Page 74 of Ultimate Justice

“Okay.” He tucked his tablet under his arm and headed downstairs.

“That was nice of the Wilsons to bring over those papers. Wasn’t it?” she tacked on, still sensing annoyance in the stiffness of his shoulders.

“It’s late.” He set the box on the kitchen counter and slipped off his jacket. “They should have called first.”

“You’re not happy about them seeing me and Noah at your house, are you?” But was that for safety reasons or something else?

“The fewer people who know where Noah is, the better.” He pointed to the box. “You should take them up on their offer. You were born to work with kids.”

In her heart, she knew that was true. It was her calling, not working in her father’s garage. Even her family had seen it, so when she’d left to go to college for a psych degree, they’d understood.

She looked inside the box. There were more brochures, a thick photo album, and a stack of application forms. After all the excitement today, she was too exhausted to look at anything. Tomorrow, she would.

It was time.

…

Evan hadn’t told Marlie he knew who was responsible for Gracie’s disappearance. The only people he’d had the chance to tell were Brett and his boss. With this new development, he’d fully expected Brian to take him off the case and was grateful he hadn’t.

In the two hours since interviewing the Constantinos, they’d tried pinging Manello’s phone with no success. Bastard must have turned it off. Brett had stopped by Manello’s mother’s house. She hadn’t heard from her son in over two months. With no other leads to follow up on, the entire investigation was in a holding pattern until his boss secured a chopper.

Blue sat in front of the window, staring into the backyard at the waterfall where night lights illuminated the cascading water.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Marlie asked. “And don’t say nothing. I’m a shrink, remember? I can see into your brain and read your thoughts.”

God, he hoped not. All he was thinking about was pounding his fist into Manello’s face. The flyover was key. All it would take was for Noah to ID the camp from aerial photos. Then again, aerial photos could pose a problem. The kid was perceptive, but things would look different from the air. No matter what it took, he had to get onto that property, and he had to do it fast. Before the camp closed up shop.

“I was kidding about the mind-reading thing.” Marlie rubbed her hand up and down his arm. “But if you want to talk…”

He did but couldn’t. That promise he’d made not to keep anything from her weighed heavier every day. Didn’t matter that Brian had told him to keep his personal connection to the case a secret. By not telling her, he was betraying a confidence with someone he not only respected but cared about. And lying my ass off.

Her hair curled in delicate waves around her face. Blue shadow around her eyes made them seem two shades bluer. Deep pink lipstick made her lips even more kissable. “You look beautiful.” Whatever magic Tori and Gemma had worked he heartily approved of.

“Thank you.” She smiled up at him. “I was beginning to think you didn’t notice my hair and makeup.”

“I noticed.” He had but was too keyed-up to focus on much else. Marlie was a beautiful woman inside and out. Tori and Gemma were helping with the exterior. Marlie was finding her own inner beauty again. He saw it. Now she needed to fully see it, too.

He stroked the backs of his knuckles down her cheek, loving the softness of her skin and wanting to carry her into his bedroom again. But how could he even think about a relationship before finding the answers he sought?

The parts of his brain that had been splitting in two were now at full-on war, the need to find his sister versus the personal desires he’d cast aside his entire life to focus solely on finding her. Right now, personal need won out.

The attraction he had to Marlie was powerful and new to him. At first, he’d thought it was due to all the heightened emotions surrounding them. When he’d invited her and Noah to the wedding, he knew it was so much more. Slowly, he bent his head to kiss her glossy pink lips.

A growl rumbled in the back of Blue’s throat. He’d padded to the back door, still focusing on something outside, but now his head was lowered, the hair on his spine standing on end.

Evan flipped off the inside lights. “Easy, boy.” He rested his hand on Blue’s head, feeling the tension quivering in his dog’s body. “What do you see?”

Then he saw it. Movement. Behind the waterfall.

Someone was out there, and it wasn’t an animal.

“Stay here,” he ordered Marlie, then quietly unlocked the door and drew his Glock.

Blue bounded outside. His dog disappeared behind the waterfall and began barking.

Evan raced across the grass, adrenaline spiking his blood and pushing him faster. At the edge of the waterfall, he aimed in. In the shadows, a man cowered.

“Police! Don’t move!” He slid his finger to the trigger. Whoever this person was, Evan didn’t care. If they were after Noah, he was one trigger pull away from making them regret it. Permanently.