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26
Riley
My phone rings with an unknown number.
It can be only one of a handful of people: Cooper, Agent Keller, the local Italian restaurant, or the owner of the cabin. The last two numbers are programmed into my phone with their names, which limits the pool of callers to two people.
I answer without speaking.
“Hunting?” a familiar voice says.
I let out the breath stuck in my chest. “What do you know?”
He’d texted last night an incident occurred at Gigi’s house regarding Nova, but he didn’t want to text the details.
“She’s safe. They both are. I want you to know that first.”
“Okay.” I stand and pace across the wood floors of the great room, flames dancing in the gas fireplace. Itty-bitty lifts her head and watches me from where she lies on the blanket next to where I sat a moment ago.
“Nova received a letter from Marina.”
What the fuck? My breath blows like steam. “How?” I ask through gritted teeth.
“Hired help. A seamstress, I believe. I’m not working the case. I don’t have all the details.”
“How do you know this?”
“A former agent works for Gigi now.”
“Mr. Glenn. I met him on the first day I arrived.” He had insisted, for Gigi’s sake, and I had no complaints. I knew she had the best security money could buy and expected they’d want a face-to-face.
“He’s in charge, of course, and doing everything necessary to ensure Nova and Gigi’s safety.”
“And?”
“And that’s all I know for now. He’s busy tracking down leads and amping up their security. For the time being, they’re both on house arrest, so to speak.”
It’s all I can do not to put my fist through the wall.Not my house, I remind myself and try to calm the lava of rage burning through me. “Why is Marina anywhere near them? The pictures of me leaving California are everywhere.”
“I know.” He sounds tired. “She has to know you left, which leads me to believe she’s contacting Nova for other reasons.”
“What other reasons could there be than me?” I lash out and have to stop myself from kicking a hole in another wall. “Nova has no ties to Marina or me anymore.” I want to hunt down that photographer and strangle him, but that wouldn’t do any good. I left the estate. I wasn’t wearing a wig. The photographers were doing what they do. I’m to blame for this.
“I can give you a direct line to Mr. Glenn. He can tell you more than I can, but he’s busy. If he doesn’t respond at first or answer, give him time. I told him I would offer it to you. He knows you might call.”
I shake my head, my breath blowing even hotter. “I’m going back.”
“I don’t know if that’s wise.”
“I can’t stay here. My leaving hasn’t drawn the wolf away. Instead, it led her right to them, unprotected.”
“They’re not unprotected.”
“They could have me, too. I’d rather be there, aware of what’s going on, than away from it all, waiting by the phone.”
“But your safety—”
“Screw my safety. They matter more”—Nova matters more—“and I brought this to their fucking doorstep.”