out of the navy, as was Seth. Cody
was barely twenty—and she didn’t know about the coin toss. But we
knew something had to be done to help her. So we flipped a coin,
and I proposed the next day. Then entered Quantico the day after
that. We were married a week later.”
“ So did you love her at
all?” Carrie would never marry someone unless she loved him
completely. That’s what marriage was about, and what her mother had
told her to do. She’d told Carrie when she was a small girl to only
marry the man she loved. Otherwise, you were asking for
heartache.
He was silent for a moment
as he dished out pasta. “Yes. I did. Still do. And I won’t lie, we
had a healthy married life—when we were together. I was almost
always away on some case or another, and she was busy with first
classes, then her own work with the Bureau. She went through the
Academy, but has since joined forensics. She’s one hell of a
mechanic. Anything with an engine from mopeds to helicopters, she
can handle. But when we were together we were happy. Apparently,
she thought we both deserved more. She was right. We still keep in
close touch, emails and phone calls. I visit when I’m in Indy. I
see her more now than I did when we were married, or more than I
see my own sister.”
“ And she didn’t get with
your brother?”
“ Seth is more nomadic than
I am.”
“ What do your brothers
do?”
“ Agency. Both of them. Sin
is located at Quantico, has a team of his own. Seth...Seth is a
ghost.”
“ He’s dead?”
“ No. But no one is entirely
certain which agency Seth works for. And he’s never said. Eat. Once
we’re done, we can make a game plan of who we need to speak to
tomorrow. I want to speak with Sherry, her boyfriend, Ashleigh’s
friends, and teachers.”
It took Carrie a minute to
switch her focus, when she did, she placed her fork on her plate.
“Someone, somewhere, knows why this little girl ran
away.”
“ We just have to find that
someone.”
Chapter 26
*****
She’d never be warm again.
The rain had soaked her to the skin, but that didn’t matter. She
was already so cold.
She hiked her bag up over
her shoulder, her grip tight. She couldn’t lose it—it held the only
thing that she had to use as a bargaining chip if he caught her
again.
What was on it and why did
he want it so badly?
She shivered again. He’d
kill to get it; she knew he would. And here in St. Louis she was
back on his turf.
But she’d had no other
choice. Not when she’d seen him watching her dad’s house yesterday
afternoon. She knew he’d seen her—that’s why she had run as fast as
she could. She’d seen the bus station and had darted inside. She’d
been lucky, and she knew it.
Now she needed to find
someplace to sleep for the night. She wanted a bed. And food. And
blankets that were warm and soft and clean. A shelter, perhaps. Was
there any in St. Louis? Ashleigh didn’t know, but if she could find
a phone book she might find a listing. It’s what she’d done in
Louisville, although she’d been careful not to stay there for too
long. If he started checking shelters he would find her.
But not tonight. She’d risk
it tonight.
She just wanted a warm safe
place to sleep again…
Chapter 27
*****
Sebastian spread the files
out over the coffee table, while Carrie took the cat into the
bedroom to feed him. The privacy gave him a moment to reflect on
their dinner conversation. Sebastian missed being married. He
wouldn’t deny that. He and Cody had had a strong relationship built
entirely on friendship. They’d slept together—he wasn’t the type of
man for extramarital affairs, but he was a man. And Cody was a very
beautiful woman.
Sebastian did miss being
married, even though five years had passed. Why had he never
realized that before?
Carrie returned, wearing
loose knit pants and a white tank top. Probably what she intended
to sleep in. In his bed. Red hair loose over his pillow, his silk
sheets around her.
was barely twenty—and she didn’t know about the coin toss. But we
knew something had to be done to help her. So we flipped a coin,
and I proposed the next day. Then entered Quantico the day after
that. We were married a week later.”
“ So did you love her at
all?” Carrie would never marry someone unless she loved him
completely. That’s what marriage was about, and what her mother had
told her to do. She’d told Carrie when she was a small girl to only
marry the man she loved. Otherwise, you were asking for
heartache.
He was silent for a moment
as he dished out pasta. “Yes. I did. Still do. And I won’t lie, we
had a healthy married life—when we were together. I was almost
always away on some case or another, and she was busy with first
classes, then her own work with the Bureau. She went through the
Academy, but has since joined forensics. She’s one hell of a
mechanic. Anything with an engine from mopeds to helicopters, she
can handle. But when we were together we were happy. Apparently,
she thought we both deserved more. She was right. We still keep in
close touch, emails and phone calls. I visit when I’m in Indy. I
see her more now than I did when we were married, or more than I
see my own sister.”
“ And she didn’t get with
your brother?”
“ Seth is more nomadic than
I am.”
“ What do your brothers
do?”
“ Agency. Both of them. Sin
is located at Quantico, has a team of his own. Seth...Seth is a
ghost.”
“ He’s dead?”
“ No. But no one is entirely
certain which agency Seth works for. And he’s never said. Eat. Once
we’re done, we can make a game plan of who we need to speak to
tomorrow. I want to speak with Sherry, her boyfriend, Ashleigh’s
friends, and teachers.”
It took Carrie a minute to
switch her focus, when she did, she placed her fork on her plate.
“Someone, somewhere, knows why this little girl ran
away.”
“ We just have to find that
someone.”
Chapter 26
*****
She’d never be warm again.
The rain had soaked her to the skin, but that didn’t matter. She
was already so cold.
She hiked her bag up over
her shoulder, her grip tight. She couldn’t lose it—it held the only
thing that she had to use as a bargaining chip if he caught her
again.
What was on it and why did
he want it so badly?
She shivered again. He’d
kill to get it; she knew he would. And here in St. Louis she was
back on his turf.
But she’d had no other
choice. Not when she’d seen him watching her dad’s house yesterday
afternoon. She knew he’d seen her—that’s why she had run as fast as
she could. She’d seen the bus station and had darted inside. She’d
been lucky, and she knew it.
Now she needed to find
someplace to sleep for the night. She wanted a bed. And food. And
blankets that were warm and soft and clean. A shelter, perhaps. Was
there any in St. Louis? Ashleigh didn’t know, but if she could find
a phone book she might find a listing. It’s what she’d done in
Louisville, although she’d been careful not to stay there for too
long. If he started checking shelters he would find her.
But not tonight. She’d risk
it tonight.
She just wanted a warm safe
place to sleep again…
Chapter 27
*****
Sebastian spread the files
out over the coffee table, while Carrie took the cat into the
bedroom to feed him. The privacy gave him a moment to reflect on
their dinner conversation. Sebastian missed being married. He
wouldn’t deny that. He and Cody had had a strong relationship built
entirely on friendship. They’d slept together—he wasn’t the type of
man for extramarital affairs, but he was a man. And Cody was a very
beautiful woman.
Sebastian did miss being
married, even though five years had passed. Why had he never
realized that before?
Carrie returned, wearing
loose knit pants and a white tank top. Probably what she intended
to sleep in. In his bed. Red hair loose over his pillow, his silk
sheets around her.
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