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She gasped. “What? Teddy is dead?”
“I found out earlier today that he’s been missing since Monday or Tuesday,” Brian said. “Detective Kramer, my partner on this, made a connection between him and Haley through USD.”
“We don’t know for certain that he’s dead. But he vanished before Haley, and we have reason to suspect foul play.”
“Why would Seth kill him?” Charlie asked.
“Haley and Teddy were having an affair,” Logan said. “Someone on the task force threatened to expose her if she didn’t come through with assisting us in the case. I disagreed with the method. Coercion rarely works.”
“Oh, my God.” Charlie shrank back. “Did some reckless, overzealous cop on your team leak it to Olsen?”
“I don’t think so.”
Brian didn’t like the lack of conviction in Logan’s voice. If someone on Logan’s task force had, he wouldn’t admit it to Charlie. Not when his apparent mission was to recruit her.
“If you were going to help Haley disappear,” Logan said, “maybe you know how to find her. Start looking at this like she’s alive. Think it through.” Logan handed her a business card along with keys. “If you come up with something, if you’re able to find her, will you call me?”
Charlie didn’t respond. She snatched both from him and hopped out. “If Haley is dead, then this is on you and your task force,” she said, before slamming the door.
Chapter Eleven
Emotions tangled in a knot in the pit of her stomach.
“We need to talk,” Brian said behind her as she walked around to the SUV.
Anger simmered over how the boys, Brian and Rocco, had decided to hide things from her.Poor, fragile Charlie. While a warmth she’d never known filled her at knowing that Brian hadn’t given up on her. That he’d followed her. Because he cared.
She pressed the button on the fob, unlocking the door, and reached for the handle.
But he put a palm to the door, stopping her from opening it. “Are you going to ignore me?”
“What is there to say?”
“Unbelievable. How about giving me an apology for hurling accusations and not giving mefive minutesto explain?”
Brian had no idea the power he wielded—the things he stirred inside her. He’d slipped beneath the surface, had her revealing secrets, talking about her past. Stuff she never discussed. Not with Rocco. Not with Orson. Not anyone. Brian managed to break past the defenses she’d taken so long to build and made her feel raw. Exposed. Stripped utterly bare around him.
It was liberating and terrifying and beautiful.
She couldn’t imagine what he would’ve accomplished in five minutes, especially if he’d touched her. “I needed distance. Time to think about it.” She hated that she’d doubted Brian, and that he’d given her reason to. Because to her amazement she liked trusting him. “I’m not going to apologize for wanting space. Or for being relieved that I was wrong about you.”
“Wow. I’ll unpack that dodgy double-talk to evade an actual apology later. For now, you’re clearly still upset with me. Why?”
“Your omission feels like a lie. A double standard. You hid it from me.” She glared up at him. “Decided with Rocco that I was incapable of handling it.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I should have told you.” He eased closer, close enough for her to feel his body heat, his breath across her skin. “But don’t lecture me on double standards and hiding things. Not after I had to hear from another man what you’ve been up to.” And then his hand was in her hair.
Her breath caught. Every muscle tensed as he crushed his mouth to hers. Hot and deep, full of wanting and need, he kissed her. She pressed against his hard body, sinking into it, savoring his touch. His mouth was warm and firm. The scrape of his stubble on her skin lit up her nerve endings. He tasted good. Felt even better.
His hands traveled over her body, lingering on her curves. The fluttering inside her went wild. Warmth simmered until she wanted to drag him into the car and strip off his clothes. Chuck hers as well.
“Come home with me,” he whispered against her mouth. His voice urgent, almost desperate. The suggestion delivered with a meaningful look.
Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest, reflexes struggling with her fight or flight response.
Then she remembered that there were more pleasurable options. She kissed him again, a soft brush of her lips, not wanting to stop. Not wanting to think. Or speak.
She nodded okay.
