Page 10

Chapter Nine

Harper’s shoulders were locked tight and her palms damp as they drove to the scene. Emergency vehicles were still crowding the resort when she and Knox pulled up. He must have spread the word when he went to shower, letting her family know that she knew about the situation, because her phone blew up long before she was done making breakfast sandwiches.

Cooking was one of her coping mechanisms. A way to keep her hands busy while her mind pondered ideas or concerns. Whether it was planning a new program at the resort, a convoluted contract… Or the building she loved burning down.

Because of her.

She got out of the car and stared at the smoke-scarred side of the building. The shock of it pushed her back, made her weak enough to slump against the car for a moment.

“You okay?”

She couldn’t drag her eyes away from the destruction. And immediately her mind went to events on the calendar. The canceled plans and reservations, the disappointed guests. Good grief. Even family Sunday brunch, always held over on this side of the building, was going to be a problem.

Before she could decide if she was okay or not, she was tucked into Knox’s embrace. Tears welled up and she sobbed into his shoulder, her sorrow and frustration soaking his shirt.

“We can go.” He steered her back to the passenger door.

“No.” She straightened, hauled in a big breath. “I need to be here.”

“I’m not sure that’s true,” he grumbled. “The fire is out.”

“But the work is just beginning,” she said. “I have to let them know I’m here.” She glanced up to where her window had been. The balcony beside it. Both were black gashes now. “My desk was there.”

“What?” Knox snapped.

“The window on this side of the suite,” she explained, pointing up. “I had a desk underneath that window. Just a small little thing for planning during my off hours. It gave me a great view of the water and a good reminder of why our guests love to visit.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” He pulled her into another hug. “I’m sorry. We need to go.”

She pressed her hands to his chest. “Give me just a few minutes. I’d like to speak with Bruce if we can find him.”

“I told him we were on the way.” Knox pulled out his phone. “Let me send a text.”

A minute later Bruce was jogging up. He took one look at Harper and just wrapped her in his arms. She felt like a little kid again, being comforted after skinning her knee. This was a much bigger wound.

He rocked her a little side to side. “I wish you would have stayed away.”

“I couldn’t.” She stepped out of his embrace, smoothing the hair back. “You and I are the Ellingtons in charge here. It’s bad enough that I’ve been out of sight for days. I can’t sit a few miles away and let someone else step in to deal with this.”

“I understand.” Bruce held her face like he had done all her life, looking straight into her eyes. “You’re right. But I’m happier than ever that you have another place to go.”

“What about you?” she asked.

“What about me?” He released her, tucking his hands into the pockets of his windbreaker. “My home is off-property.”

He made a good point.

“The security office is fine. The lobby and front desk are smoky, but they tell me that’ll be easy to clear out. There’s no lingering damage there.”

“And everyone in the rooms near my suite got out?”

“Yes,” Bruce reported. “Not a single personal injury.”

That was the most important detail. Everything else could be replaced or adjusted.

“Affected guests have been relocated, compensation for belongings and things like that is coming through,” he added.

“I want to talk with anyone who has been displaced,” Harper said. “A personal apology.”

“Not tonight, um, this morning.” Bruce’s jaw set. “Trust me. It’s under control. You being here is enough right now.” He gave her a long look. “Possibly too much? That was your home. You need to take the time and process the loss.”

Her home, yes, but also their family legacy. “Well, unless you’ve got something for me to cook, being here, following up with guests is the most useful thing I can do.”

Bruce closed his eyes for a moment. “Follow me.” He pulled out his phone. “I’m sending Knox the full list of who was displaced and where they are now.” He held up a hand when she started to protest. “He’ll help you keep your promise not to reach out to anyone until this evening.”

“Come on, Bruce.”

“I mean it, Harper. It’s been a hell of a night for everyone. Give the folks some time to rest. We both know how to deal with emergencies and still make people feel at home.”

She held up her hands in surrender. “You’re right.” Her parents and uncle did know best. They’d trained her to follow in their footsteps. Unfortunately, he was also right about her being a victim. Although helping others would be an excellent distraction, sooner or later she would need to deal with her own emotions.

“Did we have space to put them up downtown?”

Bruce eyed her warily. “Everyone is covered. Anyone who wanted rental cars instead of ride shares, we’ve provided them. Your friend Trina stepped up big. We had two families and a small wedding party relocated to the Inn on Brookwell.”

“Wow.” Harper was impressed. “I’ll thank her when we get back.”

Bruce took her as close to the damage as they could safely get. The soft glow of sunrise illuminated the building, pouring a sweet light across the harsh reality. The suite she had called home for several years was now a gaping maw.

“Fire suppression kicked in quickly,” Bruce said. “We’ll have a better idea of the extent of the damage in a couple of hours.”

“That doesn’t look like fire suppression to me,” Knox observed.

“Yeah.” Bruce rocked back on his heels. “To clarify, the fire suppression outside of her suite kicked in properly. The fire department is going to be looking at why the system didn’t function correctly in your suite.”

“Because someone didn’t want it to,” Knox muttered.

“It crossed my mind.” Bruce draped an arm around her shoulders. “We know it was deliberate. We don’t know exactly how or who set the fire, but this changes things.”

Harper dragged her gaze from the building to study Bruce’s face. “Changes what things?”

“I’ve advised all Ellington family members who live on-property or are currently visiting to find other accommodations. I’m also ordering extra security details for the entire family as well as more security at all our properties.”

She immediately thought of her brother who lived in a similar suite down at the Ellington Cove in Key West. He would be furious. “Wouldn’t Rhett be safer in his suite with the extra security? Concentrated efforts and all that.” She caught a silent exchange between Bruce and Knox. “Fine,” she grumbled. “I’ll leave the security things to the experts.”

She inched closer to study the damage, giving them a bit more room to chat privately. Not that she was capable of listening at this point.

Very few important things had been lost up there, but the longer she stared, the bigger it felt. How could the resort come back from this? Where did she go to start over?

Of course, the insurance would come through. There would be repairs and restoration to the areas that needed it. But it wasn’t just the few rooms on this end of the building that were uninhabitable. In this condition, the resort was not the lovely escape that it should be.

Even with the lobby cleaned up, the landscaping adjusted, and construction efforts hidden, the resort wouldn’t be as welcoming. Who wanted to pull up, ready to relax, and see a mess?

In this moment she hated whoever was behind this. Maybe as much as they hated her.

This outrageous attack had planted fear and bad memories where only gentle Southern hospitality should have been. She wanted the person responsible to pay.

She held up a hand, shielding her eyes. She thought about the day she’d moved the desk under that window. An antique from Aunt Merle, delivered as a housewarming gift.

“We’ll find you,” she vowed under her breath as temper swelled up inside.

Turning to the water, she let the steady beat of the waves calm her down. She stood there, as apart as she could be, daring the culprit to do something about it.

He had to know she wasn’t there. Knox had theorized this fire was an attempt to bring her out of hiding. “Mission accomplished,” she muttered. “What next?”

Here she was, right here for the taking. Almost. Knox and Bruce were close enough to keep her safe. Was it true that some criminals watched their crime scenes for reactions from victims and the authorities? If so, she was determined that the arsonist would not see any fear in her.

Who was responsible? Who wanted to torment her this way? Knox would soon be asking who had visited her suite recently.

The short answer was no one. She didn’t bring dates home. Maybe that was part of the reason she hadn’t given much thought to moving out. The rather public address served as a deterrent to getting too close to the wrong person. Bringing a date back to her suite would be the ultimate walk of shame.

“Maybe I am too private. Or paranoid,” she said to herself.

“What are you talking about?” Knox asked.

She hadn’t heard him join her. But then it all clicked. Facing him, she hoped he would understand or at least play along until she could explain. “Kiss me.” When he hesitated, she pushed up on her toes and kissed him. She wasn’t looking for a grand romantic-movie kiss. No, she wanted simple affection.

“Why? What am I missing?”

“Play along, please?” She gazed up at his face. “Take my hand. Let me lean on you.”

“Always, but?—”

“I’ll explain soon.”

Knox was tense, shifting into protector mode. “Did you recognize someone?”

“No, but I remembered something. Someone,” she clarified.

“Someone you forgot to mention in our interviews?”

She couldn’t blame him for the accusation in his voice. “Only because we were looking at the past six months to a year. I think the person who did this has been planning his moves for much longer. We have to get back to Brookwell.”

“Or we can let Jenna and the research team get started while we drive.” He looked around, scanning for the threat. “We’re leaving.”

“Not so fast.” She held him in place. “Bruce needs to know who to watch for.” She started toward the main entrance, waving to get his attention.

Bruce hurried over, the arson investigator on his heels. “What’s going on?”

“I remembered something relevant,” Harper said, leading them through the lobby and straight back to the office behind the front desk.

With a look, Bruce cleared the room of hotel staff.

“Are you saying you know who did this?” the arson investigator asked.

“Not exactly.” Sticking out her hand, she introduced herself.

He shook it. “Kyle Swenson. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Harper swallowed as a wave of emotion swamped her. “I may have an idea of someone you should talk to.”

“I’m listening,” Swenson said.

Knox pulled out his phone, opening a recording app. “It’ll speed things along.”

“Right.” She took a deep breath. “Landon Walker.” She caught the scowl clouding Knox’s features. Was the name familiar to him too? “We went out a few times. A couple of years ago,” she explained. “I can’t say for sure that this is his work, but he’s the only person I can think of who could be this vindictive.”

“And why do you say that, Miss Ellington?”

She met Swenson’s gaze. “I’ve been pampered and privileged my whole life,” she began. “And though our parents taught us not to take it for granted, it was obvious we had money and advantages. As a result, I’ve been cautious and even jaded when it comes to relationships. I’m most likely to be the one to shut things down now, and I tend to do so quickly after several instances of trusting the wrong people.”

“We all have moments like that,” Bruce soothed.

She appreciated his support even as she wondered who might have burned him. Her father’s brother had never married, although in her mind he was a hell of a catch. “With Landon it was a little different,” she continued. “He was persistent, in a charming way, about asking me out. Once I agreed to the first date, he was determined to prove that he wasn’t after my money, making a point of talking about his investments and business successes.”

“That made you more wary?” the investigator asked.

“Yes.”

“Landon Walker?” Knox shook his head.

She shot him a look. This was not the place to rehash her mistakes. He could get all the details later. In private.

“Do you know Mr. Walker?” Swenson asked Knox.

Knox held up his phone. “Searched his name because it sounded familiar. We haven’t crossed paths. But he’s in real estate.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Harper said. Either the Guardian Agency researchers were even faster than advertised or Knox had additional information he wasn’t sharing. “He deals with multi-million-dollar commercial projects and developments.”

“Why do you think Landon Walker would start a fire in your apartment?”

She held Swenson’s stern gaze, though it wasn’t easy. With her knees threatening to buckle, she shared her last major relationship blunder with these men. “As I said, he was relatively charming. As cautious as I am, I went out with him several times before I realized he was grooming me to support him on a land deal.”

“What. The. Hell.”

It was the response she expected from Knox, but it came from Bruce. She ignored him. Had to get the facts out before she lost her courage. Facing Knox after this was not going to be fun.

“You heard me, Uncle Bruce. Landon wanted me to invest. Instead, I ended things. Told him I wasn’t interested in dating him anymore and definitely wasn’t in a position to back an out-of-state land deal of the magnitude he was proposing.”

“It’s a big step, resorting to arson,” Swenson pointed out. “Any thoughts on that?”

“Because it started ages ago. When cajoling didn’t work, things got ugly,” she said. “Texts, a few nasty phone calls followed by regretful calls with those backhanded apologies some people think are okay.”

“People like Landon Walker,” Knox said.

“Yes,” she confirmed. “But I thought he gave up. I didn’t hear from him, haven’t even seen him around since then. Frankly, he was long forgotten.”

“He didn’t forget you,” Knox said, picking up the story. “It escalated. Threats were sent to her parents’ home and we believe he tried to run her off the road a few days ago. He’s likely the source of the boat fire the other day. Probably hired out that deed. Which is why she wasn’t here when this fire broke out.”

Swensen whistled. “All right. Do you have any evidence?”

“I kept screen captures of all of it, but deleted him from my phone,” she said. “I’m sorry I didn’t make the connection until I realized that fire probably started in my desk under the window.” She explained as they all stared at her. “One of the first fights we had was about Landon coming back to the suite with me. I didn’t want him to.”

Swenson frowned. “But it’s your home, right?”

“Yes. My resistance clued me in. If I didn’t want him close, I probably shouldn’t date him at all.”

“You don’t want anyone that close.”

She shot Knox a look. “True. But he threw a fit about it. Honestly, once he stopped reaching out, I put him out of my mind.”

“We’ll send everything we have,” Knox said.

She’d expected him to distance himself from her disastrous personal life. Instead, he inched closer, lending support. She appreciated that more than she could say.

“How does the desk fit?” Swenson pressed.

She cleared her throat. “He knew what it meant to me, due to the video calls we had before the fight that ended things.”

“I see.” Swenson tapped his gloves to his leg. “Thanks for the information.”

“I’m taking her out of here right now,” Knox declared. “You guys have Walker’s contact info? My researcher sent it over.”

Bruce and Swenson checked their phones, nodded in unison.

“Great, I’ll get you everything our research team turns up. Bruce, can we have a courtesy car?”

“But your truck is out front,” she reminded him.

“A red flag to a bull,” he said. “I’d like to get you out of here unseen.”

“Absolutely not,” she countered. “If he is out there watching, he should see us leave. We can’t take the chance that he’ll try to strike again and disrupt more innocent people.”

“She makes a good point,” Bruce said to Knox. “I’ll have someone tail you as a precaution.”

“Let’s do that then,” Knox agreed.

“I guess this means you can call off any extra security at the other properties,” she said.

“In due time,” Bruce hedged. “Once we confirm Walker is behind this. I’m not taking any chances.”

Knox ushered her out, taking his time at the truck until he got the text that the chase car was ready to go.

He was far too quiet on the drive back to Brookwell. It made her nervous. “You’re mad at me,” she said as they crossed the bridge. “I would have told you sooner. I-I just didn’t remember.”

“We asked you about problematic bastards in your personal life.” His voice was cool.

“Recent problematic bastards,” she countered. “Landon hasn’t troubled me in ages.” She turned away from him. “I do my best not to dwell on the jerks.”

“You act like you’ve never dated a good guy.”

“Oh, but I have. Just never a good guy who was interested in me more than my money.

“That can’t be right.”

“Really? Great. Thank you so much for telling me about my life.”

It was hard to believe that Knox hadn’t bumped into the same issue. He came from money and lots of it. His parents were not shy about flaunting their wealth. Maybe because Moore was a common surname, it wasn’t a big issue. Or maybe it was easier just because he was a man and no one was pressuring him to settle down and start creating the next generation.

“Harper I only meant?—”

“It’s okay.” She sighed. “It’s okay,” she repeated. “I am a little jaded. It’s a problem.”

Wallowing in all those feelings of betrayal and disappointment weren’t going to fix anything tonight. And there was absolutely no sense in getting mad at Knox. He was one of the good guys. He didn’t care about her money, he thoroughly worshiped her body.

Could that be enough?

Well, it had to be. He wasn’t promising her any kind of future. She could be annoyed, but it wouldn’t change anything. He had to make the choice to be with her. To want more than this brief interlude. There was no way for her to plan to earn or coax his interest in something more than their current fling.

Instead of calming her, that annoyed her too. Exasperated with herself, she watched the world zip by the window.

“If the other guys you dated were anything like Landon, I get it.”

“Gee, thanks. I love taking relationship advice from the man who is perpetually single.”

“My job?—”

She waved it off. Twisting back to look at him directly. “Your job is important. I’m not trying to pick a fight. I’m mad enough at myself for a dozen people. If I’d made the connection earlier, the staff wouldn’t be scrambling to salvage vacations and events for our guests.”

“Walker’s actions are not your fault,” Knox insisted.

“My head knows that,” she said. “The rest of me will catch up eventually.”

Selfishly, her heart was only too happy to focus on Knox. To dwell in the highlights of recent days with him. Her dream man sitting right there beside her.

And still so far from being hers.

* * *

Knox felt absolutely helpless.

Harper resisted his attempts to comfort her. It was understandable, but he hated it. He didn’t have any good answers for her. He could only sit and wait for the research team to come through and find the guy tormenting her.

Jenna was working furiously to get a location on Walker. Having a name helped, but she had already warned him that the contact information was out of date.

The guy had to be close. Close enough to see Harper suffering, otherwise what was the point?

He just couldn’t let the bastard get close enough to hurt her again.

He was grateful Bruce insisted that Harper not reach out to any of the displaced guests right away. She’d already asked him once if they could go over to the Inn to speak with Trina about ways she might make it up to the guests.

He promised her a visit later this evening. Naturally, Harper immediately reached out to Trina to get on her schedule.

Platitudes were not something Harper relied on.

He understood her restlessness, but she needed time to process what had happened. In essence, her home was gone. He knew it went deeper than that for her. The resort was a home of its own, one she gladly shared with the public. From her brother, to Bruce, to his own observations, it was clear how proud she was to be the Ellington who managed that particular property.

It wasn’t the original Ellington hotel in the portfolio, but it was the one where the family gathered most often. It was the first place she’d introduced her best friends, where the two women had become her chosen sisters.

In short, the resort was a core part of her identity.

He envied that bond, the deep connection between her and the place and people who built the solid foundation of her life.

Harper’s approach to life and business aligned with the integrity and values his grandparents had embodied when he was growing up. The same values and integrity his own parents had tossed aside in favor of profit.

There was a reason Knox avoided his family businesses. Trying to follow his father’s footsteps in real estate and development was a minefield waiting to explode into catastrophe. At one point he’d even considered changing his name. Something that would have been necessary to separate himself from his father’s shady tactics if he’d gone into the same business.

Thank goodness he’d discovered he was better suited to this kind of hands-on work. He much preferred offering protection and security in exchange for new sights, challenges, adventures, and a steady paycheck.

Any entrepreneurial endeavors could wait until he was done as a protector. Wasn’t as if his trust fund was going anywhere. Again, he could thank his grandparents for their foresight on that or his dad would’ve drained it dry years ago.

Hands in his pockets, he stood in the courtyard behind the kitchen and watched Harper. Promising to stay within sight of the house, she’d gone down to the fire pit, her back to him as she stared out over the water.

He wanted her to feel safe but not smothered. A delicate balancing act, and one he was getting better at. He could give her this bit of space, without putting her at risk.

There were things he needed to think about as well.

He had sent Jenna a text filling her in on his deeper concerns about Landon Walker. Hearing the man was in real estate and that he’d wanted access to Harper’s money, led Knox to the uncomfortable possibility that Walker might be involved in a deal with his parents.

He rarely spoke with his mom or dad, but he kept tabs on them and any chatter around their real estate investments. He considered it a self-preserving hobby. If they were going to drag the Moore name down into the gutter, he wanted a fair amount of warning.

He was doing another search for any intersection between Walker and his parents when a call came through. “Hey, Jenna,” he answered. “Got news?”

“A couple of juicy tidbits on Walker, actually.”

Knox perked up. “Tell me you found a video of him holding a flamethrower outside of the resort.”

She chuckled. “If only. You’ve been around long enough to know things aren’t always so cut and dried. His financials delivered. I found two transactions that are most likely payoffs. And there’s news about your other inquiry.”

His stomach dropped. “The bastard is tied to my parents, isn’t he?”

“He is.” Jenna made it sound like an apology. “In fact, Landon’s cell phone was in Georgia last night. At a hotel near your dad’s office. Several investors were invited to look at a prospectus for a new business space. It’s a cool concept they’ve got in mind.”

The out-of-state deal . He shook his head. “It won’t be cool when it falls apart halfway through construction,” he muttered. Somehow his dad would still come out with a profit, leaving his investors with the loss. “You’re saying Walker didn’t have any connection to the fire?”

“I’m saying the opposite,” she replied. “Walker will be miserable to learn that I caught his sleazy mug on a gas station security camera a mile from the resort just before the fire department went roaring by to answer the call.”

The break they needed. He nearly cheered. “You’ve sent all of this up the line, right?”

“Of course. But you and I have a deal when it comes to your parents, so I’m giving you a heads up.”

“Thanks. Do you think Walker is just acting out or do you think his intention is to somehow blackmail Harper into giving him that fifty-k he demanded?”

“Investigation is your strong suit, but in my opinion all Walker wants is revenge. He might have started this hoping to make himself the hero for Harper, thinking he could get back into her good graces and lure her into the deal.” She huffed. “That ship sailed. It’ll never happen with you in the picture.”

A terrible thought occurred to him. He swore. “Walker didn’t want to draw Harper out, he staged the fire to see who would show up with her.”

“You think?”

“Yes. We were discreet, but I didn’t exactly hide myself on this job. If he tells my parents I was with her, they’re going to push me to arrange a meeting. For as long as I can remember, my dad’s been in competition with the Ellingtons.”

“They don’t even run in the same business circles,” Jenna said.

“Doesn’t matter. It’s about assets and net worth. Everything with him is like that.” Just one more reason he should’ve turned down this assignment and kept his distance from Harper.

“Have they called yet?” Jenna asked.

“No.”

“Maybe you’re being paranoid.”

“I’ve never hoped for anything more in my life.” He was only half joking. “Track Walker the best you can. He’s too arrogant to think we are on to him, especially if he left his phone on in a hotel room hundreds of miles from the latest crisis. Do you think he’s making another attempt to be her hero?”

“I’ve dated my share of jerks,” she said. “A guy like this, who thought he had her charmed and ready to fall in line with his plans? That would piss him off. Something’s driving him. Not just money or he’d be making another ransom demand. Pride, maybe,” she mused.

“Was he on one of the boats that came to help that day?”

“If so, it wasn’t under his real name. Either this guy is lucky in crime, or he deliberately avoided both the passenger log and the cameras that day.”

“My money is on luck,” Knox said.

“Same,” Jenna agreed. “I’ll keep digging. If you want my advice, don’t answer any calls from your parents or numbers you don’t recognize.”

“That’s every day that ends in Y.”

“Good. Stay smart and be safe out there.”

The call ended, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Naturally, he was drawn toward Harper. It seemed like he never had anything good to share with her. As much as he wanted to be someone different, he was the son of two scheming parents intent on doing anything for an easy dollar.

What he wouldn’t give to ask Landon Walker if his parents had hatched this scheme, or if targeting Harper was just a wild coincidence.

He didn’t have long to dwell on it, because another call came through. Grateful to recognize Bruce’s number, he picked up, hoping for some good news. The call was brief and he headed down to fill in Harper.

“Hey.” He dropped down to the sand beside her. “Bruce just called.”

Her hand reached over, linking with his. “And?”

“The arson investigator found the precise ignition point of the fire. With that information, Bruce figured out who got into your apartment to start the fire and when.”

“Someone was in my place?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “Dressed as maintenance staff. Once they have a name, it won’t take long for Jenna to find the connection to Walker. She already found two payments from Walker to a new associate within the last month. Most likely the guy who stole the car and harassed you on the bridge the other night. Possibly responsible for the incident on the boat too.”

“Seriously?” She pushed her sunglasses up on her head, pulling her hair back from her face. “How is Walker being so stupid? It’s not like he hasn’t had plenty of time to make a better plan.”

“I think ‘desperate’ is the word you’re looking for,” Knox said. “I’m guessing he made big promises on your name, completely expecting to charm you and win you over. But he failed and couldn’t deliver your name or your money. He must have been scrambling to come up with an alternate plan all this time.”

“Everyone thinks that I’m only in that role because of my name. But I do actually know what I’m doing. I’m not some empty-headed goose. I understand business.”

“Of course you do. Your parents worked hard to give you a future and they didn’t just hand out trophies for participation.”

She shot him a look. “I’m assuming you got that intel from Rhett.”

Knox nodded. “He told me a few things over the years. Plus, I’ve worked with Bruce for some time.” He steered the conversation back on course. “Like I said, Walker is desperate. You were his best hope for a fast influx of the money he needed.”

She muttered an oath. “I can’t believe I bothered to go out with him more than once.”

“How else are you going to get to know people?” he countered.

“Trina’s arranged marriage is starting to sound better and better.” She shoved her sunglasses back over her eyes.

“No way.” Knox could not believe that. “That’s archaic. When the hell is that happening?”

“It’s not official or anything. It’s just her parents making noises. They’re threatening to send over some good Italian boys for her to meet. They want her to settle down and be a mom.”

He was flabbergasted. “Does she want that?”

“We’ve gone off the rails here,” she said, laughing. “Is there anything I can do to prevent Landon from causing more chaos? You don’t think he’ll come after the Inn, do you?”

“No. The Inn should be safe.”

“Because I’m not there.”

“Correct.”

She wrapped her arms around her updrawn knees. “Should we move? I don’t want the Hargraves to have any issues because of me.”

“Walker doesn’t know you’re here. I’m not sure you noticed, but we took the long way back. Bruce had security tailing us. We weren’t followed when we came over the connector. Besides, it’s a whole lot harder for Walker to insert himself or anyone else here when it’s just the two of us.”

“All right. Good.” She seemed to relax. “You’re the expert.”

“I am, thank you.” He steeled himself for what he had to say next. “You should know Walker has ties to my parents.”

She gaped at him. “Oh my gosh. You’re serious.”

“Jenna located his cell phone in Georgia, but she caught him on a security camera not far from the resort at the time of the fire last night.”

“Desperate or not, that’s awful. What is his end game?” she asked.

“We’ll figure it out. We’ll find him,” he assured her. “In the meantime, we just need to keep doing what we’re doing.”