company several houses in the area.”
She glanced at the canted wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. “What sort of idiot company would pay for this wreck? Who do you work for?” Christ, why hadn’t she asked him that already? What was wrong with her?
He glanced at her sideways. “I guess you never read my card. I work for a company called Raptor.”
Shock filtered through her. “ Raptor? ”
“You’ve heard of them?”
Relief fluttered through her. John worked for Raptor. Trina’s boyfriend, Keith, was the CEO, and the private security firm had provided protection for her and Trina last summer in DC. She knew Raptor. For the first time since the crazy had started, the tension in her belly eased a fraction. She could call Trina, who could get the scoop on John from Keith. “My close friend Trina is shacked up with your CEO.”
Surprise flashed in John’s eyes. “Keith Hatcher?” he said.
She nodded. “Yes. I was living with Trina when they started dating a year ago.” She paused as the full meaning sank in. This ramshackle house was owned by Raptor.
She felt light. Relieved. “That changes everything. I lived with Trina because I was in DC for an internship at Naval History and Heritage Command. My boss was Mara Garrett—the US Attorney General’s wife. She and Curt are friends with Raptor’s owner. I’ve met him too.” She stopped abruptly and waited for John to fill in more than a name. What if he’d said he worked for Raptor because it was a convenient lie in the face of her obvious suspicion?
Chapter Twelve
T rina Sorensen leaned against her kitchen counter in her apartment in the heart of Washington, DC, and stared at the screen of her cell phone, willing it to ring. It had been over twenty-four hours since Cressida had sent the text about Todd’s sudden appearance in Antalya, and five hours since Curt called to say the body of a murdered Turkish man had been found in Cressida’s hotel room. Trina had left messages and texted Cressida several times but had received no response.
Authorities in Antalya had confirmed Cressida had caught her flight to Van, but by the time they’d located her hotel, it appeared she’d fled. The night clerk had informed the police that Cressida had returned to the hotel in torn clothing and sporting welts on her arms and neck. She claimed she’d been mugged. He also said she’d been accompanied by an American man who he thought was a guest of the hotel, but he wasn’t certain.
As far as anyone could tell, Cressida and the American had disappeared.
Was the American Todd Ganem?
After everything Todd put her through, Cressida wouldn’t be in his company unless she was under duress.
Warm arms surrounded Trina, and she released her phone as she leaned back against Keith’s chest. She closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. “If Cressida’s okay, she’d have replied to one of my texts by now.”
“She was mugged. She lost her phone.”
“But what about before she was mugged? Why didn’t she text me then?”
He stroked her hair. “For all we know, her battery died.”
She turned in his arms and hugged him. “I appreciate that you want to make me feel better, but we both know this is serious, and I need you to be honest with me about the situation instead of trying to humor me.”
“I’m not—” He stopped. After a long moment, he cradled her face and brushed his lips across hers. “Okay. I’m sorry. I’m being protective, which is not what you need right now.”
“Thank you.” She gently nudged him away so she could pace. She was anxious and needed to move. “We need to get everyone together. Curt, Mara, Lee, Erica, Alec, Isabel. Maybe we can do something. Curt can get us updates from the State Department. Maybe Lee can hack her phone and find out where she is. Alec can use his senate connections…I don’t know, for something .” She twirled to face Keith. “Don’t you have a Raptor
She glanced at the canted wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. “What sort of idiot company would pay for this wreck? Who do you work for?” Christ, why hadn’t she asked him that already? What was wrong with her?
He glanced at her sideways. “I guess you never read my card. I work for a company called Raptor.”
Shock filtered through her. “ Raptor? ”
“You’ve heard of them?”
Relief fluttered through her. John worked for Raptor. Trina’s boyfriend, Keith, was the CEO, and the private security firm had provided protection for her and Trina last summer in DC. She knew Raptor. For the first time since the crazy had started, the tension in her belly eased a fraction. She could call Trina, who could get the scoop on John from Keith. “My close friend Trina is shacked up with your CEO.”
Surprise flashed in John’s eyes. “Keith Hatcher?” he said.
She nodded. “Yes. I was living with Trina when they started dating a year ago.” She paused as the full meaning sank in. This ramshackle house was owned by Raptor.
She felt light. Relieved. “That changes everything. I lived with Trina because I was in DC for an internship at Naval History and Heritage Command. My boss was Mara Garrett—the US Attorney General’s wife. She and Curt are friends with Raptor’s owner. I’ve met him too.” She stopped abruptly and waited for John to fill in more than a name. What if he’d said he worked for Raptor because it was a convenient lie in the face of her obvious suspicion?
Chapter Twelve
T rina Sorensen leaned against her kitchen counter in her apartment in the heart of Washington, DC, and stared at the screen of her cell phone, willing it to ring. It had been over twenty-four hours since Cressida had sent the text about Todd’s sudden appearance in Antalya, and five hours since Curt called to say the body of a murdered Turkish man had been found in Cressida’s hotel room. Trina had left messages and texted Cressida several times but had received no response.
Authorities in Antalya had confirmed Cressida had caught her flight to Van, but by the time they’d located her hotel, it appeared she’d fled. The night clerk had informed the police that Cressida had returned to the hotel in torn clothing and sporting welts on her arms and neck. She claimed she’d been mugged. He also said she’d been accompanied by an American man who he thought was a guest of the hotel, but he wasn’t certain.
As far as anyone could tell, Cressida and the American had disappeared.
Was the American Todd Ganem?
After everything Todd put her through, Cressida wouldn’t be in his company unless she was under duress.
Warm arms surrounded Trina, and she released her phone as she leaned back against Keith’s chest. She closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. “If Cressida’s okay, she’d have replied to one of my texts by now.”
“She was mugged. She lost her phone.”
“But what about before she was mugged? Why didn’t she text me then?”
He stroked her hair. “For all we know, her battery died.”
She turned in his arms and hugged him. “I appreciate that you want to make me feel better, but we both know this is serious, and I need you to be honest with me about the situation instead of trying to humor me.”
“I’m not—” He stopped. After a long moment, he cradled her face and brushed his lips across hers. “Okay. I’m sorry. I’m being protective, which is not what you need right now.”
“Thank you.” She gently nudged him away so she could pace. She was anxious and needed to move. “We need to get everyone together. Curt, Mara, Lee, Erica, Alec, Isabel. Maybe we can do something. Curt can get us updates from the State Department. Maybe Lee can hack her phone and find out where she is. Alec can use his senate connections…I don’t know, for something .” She twirled to face Keith. “Don’t you have a Raptor
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