Page 3

Two

RILEY PULLED INTO THE LOT of MIS at a quarter till nine. MacLeod Investigation and Security. She loved the new sign in bronzed, streamlined letters. Hopefully the guys liked her choice, but knowing them, they’d probably forgotten she’d even ordered a new sign.

She shifted her car into Park and smiled, despite everyone still being on edge over the mystery envelope when she’d left the ranch. Greyson’s Range Rover had shimmered in her rearview mirror in the full rising sun as she’d made her way down the long drive leading away from her home. He’d been a breath behind her, but there was no sign of him now. Only Deckard’s truck sat in the parking lot.

She exited her car, and her smile spread. Finally. She’d finally beaten him. It had taken a winding snake of back roads, but she’d beaten him from the ranch. It was a silly competition, but it was a competition all the same, and she didn’t like losing. Though neither did Grey. She walked through the fluttering snow and rubbed her arms as she entered the building, glancing back at the angry, charcoal sky. Worse was on its way.

Shaking off a shiver still tingling along her arms, she strode to the elevator and pushed the Up button. The doors slid open, and she swiped her key card for their floor. Every day the realization of where they were and what they did still shocked her when she considered the pit they’d clawed their way out of.

The elevator dinged and jerked to stop.

She bounded to the office door, key card in hand, and punched in her code. She opened the door to find Greyson sitting at his desk. Her shoulders dropped. “How ... what ... are you doing here?”

Greyson reclined in his office chair, hands interlocked behind his head and the charming smile that did funny things to her legs on his lips. “I work here.”

“Your car isn’t in the parking lot.” She swiped snowflakes off her jade overcoat and slipped off her fluffy white scarf and mittens.

“The Rover is being serviced around the corner.” His smile widened, his handsome eyes creasing. Such depths resided in those soulful eyes. Depths she’d love to sink into. “Thought you had me, didn’t you?” He rocked forward, planting his Edward Greens on the plush gray carpeting.

“Oh, come on.” Deckard sighed as he emerged from the back hall, folder in hand. “Please tell me you’re not sparring over who got here first?” He shook his head. “The minute Greyson raced in here, I knew this was coming.”

“Oh.” She arched her brows. “So you raced in?”

“Walked briskly.” He winked, and her heart fluttered.

Deck tapped the folder in his hand. “When you two chuckle-nuts are through sparring, I’ll be in the conference room.” He walked down the hall, leaving her and Grey alone, at least until Christian showed. Though he was stopping by his girlfriend’s to bring her coffee and a cinnamon roll, so who knew how long he’d be.

Greyson stood and gestured to the back hall Deck had just walked down. “After you.”

Still smarting over the loss again , she made her way to what they referred to as the round room.

Entering, Greyson pulled out a chair for her.

“Thank you.” She sat at the circular table the room had been named for. Grabbing a butterscotch from the bowl in the center of the table, she popped one into her mouth, praying her racing heart would settle. How did Greyson affect her so? A simple wink brought heat rushing to her cheeks.

Greyson frowned. “You hot? I can turn down the heat.”

She lifted one of the blank steno pads off the table and fanned herself. “Yep.” It was better than sharing the reason for her blush. Though, in truth, her cheeks were warm, so technically she wasn’t lying.

Grey moved for the thermostat as Christian rushed in. He gave his lopsided, apologetic smile. “Sorry I’m late.”

Deckard lifted his chin with a teasing grin. “Finally manage to stop canoodling with Andi?”

Riley crossed one booted foot over the other and shook her head. Since he and Andi met on a heist case months ago, they’d been nearly inseparable. Not surprising. Christian had met his match in her.

He took a seat and swiveled in the chair. “When you have a girl,I’m going to josh you just as bad.”

Deckard harrumphed. “That’ll be the day.”

“Probably not as far away as you think,” she murmured under her breath. She liked Harper Grace, who’d left on a humanitarian trip right after working a corruption case with Deckard. It’d been three months, and regardless of what Deck claimed, he’d been missing her ever since.

“And I wasn’t canoodling,” Christian protested. He shrugged a broad shoulder on a smile. “Well, not the whole time.”

“Uh-huh.” Deckard leaned forward. “Can we focus on work now?”

“Please,” Christian said.

“To start,” Deck began, “the Todd Miller case is a wrap. He’s facing trial for two counts of fraud.”

“Let’s hope he doesn’t get off with just a fine to pay and time served,” she said, resting her arms on the table. Men like Todd Miller had a way of skirting the law. But she prayed that wouldn’t be the case this time.

Deckard exhaled a whistle. “We can hope, but that’s the direction most fraud cases go, especially for the rich with their fancy lawyers.”

Frustration rattled inside. Riley popped another butterscotch into her mouth, setting her wrapper on the table until she could throw it away, though she had a habit of forgetting, which drove Grey nuts. He was always finding them crumpled somewhere. At times she did it just to mess with him, and she could swear she’d seen a smile grace his handsome face while he shook his head.

“Brown Eyed Girl” trilled on her phone, and she shimmied it from her jean pocket. “Sorry, but I think I should take this.” The last time Veronica Gaiman—soon to be Melling—called, Christian and Andi had been whisked away on the heist case.

“All good,” Deck said.

“Veronica,” Riley said, wondering if the woman might’ve dialed the wrong number by mistake. They had been talking more of late, building more of a relationship as they had a mutual friend in Kelly Frazier. “What’s up?”

“Kelly’s missing,” Veronica rushed out.