Page 8 of Hope and Country

I raked my fingers through my hair, not bothered about messing it up anymore.

“No. Hell no. Could he—Could she? No. No, no, no. She didn’t have that vibe. She doesn’t fit the profile. I’m telling you something was off with that guy. If she was here for the money, he wouldn’t have forced her to leave. No, it’s something else. I can tell. Devon was genuine. She even refused to meet ya. All women after fame and money want to meet you, man. This should be all the confirmation we need.”

Carter seemed to think. “Yeah. You’re probably right. And the way she looked at you, it wasn’t with that kind of interest. You guys had blazing chemistry. Even I could tell. Sorry for asking.”

“Don’t be. We’re looking out for each other. I’m okay with you worrying sometimes.”

“What do we do now? Should we search the building?”

Carter said we because we were that kind of team.

It was my turn to clap his shoulder. “No. Go back to your wife. I’ll be fine. I’ll call you tomorrow. Keep you updated.”

“You sure? She would understand if you needed me. April loves you, you know. So, don’t worry about it.”

I sighed. “Nah, you carry on. I meant what I said. I can watch for Devon on my own. Go home. Say hello to April for me. I hope she knows I love her too. Next time you’re in town, let’s get together. I miss you guys.”

Carter eyed me for a long moment. “Okay, then. Will do. Good luck, Ry. Keep me in the loop. And call if you change your mind.”

* * *

The next morning, I entered my house at ten. I’d spent my entire night at the hotel, trying to catch sight of Devon.

I’d pulled in all my contacts to get the guest list—her name wasn’t on it—and I never got to know her friend’s name.

In the security booth, I looked at the surveillance videos until I was blurry-eyed.

No trace of her. Or the man.

It was like she never existed. As if I’d imagined her. She’d vanished into thin air, leaving no clue on how to reach her, no last name to track her down.

Defeated, I undressed—my clothes still reeked like old red wine—and fell face first on the bed, not taking the time to shower beforehand. God, I probably looked like a mess.

The night had been long. I might have drunk ten cups of coffee and three power drinks to stay awake.

All for nothing.

Still, Devon’s disappearance and the way that man manhandled her didn’t sit well with me. My gut told me Devon was in trouble. That she needed someone’s help. My help. And right now, I had no way to save her. Did she need saving? Was it that kind of scenario?

Fuck, I had no clue.

A chill ran through me.

Deep inside, I hoped I was wrong. That I’d misread the situation. And her terror. But from the way it all went down, I was pretty sure I’d come to the right conclusion.

Devon didn’t choose to leave last night. She was compelled to.

And from the look of it, I would never know what happened. And this would haunt me for a long time.

Sleep called to me. My eyelids weighed heavier with each passing second.

Too tired to analyze them any further, I shut my burning eyes and fell asleep in no time, dreaming of the woman whose name I longed to know.

4

DEVON

Thirteen years ago