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“Don't stop.”

Fuck.

I tighten my grip on her hips and give her what she's asking for, changing the angle until another broken moan leaves her.

“Right there,” she gasps.

I keep the same rhythm until her body tightens around me again.

This time I follow her over the edge, my release tearing through me as my body tenses behind hers.

I roll off her, dispose of the condom, and pull her into my arms, settling us both under the covers. She curls against my chest, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my skin, and for a few precious minutes, I let myself have this.

***

By evening, the apartment is quiet again.

Cora is in the living room, working on something for school, while I finish a workout and head into the shower. The hot water does little to clear my mind, and by the time I step into my bedroom with a towel around my waist, my phone is already ringing.

Royal's name flashes across the screen. I answer immediately. “What?”

River’s voice comes through first, Royal apparently having me on speaker. “Nice to know you missed me.”

I pause. “You’re back?”

“In Atlanta.”

I grab a pair of sweatpants. “When?”

“About an hour ago.”

My stomach tightens. “You find Dan?”

The silence on the other end tells me everything. “Fuck.”

Royal sighs. “River checked everything we could think of in D.C. There’s no trace of him.”

I sit on the edge of the bed. “What about the house?”

“Nothing useful,” River says. “It looks like someone knew what they were looking for. I found signs that parts of the place had been searched, but nothing that tells us where they took him.”

“They?”

“Assumption,” River says. “But a good one.”

My jaw tightens. “What about the missing-person report?”

River is quiet for a second. “His boss waited too long before filing. There is something suspicious about that.”

I contemplate his words and hum in agreement. “We might have to interrogate the boss, but it’ll have to wait.”

Royal speaks next. “Dan didn’t show up for work. His boss should have reported that immediately, especially considering how unusual it was for him.”

“Yeah. What else?”

Royal answers. “I’ve narrowed down some of Duggan’s connections.”

I lean forward. “What kind of connections?”