Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
I’ve loaded up the car with my bags, and I’m about to get back into the driver’s seat when my phone rings.
I pause beside the car, and my gut twists when I see Trav’s name. “Update?” I bark into the phone.
“It’s him.” Trav’s tone is defeated.
“What?”
“Webber. The security footage at the hotel showed him in the hallway.”
I lean against my car. “Where did he get the hotel cart and food?”
“He spoke to someone in the kitchen and said he wanted to surprise his girlfriend in the room. They put it together for him and sent him on his way. As far as the video surveillance goes, he took it straight up to the room and never touched the food.”
“How did he know what room we were in? The only people who knew that were you, Gideon, and Harley’s assistant.”
“You know for sure the assistant isn’t involved?”
“Why would she be?”
“Money?”
“She is well beyond compensated. Plus, she loves Harley. I doubt she’d put him in danger just for some cash.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Trav assures me. “I’m gonna stay here a bit longer and go through all the footage from the minute you checked in.”
“Keep me updated.”
“Will do. Who would’ve thought this job would actually turn into something?”
“Of course you’re excited about it.” I would be too if it didn’t put Harley at risk. “Might make the decision for me to stay on this assignment easier.”
“Is that your way of saying you’re not coming back?”
Now’s not the time to have this conversation, but it’s out there now. “Maybe? I mean … yes?”
“We’ll talk soon. Right now, we’re gonna track this guy down so you can keep your man safe.”
“Thanks. Maybe he paid a guy at the hotel for the room number?” I run my hand over my hair, frustrated we don’t have any real answers.
It can’t be Gideon or Jamie. They would never do that to Harley.
A million different theories run through my head, but the only logical thing I can think is that one of the hotel staff knew it was Harley staying under that alias and told their friends. It would be a huge coincidence that they would know Webber.
My head hurts, but I don’t stop thinking about it the whole way back. I can’t.
It feels like the answer is right there, but I can’t reach it.
I’m no closer to figuring it out when I pull into the ranch’s long driveway, but the Gideon and Jamie thing still niggles at me.
I can almost certainly rule out Gideon. He’s Trav’s cousin, and if Trav thought something was up, he’d tell me.
Jamie is sweet and naïve. Maybe easy to manipulate.
I’m putting the groceries away in the kitchen when Harley comes to find me.
“Way to freak me out. Maybe call out that you’re home?” He folds his arms across his chest. “I was sitting in the room wondering if someone had found me like they did at the hotel.”
I force myself to play it off and make a joke. “Honey, I’m home.” I must not pull it off because Harley’s face drops.
“What’s wrong?”
I continue unloading the bags. “I’m only going to ask this once, and if I’m completely off base, tell me to drop it, but”—I glance at him—“how much do you trust Jamie?”
“What the fuck?”
I put up my hands. “Okay. Sorry. I had to ask. I’ve been wondering how someone found out our room number. I’m grasping at straws.”
“And you assumed Jamie?”
“The only other people who would’ve known were the hotel staff, Gideon, and Trav.”
“It can’t be Jamie.” His words are firm, but I see a tiny bit of doubt in his eyes.
“Are you sure?”
The doubt is gone this time. “It’s not her.”
“Okay, I’ll drop it.”
“Did Trav look at the security footage?”
“He did.”
Harley stares at me waiting for me to elaborate, but I don’t know if I should. “It was Webber, wasn’t it?”
I nod.
The large floor-to-ceiling windows let in the bright daylight, and as if in slow motion, I see the color drain from Harley’s face.
I wrap him in my arms, wishing I could take it all away from him. He doesn’t deserve this. No one does. “Trav is working it out, okay? And until then, you and I can hang out here where it’s safe. You can write.”
“It’s annoying sitting back and doing nothing. It’s like I’m just waiting for him to get me.”
He said it, but I’m not going to agree with it. No matter how much I wish I was out there trying to find this guy, I’m where I need to be.
I hold Harley tighter. “Remember what I said outside of Denver’s party that first week I worked for you?”
“It’s okay to do nothing.”
“This is one of those times. I trust Trav to find this guy.”
He buries his head in my chest. “I know. I just—”
“Want to do more. I get it.”