Page 27 of Unmasked

He shrugged, feigning indifference. “What happened between me and Everleigh was over years ago.”

The look of pity in Vivi's eyes told him she didn't believe him either. His sister he understood. But Mason… he couldn't figure out his angle. Mason stared at him like he somehow knew what he was feeling deep down inside. But that couldn’t be the case because he didn't even know what he was thinking right now. He grabbed up the vegetables Vivi had just finished chopping and tossed them onto the platter. “I'll take these outside.”

He headed out to the backyard, ignoring Mason as he passed. A small table had been set up on the deck, and he put the platter next to the other dishes. He hopped down the steps, his gaze sweeping the yard, looking for a familiar pair of blue eyes. But they were conspicuously absent. Where was she?

Noah materialized next to him again. “She's gone.”

If he’d had a heart, it would've hit the ground at his feet. “What?”

“I told you you'd run her off with that scowl of yours.”

He turned and leveled a gaze on him. “Thanks,” he muttered.

He should be glad that she left. It was better this way. Even if it didn't feel like it at the moment.

CHAPTER

FIFTEEN

Everleigh pulled into the garage and parked, her heart weighing heavily in her chest. She couldn't even remember the drive home. It seemed like, for the past three days since the cookout, she had been moving on autopilot. She couldn't get that look out of her mind. Knox had always been intense, but the expression he had worn the other day spoke of a loathing that ran so deep she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to overcome it.

He still deserved the truth. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to get him alone, and she wasn't about to have a conversation like that in front of his friends and coworkers. She knew it wouldn't change anything, but he deserved to know. She had been carrying the guilt with her for nearly fifteen years, and she couldn't stand it anymore. She wouldn't blame Knox one bit for not wanting to ever see or speak to her again, but she had to get it off her chest once and for all. Maybe then she would finally be able to move on with her life.

With a little sigh, she pulled the keys from the ignition, grabbed her purse, and headed into the house. Moving down the short service hallway that connected the garage to the kitchen, she cut through the back part of the house. She had been hoping to avoid everyone, but her father exited his office just as she placed one foot on the bottom tread of the stairs.

“Everleigh,” he greeted. “I'm glad you're home. Come in here for a moment, please.”

Everything inside her recoiled, but she forced herself to follow him as he disappeared into his office once more. She paused as she crossed the threshold, watching her father move behind his desk. It was a position of power, and whatever he had to say wasn’t going to be good; she knew that much.

His forehead was creased with worry as he turned back to her, and he gestured to the chair across from him. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

“That’s okay, I’m fine.” She moved closer but didn’t sit. His lips flattened into a thin line, but he didn’t push. They stared at each other for several seconds before he spoke.

“Henry told me he saw you leaving the police station a couple of weeks ago. Is that true?”

Henry was the mayor and a good friend of her father’s. She briefly debated lying to him, telling him it was no big deal, but she couldn’t. She forced a tight nod. “Yes. I was there.”

His head tipped slightly to one side. “Why? Has something happened?”

“It’s really nothing⁠—”

“Everleigh.” Her father’s firm voice cut her off. “If something is going on, I need to know about it.”

She let out a sigh. “I’ve been getting… pictures.”

“Pictures?” One gray brow arched toward his hairline. “What kind of pictures?”

“Of me.” Her shoulders slumped, resigned to telling him everything. “A few weeks ago, I came out of the diner and found a photo tucked beneath the wiper blade of my car. Another came a few days later, so I took them to the police.”

“Why didn't you say anything?” He slapped one hand down on his desk. “We need to go to the authorities. Something has to be done about this!”

She shook her head. “Since there's no outright threat, there's nothing they can do.”

“That's ridiculous!” her father blustered. “If they can't handle it, we'll find someone else who will. I'll hire an investigator to take care of it.”

“I already have someone looking into that. I have a private security firm trying to find out who has been taking the photographs. He's been following me for the last week and a half.”

Her father looked stunned. “Who?”