Page 7 of Stolen Salvation

This close she could see the amber flecks in his eyes, the stubble on his jaw and her hands itched to touch him, to kiss the scar that was new. His lips were so close she only had to lean in slightly to savour the familiar taste of him. Electricity buzzed around them as the outside world seemed to still, enclosing them in a bubble that was timeless, with no guilt or past to cloud them.

God, she wanted him to kiss her, to make her feel the way only he could, to tell her he forgave her and still loved her. A crash outside the door, glass smashing and then the sound of someone cursing, broke the spell and he released her, moving back.

“What do you need?”

Charlie took a few breaths to get her equilibrium in order and store her feelings away for another day. Leaning against the desk she crossed her ankles and folded her arms to hide her erect nipples from his knowing gaze. His eyes skimmed her, and she realised it was too late, he’d seen the effect he had on her.

Powering through she did what she came here for. “Andrea is missing. She was at Uni in Manchester doing her master’s in design. A few weeks ago she called me crying to say she was pregnant and didn’t know what to do. I was in Prague at the time and couldn’t get back, but when I did, I went to see her, and she was gone. According to her roommate, she quit college, some guy came and packed her stuff, and she was gone. I’ve tried everything to find her, reached out to sources, and spoken to her friends. I even called my dad, who just berated me down the phone for letting this happen.”

“Dick.”

Charlie smiled; Noah had always hated her father. “Yeah, he hasn’t changed. Anyway, the only lead I have is that she was going to see a clinic in Leeds that could help her. But when I went, they wouldn’t speak to me.”

“Can’t you get access to their files through work?”

Charlie shook her head. “I don’t work for the agency anymore. I haven’t for two years.”

Noah looked up sharply, deep eyes pinning her to the spot. “Why?”

She shook her head, not wanting to explain that she couldn’t after what she’d done. Her guilt had almost crushed the life from her. “It doesn’t matter. It does mean I don’t have the resources anymore.”

“And you want me to ask Shadow to help you?”

“I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate.”

His sneer almost made her step back, but she had nowhere to go.

“Oh, I’m aware you want nothing to do with me. The divorce papers made that clear.”

Biting her tongue to the point it almost bled she kept quiet. Nothing she could say would make it better, so why try.

Noah rubbed his hands over his face and cursed. “Fuck.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and prowled closer, so close she could feel his heat through the black t-shirt he wore. The band of tattoos on his biceps flexed and she ached to touch him. “Fine, I’ll speak to Bás and see if we can help. But I’m not making any promises.”

The relief at his words felt like a weight lifted off her chest. “Thank you, Noah.”

“Don’t thank me, yet. He’ll probably say no.”

“I know but thank you for trying. It means a lot.”

Noah nodded, a small movement of his head. “I’ll call you.”

“Thanks.”

Just one word that would never be able to express how grateful she was.

Chapter 3

Bishop rapped his knuckles against Bás’ partially open office door. “Knock, knock. You got a minute, boss?”

Bás looked up and motioned him in as he threw down the pen he’d been chewing on. “You saved me from expense reports, thank you.”

Bishop smirked as he sank down onto the office chair and leaned back. He wasn’t sure how he was going to do this or even why, but he’d promised her, and, unlike Charlie, he kept his promises. “Happy to help, just make sure an extra zero is added to my paycheck, and we’ll call it even.”

“Ha, you’ve got two hopes, Bob Hope and no hope.”

Bishop chuckled. “Figures.”

He wasn’t really complaining, he got paid well. Better than he’d ever had been and more than that, Bás and the team had saved him. Without them, he had no doubt he would’ve eaten a bullet.