Page 4

Three

“ HANG ON. I’m putting you on speaker,” Riley said. “The gang is here.”

“Okay,” Roni said, her breath coming in short spurts.

“How long has Kelly been missing?”

“Kelly, your new friend?” Greyson asked with furrowed brow.

She nodded, and he shifted beside her, his knees brushing hers. A sense of security rushed through her. How did a simple movement evoke such a reaction? But it did— always .

“I saw her around eleven last night,” Roni said. “When I woke this morning, she was gone. She and Tate had a terrible blowout last night.”

Riley flipped open the cover of her steno pad and jotted down the info. “Her boyfriend?” She’d heard of Tate but never met him.

“Yes. Kelly was all spooked when we talked, and now she’s gone.”

“Spooked about what?” Riley tapped the notepad with her pen.

Veronica huffed and puffed. “Her fight with Tate.”

“What’s up?” Deck asked. “You sound out of breath.”

“I’m hiking.”

“Okay...” Riley frowned. Why call from a hike of all places? She shook off the thought and focused back on the relayed information. “Spooked is an odd reaction for a fight.” Anger. Tears. Far more common.

“I assumed she was worried how he was going to react.”

Riley shifted. “Are you saying she was worried Tate might harm her?”

“I don’t know.” Veronica’s striving breaths ceased. “Finally.” She sighed in relief.

“Finally?” Deck quirked his head.

“Finally reached the top.” Roni sneezed. “Excuse me. Tree pollen.”

“I gotta ask,” Deck said. “Why call from hiking? Did you just learn she was missing on the hike?”

“No, but I wanted to be away from gossipy ears, and housekeeping is in my room.”

“Gossipy ears?” Riley asked.

“I’m at a high-brow retreat, and the women present are like a gossip factory.”

“Got it.” Riley shifted gears. “Let’s backpedal a bit. Have you tried calling Kelly?”

“Of course,” Veronica snapped. “Sorry,” she said. “I’m just all out of sorts worried about her.”

“You weren’t able to reach her?”

“No. My calls just went to voice mail, which isn’t set up, so I can’t even leave a message. I’ve texted, too, a handful of times, but nothing.”

Not like Kelly at all. Riley tapped the exquisite roller ball pen Greyson had gifted her last Christmas against her steno pad. Clearly, Roni was at a retreat, so Riley knew the answer to this, but she had to ask anyway. “Have you been by her place?”

“I’m at a retreat.”

“I figured. I’ll go by her place. See if she’s home and just not answering the phone.”

“We’ll go,” Deck said. “You finish the call.”

“You sure?” she asked as her brothers stood.

“Positive.” Deck lifted his chin in that good-bye gesture of his.

“Thanks, guys. She’s in 3C at the Mountain Range Apartments.”

“Got it.” Deck popped out the door, Christian following.

“I doubt he’ll find her there,” Roni said after Deck left.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I’m sure something happened to her.”

“Why, exactly?” What did Veronica believe happened?

“Kelly was here with me at the retreat. We were set to have breakfast together, and she never showed.”

Definitely not like Kelly. “So she disappeared from the retreat?” Riley asked, just to clarify.

“Yes.” Veronica huffed.

Riley ignored Veronica’s impatience.

“What retreat are you at?”

“Expressive Wellness Retreat and Spa. It’s up near Tierra Amarilla.”

Riley jotted it down.

“She wouldn’t leave without saying good-bye,” Veronica reiterated. “Come on, you know Kelly.”

“Yeah, I do.” It really would be out of character for Kelly to take off without saying good-bye. “Maybe she left early and didn’t want to wake you, or really late last night. What did Tate say? I’m assuming you spoke with him.”

“Of course. He said he got a separate room after their fight and didn’t realize she was gone until I asked him to check their room.”

“What about her luggage?” Greyson chimed in. “Is it still in the room?”

“No,” Roni said. “But I’m telling you something is wrong. I can feel it.”

“Did you speak to the staff? Perhaps someone saw her leave.”

“The director said Kelly came to her early this morning to say good-bye and thank her for the stay.”

“So she said Kelly left of her own accord this morning?”

“Yes.” Roni sighed. “It appears that way.”

“You said she left early. How early are we talking?” She resumed tapping her pen against the notepad.

Grey looked over, and she stopped. Her tapping nonstop while thinking drove him nuts. Just as his nonstop bouncing knee did her. She swore he liked vexing her just as much as she did him.

“Julie, the director, said she left around six a.m.”

“I’d say she just didn’t want to wake you,” Riley began. “But—”

“I’m up at four thirty every day,” Veronica cut in. “Kelly knew that.”

Everyone in town knew it after Roni started a petition to get Maggie’s Coffee Corner to open an hour earlier to suit her. It’d failed, but Roni had still tried.

“Did she have her car, or did she ride with Tate?” Greyson asked.

“She had her own car. So does Tate. Due to work hours or something, they met here.”

“Is Kelly’s car gone?” Grey asked.

“Yes.” Clickity-clack. Nails tapped along a hard surface. Riley guessed it was Veronica’s phone case. Always long red nails with Roni.

“I really do wonder if she left and her cell died,” Riley said, but it wasn’t like Kelly to just pick up and leave. She had to know Roni would be worried.

A withering sigh escaped Roni’s lips. “You sound like the police.”

“I was going to ask if you had called them,” Greyson said.

“What did they have to say?” Though Riley could already guess.

“They said there’s no cause for panic, and it’s too soon to file a missing person’s report. As far as they know, Kelly left of her own accord since there’s nothing to suggest otherwise, which is why I want to hire you, Riley.”

Riley tucked her chin in. “Hire me?”

“Yes, I need you here,” Roni said, her tone resolute.

“There?” She met Grey’s confused gaze.

“Yes. At the retreat because, first, Tate’s here, and I want you to question him before he leaves. He says he’s not staying at a couples’ retreat alone, so he’s going to take off on some trip just like he thinks Kelly has, but he won’t say where he’s going or for how long. It’s very suspicious, if you ask me.”

Perhaps . It at least bordered on suspicious. Riley sat forward, resting her forearms on the table.

“And second?” Greyson prompted, pulling a butterscotch wrapper from his lap. He held it up and gave her that dipped-chin, eyebrows-lifted look.

Oops. Sorry , she mouthed.

“Second,” Roni continued, “she disappeared from here , and I want you to interview the guests.”

“Why? I doubt that retreat center would be happy with us questioning their clientele,” Greyson said, sitting back.

“That’s why you two need to come undercover.”

“Two?” Riley scrunched her nose.

“It’s a couples’ retreat. You need to bring your better half. And given I seriously doubt you want to play couple with one of your brothers...”

“Ewww...” Absolutely not.

“Right,” Roni said, and Riley could practically hear her smile. “You’ll need to partner with that tall glass of water.”

Greyson? She was suggesting Riley have a fake relationship with Grey? Tingles shot through her—a combination of yes , please and no way .

She’d enjoy the time with the man she secretly loved—a true love that simmered inside, not the teenage crush she used to have. But while he spent a lot of time with her, and she occasionally caught him staring, he’d certainly never made a move or comment in that direction.

Besides, he went about things completely opposite than she did. Methodical logic versus her by-the-gut feelings. The combination worked in the office, but would it in the field? Besides, Greyson hadn’t worked in the field in years.

Greyson cleared his throat and shifted his gaze away.

Was that a blush on his cheeks?

“Hello?” Roni said at the silence.

“Sorry,” Riley jumped in. “Just thinking ... I don’t know if—”

“Oh, please, you know you want to.” Roni chuckled.

Roni! Mortification sifted through her. Was she that obvious?

“Who wouldn’t?” Roni added.

Okay. That sounded better. Mortification abated.

“You and hotty pack and get out here. I’ll get you registered as my guests.”

“Let’s back up just a little. You think someone saw what? Why do you want us questioning everyone?”

“As far as I’m concerned, everyone here is a suspect, with Tate leading the list. So pack your bags. I’ll pay you whatever it costs to find her and make sure she’s safe.”

“Let’s wait until we hear from Deck. Make sure she’s not at her apartment or work.”

“You might as well get packing in the meantime, because I know she’s not at either place. My gut is never wrong.”

Riley couldn’t knock her. She worked by instinct, too, which killed Mr. Plotter and Planner. He respected her talent and skill set—much of which she’d learned from him—and he’d said as much. But he insisted she took too many risks from following her gut, and after Pete Scarletto, maybe he was right.

“What names should I put you under when I register you?” Roni asked.

“I don’t know if fake names are necessary.”

“Why? Has Tate seen you before? Can he identify you?”

“No. We’ve never met, but—” This was all going too fast. What was happening, and why wouldn’t her heart stop racing? She knew why. He was sitting right beside her.

“Look, Roni, if Kelly’s missing, there’s a protocol to the way I work cases. An order. Once places she could be are all ruled out, I run down information on her—learn everything I can that might help find her. If I still can’t locate her, then I’ll head out into the field and start searching.”

“I can’t say I like the delay.” Roni tapped her nails again.

“If nothing pops up...” She looked at Greyson, and he nodded. “We’ll head out for the retreat first thing tomorrow morning.”

Roni exhaled. “Very well. So back to the aliases you want me to register you under?”

“I don’t know,” she began.

“Fake names can’t hurt,” Greyson said.

Emotion riddled through Riley. The thought of playing a couple with Greyson was both exhilarating and terrifying. “Okay,” she said, trying to force herself to relax, her shoulders taut as a strung rubber band. “If we’re coming ... I’ll be Allie Bennet.”

“Nice. The Notebook and Pride and Prejudice . Good combo.”

She wouldn’t have expected Roni to get it so quick.

“And you, hotty?” Roni’s voice held teasing pleasure.

“John Smith,” he said.

“Too vanilla ... How about Noah Hunt? Yes, that’s it.” Roni snapped. “I’ll text you the details.”

Before Grey could respond, Roni ended the call.

His brow furrowed as his gaze fixed on Riley. “Noah Hunt?”

“Noah from The Notebook and Hunt for Ethan Hunt from Mission : Impossibl e, I’m guessing.”

“Oh.” A smiled tugged at the corner of his lips, then faded as fast as it came.

Her stomach sloshed. Did he not want to go with her? Was he dreading the couple thing? “What’s wrong?” she couldn’t help but ask.

He shifted on a stiff inhale. “If Kelly is missing, then we probably know who left you that key.”

Had it been Kelly? And, if so, what kind of trouble was her friend in? Concern swelled in her stomach. She prayed Kelly was all right, but her gut, like Roni’s, said otherwise.

****

He sat in the parking lot of a two-story brick building, the thick falling snow obscuring his view of the office window.

He shifted in his seat, the leather creaking beneath his weight.

PIs. He exhaled. Complications could arise if he didn’t deal with things in an expedient manner. He needed the witch, but he also needed the key she’d left. Needed the contents attached to it.

He tapped the wheel with gloved hands. He’d never missed achieving a primary objective, and he wouldn’t start now.

Riley MacLeod had been easy enough to track down. He stared at the picture on his phone. Her portrait on the company website didn’t do her justice. She was captivating. Hopefully she’d left the key behind so she could keep that pretty face. Torture never looked good on anyone, but if he needed to pry the information from her, pry he would.