Run To Rome

He’d played that guy before, and he’d play him again. Starting now.

Halfway to the fridge, his step faltered. One of the drawers below the island counter stuck out a few inches. He slid it open to see the contents all jumbled around. It was the same drawer he’d put Halli’s things in, but he hadn’t done that. The neighboring drawer looked identical; everything messed up as if someone had done a hasty search.

Dread snaked down his back. The feeling escalated each step closer he took to the living room. Alarm exploded at the sight of cabinet doors hanging ajar, open closets, and cockeyed couch cushions. There was only one reason for anyone to search his place.

He froze in place, his mouth dry.

Where the hell is Halli?

He caught himself from calling out her name. He’d come in quiet enough, if anyone was still in the house he might be able to take them by surprise. With the living room obviously empty, he flattened himself against the wall to snatch a glance up the stairs. Moving silently on the plush carpet, he made his way up toward the first bedroom.

The room Sean had used.

He hadn’t been inside since the day after his brother’s funeral, not even to check the quality of the remodeling he’d hired a local company to do. Bracing himself for the living nightmare that plagued his dreams, he twisted the handle and swung open the door.

Relief nearly buckled his knees when he saw the room empty. A part of him had half expected to see Halli’s lifeless body where Sean’s had been three months ago.

Finding her became imperative. He’d left her alone and defenseless after she begged him not to. If something happened to her while he was gone—in his house—how could he not be responsible?

The three other guest rooms were empty, including the one she’d used earlier, which left his at the end of the hall. Heart hammering against his ribs, Trent threw open the door.

Halli lay on the bed, her small body curled around a pillow. Was she dead? Injured? He crossed the room in record time, forgetting to even check if she was alone. God, please let her be okay.

“Halli?”

Muttered, unintelligible words faded as she rolled onto her back. Sleeping. Thank God! His gaze swept over her, searching for any signs of injury and finding none. He sank onto the edge of the bed; his weight on the mattress shifted her body toward him.

Halli jerked awake, eyes wide with alarm.

As she scrambled backward against the headboard, pillow clutched in her arms, he held out a hand. “It’s okay. It’s me, Trent.”

The sound of crinkling, tearing paper caught his attention even as he noted the fear in her eyes subside. A downward glance made him freeze. In the next second, a white-hot spear of anger shot through him.

“What the hell—?” He reached out and snatched his notebook out from under her thigh. A page ripped out, stark white against his black bedspread. “Are you kidding me?”

“Ah…um…”

Her wide eyes were now full of guilt. She strangled the pillow against her stomach and realization brought a fresh wave of anger. Trent looked at his desk. Newspaper articles were strewn across the smooth walnut surface and the third drawer hung open.

“This was you?” He stood and swept an arm toward the desk, then the door. “And out there, too?”

“I thought you might be hiding something.”

He swung around at her defensive tone. “So you tore my house apart?”

“It’s not that bad.”

She released the pillow and set it aside, only to shrink back when he leaned over the bed, the torn page crumpled in his fist. “It looks like I was robbed.”

“Geez, relax, I’ll straighten everything up.”

She swung her feet around to climb off the bed on the opposite side. When she started for the door, Trent took two steps and caught her arm, swinging her around to face him. His fingers tightened with another mental flash of his brother’s lifeless body on the bed.

“Christ, Halli, I thought they’d found you! I thought I was going to find you dead in here.”

She stared up at him, stiff as a board, and yet sympathy swam in those big blue eyes. Damn it, that sounded like he actually cared. He bit back a growl. Well, so what if he did, it didn’t mean anything. She was another human being, after all. It made sense his character would care that much, at least.

“Where do you get off going through my things?” he demanded.