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“That’s insane.”
“Insane and superhuman. Curtis is incredibly strong, but the adrenaline and miracles from above had to play into it. Unfortunately, he’s buried himself underneath the pain, wandering aimlessly, not completing projects or climbing ...”
He focused on her face, and Macey was terrified to hear more. She knew the other climber had died. Her heart ached for Curtis. A man who would go to such lengths to save someone and then hurt his own mother? It didn’t fit.
“He had cell coverage at the top, so he called Chad for a military helicopter. Curtis tried to administer first aid and CPR when her heart stopped beating. By the time Chad got there, she was gone.” He paused to let the awful ending sink in and then said, “Curtis blamed himself, and Suzanne’s family blamed him as well. It’s been … horrible for him. Then to lose Mum two months later …”
Macey wished she could hug Ray. She wished she could hug Curtis. Instead, she sat there awkwardly and mumbled, “I am so sorry.”
Ray didn’t speak for a few beats, then cleared his throat and said, “Malik escaped to Prague after Mum’s funeral. He was staying in the Grand Mark, a luxury hotel. Early in the morning, he woke to the sound of a woman crying out in pain from the room next door. It was muffled, and he wondered if he wasn’t making it up because he was so upset about losing Mum. Then the sound stopped.”
Macey’s heart thumped faster, sick to her stomach.
“Late that night, Malik couldn’t sleep and heard the cries, some thumps, and sobbing. He couldn’t sit by, so he knocked on the door. When the man opened it, he told him to stop beating his wife or he’d show him how it felt to get thrashed.”
Macey stared at him, imagining how that woman felt—scared, hurting, wanting to find the top shelf in a closet to hide. These details made her regret asking for the whole story. Her hands trembled, and she clasped them together.
“Malik said he might’ve just left it at a warning, but the woman stepped into view. She was naked and had bruises all over her body and her deep blue eyes were pleading for his help and …” He cleared his throat again. “They were the exact shade of Mum’s eyes. He told me he was already close to losing it, and then the man yelled at the woman, ‘You tramp! I’ll kill you for letting him see you.’ Then he turned to Malik and told him, ‘My wife is none of your business. Walk away now, or I’ll slit your throat’.”
Ray clenched his fist, even as a half-smile played at his lips. “If you knew my brother … You don’t threaten or hurt women, and you don’t threaten him. He thrashed the guy and tied him up with the bedsheets. Then he told the woman to get dressed and took her straight to the police.” His fist tightened, and he thumped it on his leg. “The Czech people are very honorable, but the man was a visiting Russian dignitary. They had to let him go and arrest Malik. They dropped the charges quickly but revoked his visa. Thankfully, the womansomehowdisappeared and she might be safely living in Switzerland.”
“I’m glad he could help that woman,” she said, her voice trembling. “It’s awful to be afraid.”
His gaze sharpened on her.
“Thank you for sharing with me,” she hurried to say. “I think I’d better … get ready for dinner. If you’re okay walking Tristan from his office to his room to dinner,” she tried to tease but she did want to be part of Tristan’s security detail and ease Ray’s burden.
“Of course,” he said, but his eyebrows dipped together in concern. It was only four in the afternoon, and he probably realized it wouldn’t take her two hours to primp. “I’ll walk you to your room.”
Thankfully, he didn’t ask her to explain how she knew what it felt like to be afraid.
Macey stood, closing her laptop and picking it up. They walked silently out of his office and along the hall, up the stairs, and to her suite, not even seeing Ray’s guards that they sometimes ran into. It was crazy how huge this place was, and how empty.
“Thanks for the information. I’ll keep researching.” She held the laptop up.
“We’ll go to the military center tomorrow with T, but then we can start interviewing people if you like.”
“Okay.” She smiled and pushed on the door handle.
“Macey.” Ray’s hand on her arm stopped her.
Her stomach pitched. “Yes?”
“You’ve been through … something hard that you don’t want to talk about.”
Her eyes widened, but she nodded. She might not be ready to tell him all her sordid background, but she could admit she’d been through something hard.
“I want to be here for …” His voice trailed off. His blue eyes filled with conflicting emotions, and he released her arm.
Macey wished he’d said ‘you.’ He seemed to be interested in her like she was him, but he kept closing himself off. He was probably keeping his distance for the fake engagement—or was that just the excuse she was making up for him? What did she know about relationships? Maybe it was just her that wasn’t the right fit.
“I’d love to listen if you ever need someone to talk to,” he said.
“Thank you,” she said almost automatically. He was a great guy who wanted to help, but he didn’t want to be with her. She wasn’t surprised, and she didn’t blame him. She’d only been in this fairytale castle with the handsome prince—or rather princes—for two days now. It was incredible. Ray was incredible, and being with him made her think this was her spot, her home.
But that was a delusion. She wasn’t meant to be here. She needed to figure out who had murdered his mom or prove it was suicide, figure out who was threatening Tristan, and then she could get out of here. Back to her cave. Back to the command center. Normal life. Work. Hiding behind her glasses. Not seeing Ray.
Tears stung her eyes. She pushed the handle and hurried into the room, shutting it on his next words.
