Page 6

Vera’s mouth went dry. She hadn’t thought Ximena had been dealing with everything this badly. Looking at Teddi, she shook her head, lips twisted in concern.

When they’d met, she’d barely turned twenty-two and Teddi was a fresh-faced twenty-one. Their lives had bled together so hard and so fast over that summer that neither of them had a chance, or even wanted to try to stop it. Being an only child with an absent father meant that the Aguilar family became her family. Their home was her home. And Ximena, twelve at the time, was both of theirs to look out for and protect.

The worry on her face was deep and genuine as tears began to soak Vera’s top.

“It’s alright, Mimi. It’s going to be ok.”

She needed Teddi to go so she could think straight again. Seeing her on this trip hadn’t been in the realm of possibility. She hadn’t planned for it, prepared for how she would handle it. For ten years they managed to avoid one another; at parties, on holidays, at the local grocery store when she visited, they never directly ran into one another and here she was in her sister’s house, on her bed, looking like her heart was breaking.

“Me da miedo ir mañana.”

Teddi stood, drawing closer to the sisters. “It’s likely that it’s Alex, Vera. We’re pretty confident even without the DNA. I went through the NMPD report myself.”

Vera frowned at the realization that there was so much she didn’t know. First and foremost, why Teddi was standing in the middle of it all. “What do you mean you went through it?” Her palms prickled at the tidal wave she felt, coming to knock her on her ass.

Looking away, Teddi tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing a row of silver piercings she didn’t use to have.

“I’m a private investigator. Ximena asked me to help her with the investigation into Alex’s disappearance after it happened and that’s what I’ve been doing for the last few months.”

Vera’s head jerked back. “What the hell are you talking about? Since when? Why would you do that?” She never expressed an interest in law enforcement when they were together. It was always Vera going on about her dreams of working in the FBI and working undercover. Teddi had been flippant and noncommittal to any career or degree plan. While Vera attended extra summer courses, Teddi dabbled in and out of college classes with little care.

Teddi crossed her arms across her chest and raised her chin. “I’ve been at OIA for five years.”

“OIA?”

“Ophidian Investigative Agency. It’s here in town.”

Vera wanted to feel anything but the horror that raised goosebumps along her skin. She could have been killed, shot, or hurt. Twenty scenarios of her pain and death bubbled up as if they’d been pushed down, preparing to spring out of a dark closet for this very moment.

Biting her tongue, she stopped herself from demanding why she didn’t know about any of this. She already knew why it had been kept from her. Soon after their sudden breakup, she told Ximena to stop updating her on Teddi’s life. She didn’t want to know where she was or who she was seen with, even though her sister tried to bring it up at every turn. She couldn’t bear to hear a single detail without pain nearly doubling her over and so she hadn't. Not in ten years. She managed to avoid every rumor or current girlfriend or life event since they split up and she was sure it was the only reason she survived the collateral damage of their end.

“Ximena asked me to come with her tomorrow. And now you, obviously.” A squeak came from Vera’s molars grinding together.

“Ver, she’s been helping with everything; the flyers, hunting down leads, talking to Alex’s friends. The cops stopped looking into his case, they barely filed the report when he disappeared.” Ximena stepped back, standing between the women. Her tone told Vera she knew exactly what she was doing.

Teddi’s natural ease, even coupled with her worry for Ximena, made Vera clench her fists. Here her ex was, standing as the white knight her sister needed while she’d been in D.C. getting the shit kicked out of her. It was a joke. The new reality a bitter bite. Another hard grind echoed into her eardrums.

“You’re ok with this, right?” Ximena knew Vera was mad about the ambush. She knew her better than anyone else ever had. She was backed into a corner and with their first real lead since the disappearance, she knew she couldn’t say no to extra help.

Forcing her head to move up and down, Vera answered. “Of course, Mimi. Whatever we need to do, this is about Alex.” She couldn’t say no, not just because of her past with Teddi, but because Alex deserved better. He deserved to be found and Vera’s quietly long-held assumption that he may have skipped town to avoid school or shack up with his ex was quickly dissolving into something that had her senses perking up. Senses that had served her well over her career, that had saved her life numerous times.

Teddi smiled as she looped an arm around Ximena’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, we’re going to figure it all out together.” The confident tilt of her lips wasn’t reassuring to the eldest Aguilar in the room.

Chapter 4

Teddi

Hopping into her black jeep, Teddi didn’t bother turning over the engine. She was too busy soaking up the view. Vera Aguilar framed in her sister’s living room window, head cocked to the side as she frowned at something Ximena said.

Even from the street, Teddi could trace every curve of her face. The lush dark lashes framing her perceptive eyes. The curve of her cheekbones giving her an air of strength. A mouth that so rarely smiled. She never smiled easily, even when they were young dumb twenty-something-year-olds. Well, she’d been dumb and Vera had enough sense to keep them both out of trouble. She'd always been serious, a challenge to make laugh and she'd relished it.

“You're right, we should run away.” Vera’s lips brushed her ear as she spoke. She snuck up behind her in the swimming pool. Wrapping her arms around her shoulders, her warmth seeped into her cool skin.

“Oh yeah? Where are we going?” Teddi played along, dropping a kiss onto each of her hands.

“I vote Alaska. It’s beautiful and cold.”

“And depressing.”