Page 6 of Girl Long Gone

“I’m Detective Connor Mitchel, and yes, we spoke on the phone earlier.” His movements were slow as he grabbed his badge and took his ID from his wallet and handed them to her. “I’m sorry if I scared you. I was a little worked up.”

His forced laugh made her glance from his ID and back to his face. A slight redness battled against his deep bronze cheeks, creating an innocence she wouldn’t have imagined possible in such a large man. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and tapped his index finger against the side of his thigh.

He’s nervous. Anxiety loosened its nasty clutches around her gut. The idea she could cause a man—a detective for the NYPD no less—to be nervous piqued her interest.

Shifting her attention to his identification once more, she verified as much as she could and tossed the ID and badge on the table. “All right, Detective Mitchel. Take a seat. You’ve got five minutes.”

3

The cool breeze slashed the heat from his face but didn’t do a damn thing for the rage boiling in Gabriel’s veins. After kicking himself for his impulsive behavior with Monica, he had done his due diligence and found out as much about his new pet as possible. Another fuckup was something he couldn’t afford. He’d learned a lot over the past few days. More than just her spitfire personality.

He rubbed the throbbing scratch on the back of his neck from her talon-like nails.

She’d be a fun one to tame.

Gabriel peeked between the etched lettering on the window of the coffee shop and focused on the man now sitting with Evelyn. He’d recognize those eyes anywhere. The same deep shade of blue. The way they turned down slightly at the corners. They were the same eyes his little pet begged him with. This must be her brother.

Detective Connor Mitchel.

He hadn’t searched for a picture yet, but the rock-solid man with the bulging biceps was not what he’d imagined a computer crimes cop to look like. He’d pictured a tall, skinny man with thick glasses and nerdy T-shirts, but the eyes don’t lie.

This man could bring him a different challenge. A challenge that could lead to a tantalizing game that could break his she-cat and bring this gigantic cop to his knees.

Anticipation zipped around his body, and an idea took form.

His little kitty cat had proven more of a handful than he’d expected. Bringing her brother into the game would make her beg for him to do what he wished with her. She didn’t have any other family. His gut told him she’d do anything for the only relative she had left.

Pressure built in his chest and threatened to crush his rapidly beating heart. It’d been fun testing his kitty cat’s willpower, but his thinning patience could force him to get rid of her too soon, and he didn’t have the luxury of another target lined up. Not with the police sniffing around him because of his weak connection to Monica.

Unless...

He shifted his gaze to Evelyn. Little, mousy Evelyn had grown into quite the woman. The rail-thin teenager with too-big clothes and hair that always hung in a sheet in front of her face now had curves a man could get lost in and shiny brown hair with loose waves that matched the color of her smooth, chocolate eyes.

But the way she shifted in her seat and that slight blush on her cheeks every time their eyes had met told him she wasn’t aware of the affect she had. Late bloomers rarely did. If he played his cards right, he’d have no trouble luring Evelyn into his hands. He just needed to keep dangling the promise of a lucrative position in front of her. He’d have a damn fun time learning all her secrets. It’d be a win-win for him. He’d get something he needed...then get Evelyn.

But how did Evelyn know Detective Mitchel? Excitement parted like the Red Sea and suspicion rushed in to take its place.

Gabriel turned away from the window, hunched his shoulders against the crisp wind, and barreled down the sidewalk. He had work to do, and he wouldn’t let anyone get in his way. Not some stupid cop and definitely not some dumb bitch he’d avoided in high school.

Determination lengthened his stride. No, they wouldn’t fuck this up for him. And now that they’d raised the stakes, he’d find a way to bring them into his game.

Whether they wanted to play or not. ...

Evelyn bit the inside of her bottom lip and kept her gaze fixed on Detective Mitchel. He sat on the chair beside her with his forearms resting on his knees and his large body on the cusp of invading her personal space. He’d called only twenty minutes ago, so how had he known where to find her? The question burned the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t want to give him any more time than she’d agreed to. She’d give him another thirty seconds to tell her what was going on before she left. For a man who must have gone to a lot of trouble to track her down, he sure was taking his sweet time.

He cleared his throat, and the deep rumble from his chest vibrated through her tense body.

She bit back a groan of frustration and pushed her unruly bangs off her forehead. “I’m pretty sure you’re down to four minutes.”

Shifting back in his seat, he lifted his head and met her gaze with such intensity it nearly sucked the air from her lungs. “I’m trying to figure out where to start.”

“How about with why you told me Gabriel is dangerous?” The earlier panic in his voice came back to her. If it hadn’t been sincere, the guy deserved an academy award. But it still hadn’t been enough to convince her to bail on grabbing coffee with a man who could change her future. The possibility of a lucrative job—and a smidge of vanity— had forced the possibility of Gabriel being dangerous to the no-way-in-hell area of her brain.

“Okay,” he said, and ran a hand over his smooth head. “My sister disappeared three days ago. I think Gabriel has something to do with it.”

His words were like a punch in the gut. Evelyn folded over and covered her stomach with her flattened palms. Her mind bounced between concern for a missing woman and shock that Gabriel was a suspect.

“Why would you think that?” Her whispered words were nearly swallowed by the sounds of whizzing coffee machines and loud voices bouncing off the high ceilings.