Page 33

“No. Why?”

Her expression indicated she didn’t believe him, but she didn’t press the issue. Her gaze flicked back to her phone. “Take a right at the next light.”

“You got it.” He eased into the right lane and some of the tension left his body when the BMW pulled into a Kentucky Fried Chicken. That didn’t mean it wasn’t part of a tail—often, multiple vehicles were involved. But he’d gotten a pretty good look at the car and felt confident that he’d recognize it if he happened across it again.

Nate’s stomach gurgled, a reminder of how long it had been since lunch. “Want to grab something to eat before we hit the highway? We’re looking at a six-hour drive from there.” And with the gas gauge below the halfway mark, he could also fill the tank.

Dorcas peered up from her phone. “Sure. Where do you want to eat?”

Fuck if he knew. He wasn’t picky, but he had no idea what was in the area. He looked around as they drove. Walmart. Bank. Furniture store. Between it all were a scattering of strip malls and fast-food joints. But he didn’t want fast food. He wanted something substantial enough to keep him full for the rest of the drive.

As he stopped at a light, he continued to weigh their options. Burgers? No. Same for fried chicken. Definitely not Thai food. Then he spotted a mom-and-pop Italian restaurant up the way. “How about pizza?”

“Sure, as long as there isn’t any gross stuff on it.”

He slanted her a look. “What qualifies as gross?”

“Anchovies, for starters. Oh, and avocado.”

His upper lip curled back. He wasn’t a fan of anchovies, but he’d never heard of avocado as a topping. “Who the hell puts avocado on pizza?”

“I had it once when I was out with some friends. It was gross.”

“I bet.” It sounded like a crime against Italian food. “How does sausage and pepperoni sound?”

“Like my jeans are going to fit tight tomorrow, but it’ll be worth it.”

He grinned. Smart, gorgeous, and she enjoyed his favorite kind of pizza. If she liked the John Wick movies, he might get down on one knee and propose. “I could help you work off the calories.”

She shot him a look. “Seriously?”

“What? I was talking about taking a walk after dinner. What were you thinking?”

Dorcas rolled her eyes so far back in her head she could probably see her own brain. “That’s not what you meant, and you know it.”

“Maybe.” His grin widened to a wolfish smile. It was sick, he knew it, but he loved razzing her. “Just remember, that was the very first place your mind went.”

A blush tinged her cheeks.

The pizza wasn’t bad, a little light on the sauce, but they made up for it with a super thick crust and loads of pepperoni. Nate took a big bite, nearly groaning out loud as the spicy burst of flavor saturated his taste buds.

“Do you honestly think my sister’s still alive?” Dorcas asked as she picked up another slice.

He raised one finger to signal her to wait until he finished chewing his food. “Do you want me to be honest, or would you rather I say what you want to hear?” He hoped it was the former, because sugarcoating wasn’t his thing. In his book, nothing good ever came from doling out false hope.

She froze, the slice halfway to her mouth. “I don’t know. I hope to God she’s alive. But if she isn’t—or if you think she isn’t—then I need to prepare myself. And I need to consider how to break the news to our mother.”

Nate ate another bite of pizza and washed it down with a swig of soda. He chose his next words carefully. “Look, don’t give up hope, all right? Considering the steps she took to hide that box, she obviously knew she was in trouble. And if she knew, then she most likely took every precaution she could think of to ensure her safety.”

“But why didn’t she tell me? Why didn’t she trust me? I could have helped.” The distress in her eyes and the crack in her voice had his insides twisting in knots.

“I wish I could give you the answers, but I’m as much in the dark as you are. We’ll get a better idea of what’s going on as soon as we see what’s on that memory stick.”

The lines at the corners of her eyes softened a fraction. “You think so?”

“I know so. Nobody goes through that much hassle to hide something that doesn’t have value.” Reaching across the table, he laid his hand over hers, and each stroke of his thumb along her smooth olive skin sent shockwaves through his body. “We’ll find her, Dorcas, if it’s the last thing I do.”

She mustered a smile that did things to him that he struggled to put into words. “Thank you. For everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”