man slammed the door in his face.
Nicholas was glad she wasn’t living in this neighborhood anymore, but he wanted to know where she moved to. What if it was worse than this?
He drove to the bar she worked at. Once there, he waited impatiently for the bartender to quit flirting with the waitresses to come to take his order.
“I don’t want anything. I’m looking for Ria.”
“Why?”
Nicholas bit back his anger. “I’m a friend of hers.”
“If you were a friend of hers, you would know she doesn’t work here anymore.” The snarky comment almost earned the bartender a punch in the face, but he couldn’t preach to Ty about controlling his temper if he couldn’t do it himself.
“She quit?”
“Yes. Two nights ago. Look, I’m busy; you want a drink or not?”
Nicholas didn’t answer, walking away. It seemed that Ria had drastically changed her life after their date. What had happened?
Nicholas took a chance and decided to find the only person that he thought might have the answers he wanted.
* * *
He met Lacey by the ER entrance.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you when you’re on duty, but I was worried about Ria.”
“I am, too. She tried to call two days ago when I was on duty. I couldn’t answer.” Lacey’s worried eyes caught his. “She texted me a few minutes later, asking to borrow some money. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I’m so worried.”
“I want to help her if I can find her.”
Lacey sighed. “When I called her back, she answered and said she didn’t need the money anymore; that everything was fine. I don’t believe her. She told me she got a new apartment, and when she had time, she’d have me over to dinner. I talked to one of the cops that came in here, and he said, since I talked to her and she seemed okay, she’s not missing.”
“If she calls again or you find out where she is, will you call me?” Nick handed her a piece of paper with his number.
“Yes.”
Nicholas started to turn away, but Lacey caught his arm.
“I’ve known Ria since high school, and she’s never even borrowed lunch money off me. Something’s wrong.”
“I’ll try to find her,” Nicholas promised.
* * *
“Go low,” Zane called out.
Nick barely missed the fist that was about to slam into his jaw. Moving quickly, he dropped, sweeping his leg out to knock Mario off his feet.
“Good. That’s it for today.” Zane picked up a couple of towels, tossing one to him before tossing the other toward Mario.
“Another month and you should be ready to go back in the ring.”
It had been two months since he had been able to stop wearing his sling and Ria had disa ppeared. He had used his contacts and even hired an investigator; however, there hadn’t been a single trace of her.
Lacey had received three phone calls from her, but she had never divulged where she was, merely telling her friend she was okay and working steadily. Nicholas had stopped trying to call her because the number she had given him no longer worked, and he had traced the number she had called Lacey from only to find it was from a throwaway phone.
“Where’s Ty? He was supposed to go running with me,” Nick asked Zane. He wanted to take a quick run before he showered.
He looked toward the door as Ty came rushing in.
“Sorry I’m late. Give me a minute.” Ty went into the changing rooms while Nick stretched.
“Something’s going on with him,” Zane said after he left.
“I know. I was hoping he would tell me what’s going on by now.”
Ty hadn’t opened up to him at all. He had won the first two minor fights that Nicholas had set up for him, but had asked to take a break before another one. It had surprised Nick. Usually, once they started their fights, a fighter kept wanting to advance.
Ty returned in his running shorts and shoes. “I’m ready.”
“We’ll be back in a few.” Nick told Zane.
The two men ran in unison, side-by-side, neither trying to outdo the other. The goal was
Nicholas was glad she wasn’t living in this neighborhood anymore, but he wanted to know where she moved to. What if it was worse than this?
He drove to the bar she worked at. Once there, he waited impatiently for the bartender to quit flirting with the waitresses to come to take his order.
“I don’t want anything. I’m looking for Ria.”
“Why?”
Nicholas bit back his anger. “I’m a friend of hers.”
“If you were a friend of hers, you would know she doesn’t work here anymore.” The snarky comment almost earned the bartender a punch in the face, but he couldn’t preach to Ty about controlling his temper if he couldn’t do it himself.
“She quit?”
“Yes. Two nights ago. Look, I’m busy; you want a drink or not?”
Nicholas didn’t answer, walking away. It seemed that Ria had drastically changed her life after their date. What had happened?
Nicholas took a chance and decided to find the only person that he thought might have the answers he wanted.
* * *
He met Lacey by the ER entrance.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you when you’re on duty, but I was worried about Ria.”
“I am, too. She tried to call two days ago when I was on duty. I couldn’t answer.” Lacey’s worried eyes caught his. “She texted me a few minutes later, asking to borrow some money. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I’m so worried.”
“I want to help her if I can find her.”
Lacey sighed. “When I called her back, she answered and said she didn’t need the money anymore; that everything was fine. I don’t believe her. She told me she got a new apartment, and when she had time, she’d have me over to dinner. I talked to one of the cops that came in here, and he said, since I talked to her and she seemed okay, she’s not missing.”
“If she calls again or you find out where she is, will you call me?” Nick handed her a piece of paper with his number.
“Yes.”
Nicholas started to turn away, but Lacey caught his arm.
“I’ve known Ria since high school, and she’s never even borrowed lunch money off me. Something’s wrong.”
“I’ll try to find her,” Nicholas promised.
* * *
“Go low,” Zane called out.
Nick barely missed the fist that was about to slam into his jaw. Moving quickly, he dropped, sweeping his leg out to knock Mario off his feet.
“Good. That’s it for today.” Zane picked up a couple of towels, tossing one to him before tossing the other toward Mario.
“Another month and you should be ready to go back in the ring.”
It had been two months since he had been able to stop wearing his sling and Ria had disa ppeared. He had used his contacts and even hired an investigator; however, there hadn’t been a single trace of her.
Lacey had received three phone calls from her, but she had never divulged where she was, merely telling her friend she was okay and working steadily. Nicholas had stopped trying to call her because the number she had given him no longer worked, and he had traced the number she had called Lacey from only to find it was from a throwaway phone.
“Where’s Ty? He was supposed to go running with me,” Nick asked Zane. He wanted to take a quick run before he showered.
He looked toward the door as Ty came rushing in.
“Sorry I’m late. Give me a minute.” Ty went into the changing rooms while Nick stretched.
“Something’s going on with him,” Zane said after he left.
“I know. I was hoping he would tell me what’s going on by now.”
Ty hadn’t opened up to him at all. He had won the first two minor fights that Nicholas had set up for him, but had asked to take a break before another one. It had surprised Nick. Usually, once they started their fights, a fighter kept wanting to advance.
Ty returned in his running shorts and shoes. “I’m ready.”
“We’ll be back in a few.” Nick told Zane.
The two men ran in unison, side-by-side, neither trying to outdo the other. The goal was
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