Page 45 of Before and After

“Yes. She’s fine. I want all of you to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Hotel security will be investigating.”

“Oh, Mr. Dark and Dangerous can interrogate meanytime,” Sarah Marie said.

There were titters and laughter from the crew.

God, they were talking about Caden. I waved my clipboard. “Okay, off to work. Go. We have rooms to clean.”

Once I’d finished my paperwork, I headed into the lobby. I waved at the reception staff, who were already getting busy checking out guests. I headed toward the office area and held my ID card to the reader.

As I passed the first office, I heard Tessa’s voice inside, talking with Jazz. I turned toward the conference room, which was acting as the temporary security room.

And saw Caden.

My heart gave a hard knock against my ribs and my belly clenched.

He was standing, staring at a computer monitor, and I was barely in the doorway for a second before his head whipped around.

His face was blank and composed. His eyes unreadable. Like we were strangers.

“Hi,” I said.

He nodded. “Good morning.”

“Any luck with the security footage from last night?”

He eyed me. “No. Whoever did it was very careful.”

My nose wrinkled. “That probably means he’s done it before, right?” I felt a hot lick of anger.

“I’ll find him. The important thing is that Ms. Evans is all right.”

“I know. I visited her before I came in.”

There was a flicker in his eyes, but he was still standing there like a damn cyborg, encased in a block of ice. There was no sign of the man who’d kissed me with such scorching passion.

“I want to help.”

His dark brows drew together and he cocked his head. “Help?”

“We both know who is behind this.” I stepped closer. “It’s one of those guys. I want to help stop them.”

“No.”

The word was harsh and cutting.

I straightened. “I’mnotgoing to stand around while those guys hurt more women. They have date-rape drugs, Caden.”

He grabbed my arm, yanked me inside the room, then slammed the door closed behind me. “You aren’t going anywhere near them.”

My gaze narrowed. “Haven’t you learned yet that I don’t follow your orders?”

“Allie,” he growled.

I poked him in the chest. Unsurprisingly his pecs were rock hard. “I won’t let another woman go through what Mellody did, or worse?—”

“They’re drug dealers.”

I jolted. “What?”