Her Twin Wilde Cowboy Masters (Wilde, Nevada 1)

“He’s the reason you’re in Wilde, right?”

“There’s something about you, Mr. Masters, that makes it so hard to hold back anything.” She closed her eyes and let out a long, shaky sigh. “So much for my talent of keeping things secret.”

“I don’t like the sound of that.” He cupped her chin and turned her face to his. “Open your eyes.”

She obeyed.

“Trust me.”

“You know me as Mackenzie Hill.” She blinked several times. “My real name is Kristen Mackenzie Green. My brother is in trouble, and I’m here to save him.”

Mackenzie was here to save someone? If her brother was really in trouble, she might be in danger. His need to care for an innocent exploded, beginning in the center of his chest and expanding throughout his entire body. Every muscle tightened. This was more than helping just any woman in need, which he and his brother would do without hesitating. His crushing longing to protect was about her—Mackenzie.

She was in Wilde under pretense looking for her family member. In his gut he knew she was way too close to some pretty dangerous shit. He wasn’t exactly sure what, but he was certain he would find out.

He took her delicate hands and squeezed gently. “Tell me about your brother.”

* * * *

Mac felt overwhelmed and lost. Her alleged super investigative reporter skills hadn’t gotten her a fraction of an inch closer to finding Trent. She’d like to blame her guard being down to the whiskey, but it wasn’t true. She was scared, even more than she’d been when she’d first visited his apartment.

Could she really trust Wade? She wanted to. God, she needed an advocate in the worst way. Someone local to side with, to bounce theories off of, to get the real scoop on Austin Wilde. Even though Jessie was a friend, she was also Austin’s wife. Charly couldn’t be an advocate since Jessie was her cousin. Mac was beginning to think Austin might not be involved at all. But if not him, then who? Her investigative skills were failing her when she needed them most.

“Tell me, sweetheart.” Wade brushed the hair out of her eyes. “You’re carrying quite a load.”

She took another drink of the whiskey, hoping to quiet her nerves.

“No one has seen or heard from him in quite a while. Three months. God, has it really been that long?” Her shoulders sagged. Other than her grandfather, who she hadn’t seen in several weeks, she’d told no one. Telling Wade felt good in a way, if only slightly.

“People do choose to drop off the grid, Mackenzie. Maybe like they say in Australia, he’s on a walkabout?”

“He wouldn’t have left without talking to me, Wade. One of his longtime employees got ahold of me and told me he hadn’t been at the office in several days, so I went to his apartment.”

“What did you find?”

She closed her eyes and pictured Trent’s place. “My brother’s OCD would shock most, but he learned how to tamp it down everywhere but in his home. When I saw the empty glass in the sink, I knew something was wrong. Trent would’ve never left a dirty dish out.”

“Maybe his condition improved.” Wade’s tone was kind and yet probing.

“Don’t try to make me feel better. I know my brother.”

“Have you gone to the police?”

“Of course. No help there either. They found drugs, a lot of drugs, in his office. Drugs? Like Trent’s some kind of junkie. He’s a businessman. He has one of the premier landscaping firms in Denver.”

“He’s not an addi

ct? Are you sure? People do keep secrets, doll. Even brothers sometimes.”

She glared at him. “Not me and Trent. He was a health fanatic, Wade.” She brought her hand up to her mouth. Oh my God! Had she really said “was” when she’d mentioned her brother? She blinked back the tears.

“Mackenzie, I know this must be hard to talk about.”

“Talk about. Think about. Dream about. Yes, it’s hard. It’s a nightmare.”

“Anything else you found in his apartment that tipped you off about his disappearance?”

She nodded. “In the pocket of his favorite jacket I discovered a napkin. Like I said before, his OCD wouldn’t have tolerated such a thing, so I knew it had to be a clue.”