AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“There’s nothing to tell. I was just doing a favor for a friend.” But his voice didn’t convey that sentiment. Lilianna was special. He knew it, and his voice likely gave it all away. Funny though, he didn’t care.
“Fine. Don’t share. One of these days I’ll find out anyway. I have lots of patience.”
“Good luck with that.” He hung up on Gabriel’s laughter.
Hunter stepped out of his room into the hall above Dylan, closing the door behind him. He leaned out over the entryway balcony, wearing only his jeans. “What’s going on? Who was on the phone?”
Dylan shrugged. “That was Gabriel.”
Hunter nodded. “I forgot to tell you, he called me last night before all hell broke loose, and told me it wasn’t there. I’m assuming he still hasn’t found Lilianna’s car anywhere in the area, right?” As he spoke, he proceeded down the circular stairs to the ground level.
“No. So far no luck.”
Hunter nodded. “So…stolen then, do you think?”
“I hope not.” Dylan shrugged. “But honestly I can’t think of anything else right now.” An uneasy feeling bottomed in his stomach. Hopefully, there wasn’t anything important or irreplaceable left behind in her car.
Hunter glanced up the staircase in the direction of his bedroom as if he could see through the door. “She’s probably going to be upset.”
“I’d expect so.” Then another glimmer of unease settled in his bones.
His friend stared deeply into his eyes. Hunter could likely read his mind. His brows furrowed. “I just remembered something.”
“What’s that?” But Dylan figured he knew.
He asked the question on both of their minds. “She didn’t want you to go get her car in the first place. Wonder why?”
“Don’t know. I thought perhaps she was embarrassed about it being a piece of shit. Do you think she lied about it? And why would she?”
Hunter lifted one shoulder, but he also didn’t seem too concerned either way. “How should I know? Why does anyone lie? My gut says she’s exactly what she says she is. Someone being chased by thugs, and a little bit down on her luck. Then again, I hope my dick hasn’t taken over power of my good instinct.”
Dylan grinned. “If it’s any consolation, I agree with you and your gut. She was desperate. And those three in the parking lot at the bar were not a figment of her imagination.”
His mind quickly searched the events of the previous evening involving the mystery of her missing car. She’d come into the bar all alone with only her purse and ended up going home with them. She hadn’t been too worried about her car.
Still, he didn’t get a con artist vibe off of her. After his ex-wife had done such a number on him, he should be able to spot dishonesty in a woman from a thousand yards.
Was Lilianna hiding something from them? It didn’t seem like it. She didn’t seem overly interested in their money, possessions, and the words “buy me something” had never come up in conversation once. So what was bothering him? What had she gained with the exception of a ride away from trouble?
The only slim possibility had to do with their compound. The realization traipsing across his brain was that one thing she had accomplished was gaining access to a very highly secure and private compound not readily accessible to anyone in the general public.
He discarded this worry as soon as it crossed his mind. His gut said she was not like his ex-wife. That’s what he chose to believe.
Dylan said, “It’s entirely possible that there is a plethora of innocent reasons for all of what has transpired.”
“True.”
Besides, why would Lilianna want to come home with them if she wasn’t truly in the trouble she said she was in? Why would she lie about her car being broken down on the road?
Hunter asked, “When are you going to tell her about her car?”
Dylan pushed out a long sigh and pondered a positive scenario and then a negative scenario of what she’d say when he told her. Neither one appealed to him. “Not this second. I need more coffee.”
“Good. Me too.” Hunter headed toward the kitchen.
