Page 17

SINCLAIR

Denver doesn’t say anything as I open the door to him two days later and he follows me inside my apartment, witnessing the chaos Zoey and I have created.

“Hey, Denver,” Zoey calls from across the room, half hidden by a pile of couch cushions that are in a tower.

“Zoey,” he greets.

She stands with her hands on her hips, looking around the ransacked room. “Okay, so we can rule out the living area now.”

“That just leaves the guest bathrooms,” I say. “We’ll need a plumber to check the pipes.”

“I’ll sort it,” Denver says.

I glance at him. “Thanks.”

I’ve been searching my apartment for two days straight.

Zoey turned up on my doorstep within thirty minutes of getting back from picking up Monty from Sullivan’s after we left the graveyard.

I know Denver called her. He waited until she arrived and then he left.

I haven’t seen him since. I texted him and told him Zoey was staying over and that we were spending the day at my place together.

I half expected him to show up here anyway, full of his usual deep growly energy like he didn’t believe me.

But he didn’t, and that only worries me more.

Because it means he’s been with my father, Sullivan, and Mal, talking about that note.

Trying to figure out what Neil, my mother’s dirty little secrets, motive is.

“It’ll turn up, Sin,” she says, giving me a reassuring smile. “It can’t have gone far.”

“Thanks,” I reply as she comes to hug me.

“You sure you don’t want me to stay another night?”

“No.” I squeeze her hard before letting her go. “I’ve kept you long enough. Ashton will be missing you.”

She looks at me, then at Denver, and back again, her voice softening. “I’ll come by tomorrow, yeah? We can get takeout.”

“Sounds good.” I try my best to return her smile, but all I feel like doing is crying, then screaming and throwing things.

I lost it. The one part of him I had. The only times I take my necklace off are when I’m working. And I always put it inside my bag in the same pocket. Always. It can’t have just vanished.

My chest burns again, so I rub at it as I follow Zoey to the door and let her out. Denver’s crouched, petting Monty when I return.

“I can walk him by myself if you like. But I think the air will be good for you.” His green eyes meet mine, a rare gentleness in them like I’m a scared animal that needs coaxing out.

I nod meekly and fetch Monty’s leash. “I’m coming. He won’t walk well for you without me.”

Denver stands, taking the leash from my hands and carefully clipping it to Monty’s collar.

“Get what you need. We’ll wait.”

Fifty minutes later and I feel a little better. We’ve walked in silence, but watching Monty’s tail fly around in excitement when we saw another Chinese Crested in the park made my heart lift a little. At least I know it’s still there. It’s felt broken beyond repair the past forty-eight hours.

My hand reaches up on instinct as we walk past one of my brother’s favorite benches to stop and stretch against when I would sometimes run with him. But all that’s there is an empty space above my heart where my necklace used to rest.

We exit the park, heading out onto Fifth Avenue. Denver’s quiet next to me, but I feel his gaze on me constantly.

“Can we head back now? I think Monty’s had enough.”

“Of course.” His deep voice is grounding, providing something strong and solid to hold on to.

“Thank you for taking me to the… to see him the other day.” I sniff. “We were a long time and?—”

“We can go whenever you want, for however long as you want.”

I swallow the thick lump in my throat. “I appreciate that.”

His attention is fixed on something further up the sidewalk. I spot Theodora strutting toward us in a tight cream dress like she’s on her way somewhere.

“Sin,” she gushes as she reaches us. “How are you? I’ve been worried.” She smiles at Denver. “Hi.”

He nods at her before she looks back at me.

“Have you found it?”

I shake my head and her face falls. When I came out of the restrooms at the shoot, Theodora made all of the other models empty and search their bags incase my necklace had fallen inside. It hadn’t, but I appreciated her trying.

“Oh, it’ll be somewhere. Maybe you should post about it online? Tell people to look out for it. Your followers will recognize it. You’ve always got it on. We could turn over Manhattan together until we find it.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Her eyes move to Denver when it’s obvious I’m not in the mood for a conversation. “Three times in two days. I’ll start thinking it’s me you’re following around, and not Sin.”

His eyes flick to mine and away, his jaw clenching.

“Three?” I ask.

“We had coffee together this morning.” Her gaze moves back to Denver, and she bites her lip shyly. “I’ll get vanilla for next time now that I know you like it.”

Denver clears his throat and a prickling sensation inches up my spine.

“Nice to see you, Theo,” I say. “Sorry we can’t stop. Monty’s just got out for his walk and he’s so desperate he might relieve himself on your Louboutins if we stay and chat any longer.”

Her face falls as she eyes Monty with horror. “They’re new.”

“Even more of a reason then.” I breeze past her, Monty trotting happily next to me. “Sorry, baby,” I tell him in apology for using him as my scapegoat.

Denver’s back beside me immediately, matching my increasing pace.

“I went to ask her if she’d heard anything else about your necklace. She said she was friends with the model that left first. She was going to ask her to check her bag for it.”

I roll my eyes dramatically. “I told you; I don’t give a shit what the two of you do. Go on a date with her if you like. Screw her into the mattress all night and then marry her for all I care.”

“Okay.”

I stop immediately and glare at him. “Okay?” I spit.

His eyes darken as he holds mine. “I don’t need your permission to do those things, but thank you for giving it, anyway.”

I recoil. The thought of Denver and Theo is just… yuck.

“You’re my bodyguard! I’m supposed to be your priority.”

“You are.”

“Not if you have time to fuck around with Theodora.”

“I didn’t fuck her.”

The way fuck sounds as he says it makes me pause as a shiver runs up my inner thighs, leaving a delicious heat behind it.

“But you want to. It’s obvious. So just go ahead and get it over with. Then I won’t have to keep watching her fawn all over you like a rash. It’s gross?—”

Denver moves so fast my brain has to catch up with what’s happening. Monty goes wild, barking and snarling at top volume and my arm is yanked hard.

Denver’s fist flies past my ear, delivering a bone-crunching punch to a person who has grabbed Monty’s leash.

I’m swept behind Denver’s hulking frame, Monty’s leash pulling tight inside my grip.

“Monty!” I screech.

He’s barking and growling but I can’t see him. Denver lunges forward again, and Monty’s lead goes slack.

I claw air into my lungs as a man in a ski mask runs to a van and jumps inside. It’s already driving off before the door closes.

“Where is he?” I cry. “They took him!”

Denver turns.

Monty is wrapped inside his arms, shaking so much his tufts of hair are quivering against Denver’s black jacket.

“Oh my god,” I sob.

I take him from Denver, bundling him inside my arms. His leash falls from my fingers and hits the sidewalk. The end of it has been cut clean through.

“They had a knife,” I cry. “Th-they?—”

“We need to move.” Denver’s eyes have taken on a trained hardness as he surveys the street.

He wraps one arm around me and marches me straight over to a cab that he hails. He opens the back door, and I scramble inside, my heart hammering as I scan for signs of the man coming back.

Denver climbs in and gives my address, pulling his phone out at the same time. I cry softly into Monty’s fur, kissing him over and over while he licks my face and Denver calls my father and tells him what just happened.

“We’ll come to you,” Denver says.

I grab his arm and shake my head violently. “I want to go home. Please.”

Denver nods. “Sinclair wants to go home… Okay… I will. You have my word.”

Denver ends the call and looks at me. I cry harder as I meet his eyes.

“Not Monty,” I whisper. “I’d rather they try and take me.”

His mouth is set in a grim line as I sink my face back into Monty’s fur.