AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The doctor gave me a flat look. “I’m trying really hard to give you the benefit of the doubt and pretend you’re in here to check on your pacemaker, miss. Because even a reporter or undercover cop or private detective would know that, even if Ihadseen any of those people, and I couldrememberthem over the crush of work I have daily, I cannot talk about any patient without their consent due to HIPAA.” He gave me a tight smile. “If your chest hurts again, take some aspirin, and go see your cardiologist.”
“Are you sure—”
“It was interesting meeting you, Miss Iris. Have a good afternoon.”
He was on his feet and out the door, already being rushed to the next room the moment he was in the hallway. I sighed, gathering my things to see myself out.So much for that, I thought grimly, taking a subtle look down the hallway.Guess I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.
I walked as slowly as possible without seeming like I was loitering, trying to determine what security was like at this place. I couldn’t be sure it wouldn’t be different after hours, but I’d at least managed to locate a few of their cameras.I’ll be back, I thought, quoting one of my favorite not-Disney movies before heading to my car. The Land Rover was exactly where I left it, and I smiled.
Hope you enjoyed the heat, boys.
The Land Roverfollowed me back to the motel, and I offered them a cheeky wave as I stepped out of my car and let myself into the room.Thatseemed to get their attention; the big black SUV sped away as I chuckled. Being surveilled wasn’t new, and at least I had a pretty good idea ofwhyEli thought he needed to tail me, but if I could get rid of them before they became problematic, that would be ideal.
Once inside, I set my bag down and gave the room a once-over.Well, looks like this is going to be home for the next few weeks.
I had assumed this would be an open-and-shut case. That Cyn had disappeared because she wanted to, either because sober life wasn’t working out for her or because she wanted a fresh start with people who didn’t know her history. I’d found no evidence of either scenario; the only details I’d uncovered so far pointed to something much bigger, and while that wasn’t exactly what I was being paid to do… I wouldn’t get paid until I found Cyn.
I gave myself a little stretch before heading to the largest wall, starting to remove the standard photos, scrunching my nose as I realized how much dust was on the frames.Gross. They were tucked onto one of the rickety chairs.
I pulled out my notebook and roll of tape, scribbling down names and what information I’d learned about each individual. As I finished each note, I tore the page out and taped it to the wall; I’d always been a visual problem solver. I could work things out without being able to lay them out, sure, but it might take me a little longer. I might miss something, and I wasn’t okay with that.
Once I finished, I stepped back, looking for any patterns I might not have seen before — and I searched until long after sundown.
10
ELI
Longbow Investments, South
Austin, Texas
When my phone buzzed, I was working on organizing the new office, explaining to my new assistant how we would be working alongside the original Longbow Investments. I glanced at it, making sure it wasn’t about my meeting later in the day, but the name I saw made me scowl.
Tyler, one of the guards I had asked to tail Iris, had sent me a text.
She knowswe’re following her.
I rolledmy eyes and swiped the screen open, tapping out a quick response.
Then fix that.
I don’t knowwhy I’d had such faith in Remus’ trained guards, but I’d assumed he’d have men capable of following a suspicious figure without blowing their cover. After all, this wasn’t about me. At the end of the day, it was no skin off my nose if some weird woman was snooping around Remus’ home or his work files. I was being responsible, and if he wasn’t taking it seriously…
I shook my head, trying not to get too worked up over it. The only reason I was worked up at all was that it was Iris. Drawing up her memory made my wolf stir, and I had to stuff him down, unwilling to go over this again. It was pointless. No matter what we felt, it was meaningless. The woman was a bitch to us; worse than that, she was clearly some sort of snoop.
Whether it was bad manners or part of something larger remained to be seen.
My new employee cleared her throat, and I stuffed my phone back into my pocket, flashing her a brief if unfeeling, smile. “Sorry, Amber,” I murmured. “I do need to take care of that.”
“No problem,” she demurred, folding her hands in front of her middle. “I can set up my desk and familiarize myself with your upcoming schedule if you don’t mind.”
“Perfect,” I replied; so far, I’d been pleased in my decision to go with her. She was a shifter, and I was hesitant about hiring someone who was a member of Remus’ pack. Once I returned to London, would she be loyal to him or me? It was still a question that remained to be answered, but I appreciated that she was clearly self-reliant. Amber’s references had been good, too, and some of them were even human.
Once she’d left my office, I retreated to my desk. There wasn’t much to it, yet. A few files. My computer. A chair that was actually comfortable to sit in.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, but I hadn’t received any more texts. Sighing, I set it down on the desk and leaned back, drumming my fingers against the wood.I don’t need to get this invested.
Remus was a big boy. He could take care of himself… and if he couldn’t, well. That was his problem. It wasn’t as if we were close. I’d known him for a year, and most of that year was spent on two different continents. Just because we could be friendly toward one another didn’t mean I was willing to stick my neck out for him.
