Page 100 of Winter

“Raffaelo, hey?”

She nodded, giving him a curious smile. “You don’t sound surprised.”

Olly met her gaze and grinned, and she reddened. “Oh my God. Does everyone know?”

Olly chuckled at her embarrassment. “No, of course not. Don’t worry. I found out by, um, accident. During a crazy moment.”

Inca put her burning face in her hands. “Wereallyneed to invest in drapes.”

Olly laughed. “That might be a good idea.”

“Well,” she said, sighing, “it’s irrelevant now. I’m marrying Raffaelo.”

“How’s Tommaso about that?” Olly shrugged when she gave him a meaningful glance. “I just know what it’s like to lose you, is all.”

“No one is losing anyone anymore,” she said determinedly.

She had no idea just how wrong she was …

Tyler Sardee arrived backat SeaTac and hailed a cab, eager now to see his daughter.And her fiancé,he thought to himself with a smile. Maybe things were finally going to be good. He hadn’t called ahead, wanting to surprise them. It was already late, and he wondered if he should get a hotel room for the night. He decided he would and went into the city first, before heading out to see if he could grab something quick to eat.

He wandered down to the waterfront and ate some hot chowder. Afterwards he wandered along the piers until it got very late. He was about to walk back to his hotel, when he saw a familiar face.

“Hey … hey, how are you doing?” His smile spread across his face.

He was still smiling when his throat was slashed open and he was pushed into the dark, freezing waters of Elliott Bay.

Inca hugged Olly goodbye; she saw her friend give Raffaelo a friendly wave as she got into the car.

“How was it?” Raffaelo kissed her softly.

“Great. Really great. He sent you congratulations—and, he said, the dumbass, commiserations, because he knows how much trouble I am,” she chuckled. And Raffaelo laughed.

“You’re glowing,” he said, smiling, and she nodded.

“I’m with you,” she said simply.

At home, the house was quiet and they went straight to their room. Desire pulsed through Inca’s body and Raffaelo took her hand and led her to the bed. He slid his hands under her T-shirt and pulled it off, kissing from her neck down to her belly. Inca gasped under his touch, waves of pleasure shuddering through her. She kissed him, her longing for him all consuming.

Inca pulled her phone out to call Tyler—but when someone else answered, her heart froze as she listened to them and realized the nightmare wasn’t over.

Olly’s eyes widened in horror as Inca burst through the door of the police station, breathless, tears pouring down her face.

“What the hell?”

Inca interrupted him. “Tyler is missing. He’s been missing for days. He didn’t tell anyone he was coming to see me in Seattle so they didn’t know to inform Missing Persons here. Olly … oh my God …”

She was shaking badly, her distress making Olly’s chest hurt. He made her sit down, calmed her, and took her trembling hands in his.

“Okay, sweetheart, just breathe. Knox?”

His deputy had come in to see what the commotion was. Olly quickly filled him in. Knox nodded. “I’ll get on it … Inca, you okay?”

She nodded, unable to speak. Olly hugged her as she calmed down.

“Please not my dad, Olly. Not my dad.”

“It’s okay, darlin’. We’ll check it out. It may be nothing. He may be just …” He faltered when he saw the disbelief on her face. “Yeah, okay.”