way he’d taken charge changing her tire, to his protective nature when he’d shielded her from gunshots, and perhaps most of all, the way he made her stomach dance every time he got close to her. Hell, she even liked how tough he was when he’d drawn his gun on her in the woods at the beginning of this whole mess. He wasn’t like other men. He didn’t fall all over himself for her or hang on her every word. The man who pointed the gun at her head hours earlier despised her. Or, held a hell of a grudge, at least.
Did he still?
She didn’t feel that he did. Over the course of the evening, she’d felt a shift in him. A gleam in his beautiful whiskey-brown eyes when he looked at her.
Those eyes.
Those lips.
That body.
Shit! She clenched her jaw and shook her head—she was losing it. She needed to focus. Maybe Luke was right; she needed sleep.
She opened the closet, thankful that she kept spare workout clothes in her office for when she and her sisters decided to delay happy hour and sweat through the latest workout video on the balcony. She pulled off her jacket, shirt, and bra, kicked off her boots—which were officially ruined—slipped out of her pants and began yanking down her socks. She stumbled, bouncing to catch herself when—
“Scar, your phone is—holy shit!”
Boobs bouncing like a damn funhouse, she spun around, wide-eyed to see Luke standing in the doorway, gawking at her body.
“Luke!” She dropped to the floor like dead weight, forming a ball that hid her bare breasts and more embarrassing areas.
Bare breasts.
The squeak of her voice shook him from his hypnotic daze. He squeezed his eyes shut, stumbled backward until his back bounced off the wall. “Dammit. Fuck. Sorry. Shit.” He covered his hand over his eyes. “Your phone was beeping. I didn’t realize you were changing…” Eyes still covered, he extended his arm, holding out the phone. “I thought it might be Ace. Fuck, man, I’m really sorry.”
Heat flushed her face as she lunged forward, grabbed the phone and darted into the closet. “It’s okay.” Her voice cracked—dammit! She was a total mess! “I should’ve closed the door.”
He cleared his throat. “Uh, well, uh, anyway, Hunt
er’s swinging by to pick me up. He’d already left Maddie’s and called to see what we were up to, so I told him to swing by. I think he’s here now.” He’d regained his composure, but there was still embarrassment in his voice.
He was embarrassed?! She was one flopping around on one foot with both nipples out!
She swallowed deeply. “Okay. Uh. We’ll talk soon, I guess.” She had no freaking idea what to say at that moment.
“Okay.” Pause. “Bye.”
She listened to his footsteps fade down the hall.
Oh. My. God.
She buried her head in her hands, took a deep breath.
And another.
Jesus Christ.
What a fucking night.
She slipped into her clothes, grabbed Ace’s tent from his utility closet upstairs and jumped in her Jeep.
CHAPTER 15
12:30 a.m.
Luke rolled down the window as he drove through the mountains. He took a deep breath, inhaling the cool night air.
He was hot.
He shifted in his seat and tried to blink away the image that had been flashing like a billboard in his head for the last thirty minutes—the image of Scarlett Knight’s curvy, voluptuous, sizzling hot body.
Holy. Shit.
He was proud to say he’d seen his fair share of beautiful bodies over the years, but none that made him want to absolutely fall to his knees like hers.
Wow.
Sweat began to bead under his T-shirt. He wiped his forehead and shook his head. He should be solely focused on finding Athena and solving the Maddie Potter murder—not Scar’s perfectly-sized breasts.
After Hunter had picked him up from the gargoyle castle, he’d given him an update. No footprints, shells or any traceable sign of the shooter in the woods. They’d found Maddie’s cell phone under the truck, which she must’ve been carrying when she fell to the ground after being shot three times. It was locked with a security code, so they’d already dropped it off at the lab to be worked on first thing in the morning. No laptop in the house. And although rent houses and apartments were notorious for having a hundred different fingerprints, especially when a young person lived there, they’d dusted for prints away, hoping to get lucky. Hunter had swung by Ol’ Clarence Holmes’s trailer and had received the same warm welcome—curse words and a HK VP9. But before he’d knocked on the door, Hunter noticed fresh boot prints leading to the green Chevy and back—perhaps that was the fresh mud on the old man's boots? Probably locking up the truck for the evening. Another lead now useless. Hunter wasn’t able to pull anything new from the old man, either.
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