by Marci Bolden
Copyright © 2019 by Marci Bolden
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover design by Okay Creations
ebook layout by Lori Colbeck
ebook ISBN-13: 978-1-950348-29-9
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Continue HEARTS Series with Secret Hearts
The Women of HEARTS Book Four
Also by Marci Bolden
About the Author
Prologue
The knot in Mandy’s stomach tightened as she parked beneath the motel sign. Two of the letters flickered before finally going out. That seemed to be a warning. Sirens wailing in the distance were a second red flag. A voice in the back of her mind told her to drive away. Leave and never look back.
She ignored the voice and the warning signs.
She’d been promised two hundred dollars for less than an hour’s worth of work. She desperately needed the money. She couldn’t come up with yet another excuse to ask her brother for cash. If he found out that she’d spent her book budget—and not on books—he’d flip out. He wouldn’t care that the drugs helped her sleep better than any prescription her doctor had ever given her. Over-the-counter sleep aids didn’t touch her insomnia or stop the nightmares that haunted her. Her big brother had always been one of those straight-arrow types. If he found out she spent his money on pot and pills, he’d give the lecture to end all lectures. He’d also never give her another penny.
Two hundred dollars. That was all she needed now to buy her books for the semester. Then she’d be set for a few months, which would give her enough time to figure out her next move. Two hundred dollars would be enough.
Mustering up her courage, she climbed out of her car and stared at the line of numbered doors on the second floor. The man who’d answered her call told her to go to room 212.
The sky beyond the sign matched her gloomy mood. A light rain started to fall. She just hoped she could get through the modeling shoot before the clouds opened up and started to pour. She wanted to get back to her dorm before her roommate crawled into bed. They weren’t on the friendliest terms as it was, but Tina got pissy when Mandy came in after ten.
Swallowing hard while she ignored the screaming in her mind, Mandy started up the flight of stairs. She had to walk on her toes because the slatted stairs tried to swallow the points of her high heels. The ad specifically said she needed to wear a short black dress and black heels. Luckily she had both. Though her shoes were scuffed, she’d done her best to cover the damage with a marker.
Peering back at the car that used to be her mother’s, Mandy thought she heard Mom’s voice above all the others in her head.
Go home, baby girl, she seemed to whisper.
Mandy shoved the thought away as she moved along the second-floor balcony. How would she explain that she couldn’t afford books for the next semester? How could she explain that she’d accumulated so much student loan debt before the end of her sophomore year that she couldn’t get another loan without a co-signer?
She also couldn’t tell her brother that her credit cards—the ones he didn’t know she had—were maxed out. Nineteen and so far in debt she already didn’t have a way out? No. She couldn’t tell him that. Dean would never understand how she’d let this happen.
She needed this money. This would only be an hour of her life. She could do anything for an hour.
Mandy rolled her shoulders, ran her fingers over her short hair, and then knocked on the door to room 212. She prayed that the answer to all her problems was just on the other side.
1
Alexa Rodriguez had spent the last twelve years obsessing about the night her older sister had disappeared. Lanie had been there one minute. The next, she’d vanished. Poof. She was never seen again. The questions surrounding her kidnapping had never been answered. Hope that they ever would be had long ago evaporated.
Just like any traces of Lanie.
Alexa had spent so much of her teen years learning how to work missing persons cases that she hadn’t considered any career other than becoming a private investigator. She didn’t want to be a cop, or a federal agent, or the teacher her abuela had tried to convince her to become. Her grandmother preferred she do something “safe,” but Alexa had been preparing for solving cases most of her life. Even so, cases like the one unfolding before her had a way of shaking her to her core.
“She wouldn’t have left without telling me.” Dean Campbell had said those exact words at least four times since sitting at the table in the HEARTS Investigations conference room. “My little sister is in trouble.”
“We believe you,” Alexa said in a soothing tone she’d learned from her abuela.
Dean met Alexa’s gaze, and the desperation in his light brown eyes broke her heart. He scowled, causing the lines around his mouth to deepen, aging him before her eyes. He was no older than thirty, but the crease between his brows had yet to ease and he had a seemingly permanent frown on his thin lips. His shaggy hair was unkempt in a way that she didn’t think was usual for him. He had dragged his fingers through the brown strands enough in the last fifteen minutes for her to recognize it as a nervous habit. He was genuinely distressed. So, yes, Alexa believed that he believed his sister was in trouble. She’d have to confirm that before she believed it, but his conviction was enough for her to want to comfort him.
Holly Austin, lead investigator for HEARTS, stared at Alexa in that way she always did whenever she worried about a case hitting too close to home for one of her teammates. Holly didn’t think Alexa working missing persons cases was healthy, but at the same time, Alexa was the best one for the job.
“What do you think?” Holly asked pointedly. She wasn’t asking what Alexa thought of the case. She was asking if Alexa was up for taking the case. Holly was the lead investigator for a reason. Not only because she was brilliant and strong enough to shoulder the weight, but because—whether she wanted to be or not—she was the most in tune with the others on her team.
Alexa loved that Holly always took the time to think before agreeing to take on a case. She might not be good a verbalizing how much she cared about her team, but she showed it every day in the way she looked out for them in little ways.
Dean sat across the table, his dark eyes moving from one PI to the other. “Is there a problem?”
Shaking her head, Alexa offered him a warm smile. While Holly’s talent was assessing if one of her teammates was up for a case, Alexa’s strength was reassuring their clients. “No. No problem. We’re going to do everything we can to help you find Mandy. You’ll be working directly with me, but my team will be kept informed on the case to make sure I don’t overlook anything. I can’t make you any promises, Dean, other than that every one of us will be dedicated to bringing your sister home.”
Relief wasn’t exactly the look on his face, but hope seemed to light in his eyes. “The police w
on’t do a damn thing.”
“She’s nineteen, legally an adult,” Alexa said. “Unless there’s reason to believe she has been hurt or left against her will, there isn’t much they can do.”
“She might be an adult, but I still take care of her. I pay her living expenses so she can focus on school. I haven’t heard from her for a month. She wouldn’t leave without telling me. I’m her brother, for God’s sake.” Raking his fingers through his brown hair, he didn’t notice—or maybe he didn’t care—that the strands were now standing on end. “Do you think she left against her will?”
“I’m going to find out.” Opening her notebook, she scribbled Mandy’s name at the top.
“We’re going to ask questions, Mr. Campbell,” Holly said. “Some may be personal and hard to answer, but we need you to be absolutely honest. Nothing you tell us will leave our team, and none of us are here to judge you or Mandy. Your transparency is crucial to helping us locate her. Understand?”
He nodded, but a hint of defensiveness was evident in the way he sat a little taller. That was normal. Nobody liked strangers digging into their private business.
“You said that you moved back home after your mother passed away?”
“We haven’t had much contact with our dad since our parents divorced. After college, I moved to Chicago, where I was a graphic designer. When Mom got sick three years ago, I came back to take care of her. After she passed away, I moved back permanently. Mandy was still in high school, and I didn’t want her to have to change schools. She was traumatized enough by losing our mom, and I can work from anywhere.”
“You’ve checked with your father?” Alexa asked. “She’s not there?”
“No. She’s not there.” He almost sounded angry about that. “She barely speaks to him.”
“Had you and your sister fought recently?” Alexa asked.
“No. We talked at least once a week when she was at college. She seemed distracted lately, but we hadn’t fought.”
Alexa made a note of that fact. “Did she say why she was distracted?”
“No. I asked, but she said she had a lot going on with finals.”
“Finals?” Holly creased her brow. “Didn’t you say she went missing in August?”
“Yes. She went to school over the summer as well. She’s determined to finish two majors in four years.” Pride sounded in his voice. “She’s studying journalism and marketing.”
Alexa smiled. “She’s a hard worker.”
“Too hard.” His proud look faded back to one of concern. “I wanted her to take the summer off, but two of the classes being offered wouldn’t fit in her schedule during fall semester. She worried if she didn’t take them, she would have to postpone graduation another semester. I tried to tell her that wasn’t a big deal, but she wanted to finish…” He took a breath. “I said that already, didn’t I?”
Alexa reassured him with another smile. “It’s okay. We know you’re under a lot of stress right now. Did you ever meet any of the friends she’d made at college?”
“Just her roommate and only in passing. Mandy didn’t care for her too much. They didn’t have real conflict that she spoke of, but she said they didn’t mesh.”
Alexa scribbled a note to check in with the roommate. “Was Mandy dating?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Did you usually know if she was dating?” Holly asked. She lifted her hand to stop him from lashing out when he reared back, as if offended. “Some big brothers can be a little too overprotective. When that happens, little sisters keep secrets.”
His face tensed. “My sister wasn’t keeping secrets from me, Ms. Austin.”
“She didn’t mean any offense,” Alexa soothed. “We just need to know how close you are with your sister.”
“We talked at least once a week,” he reiterated. “She never mentioned any problems or concerns. Or a boyfriend. She seemed to be enjoying school. The next thing I know, she’s stopped answering her phone and she’s stopped posting on her social media accounts. You’d think that would be enough to raise some damn red flags, but I talked to her roommate. She left school willingly. The police said she probably moved and didn’t let me know because she thought I’d be mad about her leaving school. But that doesn’t make sense. Yeah, I’d be frustrated and upset, but it’s not like I wouldn’t get over it. Something is wrong.”
Alexa reached across the table and put her hand on his. “We understand. We’re going to do everything we can—”
“To find her,” he finished in a flat tone.
Closing her notebook, Alexa sat back. He was shutting down. She didn’t blame him. He’d likely answered these same questions a hundred times while trying to convince the police his sister was in trouble. However, if he shut HEARTS out, he was going to forget something that could be vital to their case. God love Holly, but there were times her straightforward approach wasn’t the best way.
“Would you take me to your house?” Alexa asked. “I’d like to take a look at her room and get a better feel for her.”
“She’s lived on campus the last year and a half.”
“I know. But she still has a room at home, doesn’t she? Seeing her space might help me figure out who she’d turn to or where she’d go.”
His frown implied he didn’t see the point, but he nodded his agreement. “Sure.”
“Give me one minute to gather my things.” Alexa pushed herself up and eyed Holly in a silent bid for her to follow.
“He’s not telling us something,” Holly said the moment she closed the conference room door between them and Mr. Campbell.
“I agree. I’ll get it out of him.”
“I don’t like you going off with him—”
“He’s not the bad guy, Holly.” She didn’t mean her words to sound so clipped, but they had. Overprotective was one way to describe Holly. She’d become more so after one of her cases had taken a bad turn and she’d gotten shot. Softening her approach, Alexa said, “I’ll check in periodically.”
Holly looked at the closed door, as if debating how to respond. “Keep him in your sights until you get a better feel for him. Be aware of your surroundings, Lex. I know you know this, but it’s my responsibility to remind you. And take your tracker, or Rene will kick your ass. We all will.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
In her office, Alexa opened the top drawer of her desk. After tucking the small wallet she carried inside her back pocket, she double-checked that her Beretta sat in the holster on her hip and the personal tracker Rene, one of her teammates, insisted they all carry sat in her right front pocket.
With her phone in one hand and car keys in the other, she rejoined her new client, ready to help him find his sister.
Dean climbed out of his car and waited while Alexa parked beside him in the wide driveway. He was glad she’d agreed to take his case. He didn’t doubt the other investigator’s abilities, but Holly had been more pointed in her questions than Alexa. The tall brunette who had followed him home was softer. He needed that right now. He felt like shit for not knowing where Mandy was. Maybe it was selfish on his part, but he didn’t need one more person making him feel like a bad brother.
“This is a lovely home, Dean.” Alexa rounded the front of her black sedan, adjusting her blazer. For the first time, he realized she was carrying a gun.
Maybe if he’d taught Mandy how to handle a gun…
Shaking the thought from his head, Dean muttered his thanks before guiding Alexa to the front door. Even now, he had a hard time thinking of this as his home. He’d left for college and hadn’t returned until his mother had become so ill she couldn’t care for herself. This was her home. He felt like a visitor, despite having grown up here. The house looked like every other on the street. As October moved in, the grass was losing the bright green of summer and a few leaves had fallen, but the lawn was nearly immaculate.
The small porch leading to the front door didn’t show signs of autumn or Halloween like the other ho
uses. Decorations sat in labeled boxes on the shelves in the garage but hadn’t been opened since his mom died three years ago. She was the one who would spend an entire afternoon digging out wooden witches and pumpkins and setting them out just so.
Their home had looked like something out of a decorating magazine when she was alive. He missed that sometimes. He’d never really understood her need to change everything with the season, but sometimes he did miss it.
After she died, he’d tried to keep up appearances for Mandy’s sake, but once his sister went off to college, he really didn’t see the point. He hadn’t even put up a Christmas tree last year. Mandy’s disappointment had been like a knife in his heart. She’d walked in with a smile on her face, but the moment she looked toward the corner of the living room where the tree had stood every year, her face sagged at the emptiness.
He’d justified to her, and to himself, that she was old enough now that they didn’t need to do all that stuff. He’d felt guilty, though. He hadn’t meant to ruin her holiday, but he had. He hadn’t realized how much that tree had meant to her.
He was going to change that this year. He was determined to have her home by Christmas, and he was going to put up that damned tree and hang garland and set out all the various Santa Clauses and elves and snowmen their mother had collected over the years.
It was going to look like St. Nick himself had vomited on the Campbell house by the time he was done. He just needed Mandy to come home first.
“Dean?”
He blinked. He hadn’t realized he’d stopped moving until Alexa spoke his name. Her soothing voice pulled him from his self-reflection. Swallowing, he looked around the barren porch. “I didn’t decorate for Christmas last year.”