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D eputy Windsor met us in a French-themed restaurant in Green Pines.

When I saw her, she wasn’t at all what I was expecting.

Kennedy Windsor was petite with voluminous curly hair that she had pulled into a soft puff atop her head, and false lashes.

Her lips were naturally plump, her eyes deep brown, her sepia skin beautifully moisturized, and she wore acrylics on her nails with an elaborate style that I wouldn’t have been bold enough to rock.

She sipped coffee from a mug as she looked between me and Jayson. “You’re one hundred percent sure it was your friend’s car you saw in his garage?” she asked.

“One hundred percent,” I said, head bobbing. “It had her license plate.”

“How close are you to Eve Castillo?” she asked.

“Really close. She might as well have lived with me growing up.”

“When’s the last time you spoke to her?”

I lowered my gaze to her teal and black nails. “About three months ago.”

She quirked a brow. “That’s a long time to not speak to someone you’re close to.” She sat up taller. “Did something happen?”

“It’s personal,” I responded, glancing at Jayson. “But that doesn’t mean I stopped caring about her.”

“If you haven’t spoken to her, how did you notice she was missing?” Windsor asked.

“Her sister called me and asked if I’d seen or heard from her. This was almost a week ago. When I told her I hadn’t, I said I’d look into it. I did some digging around and found out she was staying in the cottage Alex and Damian Reed rent out.”

“Alex and Damian are pretty good guys.” Windsor sat back and folded her arms. “I grew up with them, actually. We went to the same schools. They’ve never really been the violent type.”

“Maybe you didn’t really know them,” I offered, and she frowned. “Alex has a charge against him for sexual assault.”

“Yes, by the daughter of the previous sheriff who hated Alex. He did two weeks in jail and was released because evidence wasn’t sufficient.

That charge was scrubbed from his records but of course it still pops up through a deeper background check.

” Kennedy shrugged. “Hate to say it, but no one believes he took advantage of the town ho.”

“Okay, regardless, all I’m saying is something fishy is going on. Rory, their little sister, is the one who left the purse for me to find. I overheard Alex talking to her and he was pissed that it was missing. Why would he have Eve’s stuff in the first place?”

“Perhaps she left it behind,” Windsor said. “Not uncommon for a rental owner to hold on to someone’s belongings if they’ve forgotten it.”

“Highly unlikely,” I countered. “What woman do you know leaves anywhere without her purse? Eve never left without it. Not only that, but her sister found out she booked a trip to Thailand. She’d never book a trip that far away without telling one of us.

And her passport is still in the bag. Look.

” I shuffled through Eve’s purse until l found it and offered it to her.

Windsor studied it. “I shouldn’t touch it. If something has happened to her, that’s evidence.”

“Oh. Right.” I reeled my arm back.

She polished off her coffee. “Normally, I wouldn’t believe stories like this,” Kennedy said with a sigh. “Women around Eve’s age drop off the face of the earth often, and most times it’s because they want to be left alone or they’ve run off with some guy who’s promised her the world.”

Defeat settled in my gut.

“Before I arrived, I went to the station to check the recent missing persons reports. You say you spoke to Sheriff Reed yesterday and he filled one out. I didn’t see a report for her in our system.”

My eyes widened. “I fucking knew it.”

“But that doesn’t mean he’s behind this.”

“How isn’t he if he never filed the report and her car is in his garage?” Jayson asked, mildly confused.

“Because, for all I know, Sheriff Reed is waiting to see if something turns up before filing the report. And I don’t know for sure that it is her car in his garage. I have no proof, and I can’t just go onto his property to look. I’d need a warrant for that.”

Once again, defeat struck me.

“But I have a friend who works with the DA. I don’t trust Sheriff Reed.

Never have. Alex and Damian were always decent guys, but their uncle isn’t, and it seems he’s rubbed off on them over the years.

” She tapped an almond-shaped nail on the table.

“I’ll get in touch with my friend and have her speak to the DA, see what I can do. ”

“Okay, great.” I nodded, breathing a sigh of relief.

“In the meantime, I highly encourage you to go home. If you don’t feel safe in or around Sage Hill, it’s best not to stick around in this area. Not until we figure out what’s really going on.”

When she slid out of her chair and stood, I followed her lead. Jayson moved to my side.

“Thank you, Deputy Windsor.”

“Call me Kennedy,” she insisted. “And it’s no problem. Better to be safe than sorry, right? I’ll call you if I find anything.”

She left the restaurant, and Jayson and I sat again in silence.

I felt somewhat hopeful now that Kennedy knew what was going on.

The fact that she didn’t seem to care for Sheriff Reed was a bonus.

There was someone in the department not willing to look the other way, and that mattered.

Without a good cop like Kennedy, I’d have been back to square one.

“So, are we finally going home?” Jayson asked.

“Yeah.” I met his eyes. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Eve Castillo journal entry

Holy shit! I didn’t expect last night to happen the way it did.

One minute I’m eating dinner with Alex and Damian and the next Alex is kissing my neck and Damian has his face between my thighs. I’ve only had one threesome before. I was nineteen and it was horrible. It happened with two frat boys I met at the liquor store.

But Alex and Damian . . . there are just no words. Who knew small-town men were so good?

They took turns with me. I knew Alex was more than he revealed. He was perfectly rough, hands around my throat as he fucked me like he owned me. Damian was gentler . . . but he accidentally came inside me.

I wish I could say I regretted it, but I don’t. In fact, they made me feel better after talking to Victor yesterday morning. They made me forget the things Victor promised me. They made me forget that he would never, ever choose me.

Just use me. Lie to me. Fuck me over.

Victor McDonnell is an asshole.

I hate him and wish him a shitty life forever.