He woke to the sound of the phone ringing. Knowing his voice mail would pick up, he relaxed back onto the bed, wanting to enjoy a few more minutes with Rachel. When the phone starting ringing again, he thought, “what the hell?” Jumping up, he ran for the phone.
“Michaels, here.” Craig barked into the phone.
“I have info. How soon can you get to the security office?” Evan barked back.
“Twenty.” Craig barked back into the phone, not happy about needing to leave Rachel, but he knew Evan wouldn’t be calling unless it was important. One of the nice things about being in the Air Force together was that they didn’t need to waste time on words. He could be blunt, and Evan would understand. Disconnecting the call, he stomped to the shower.
When he got out of the shower, he stopped to check on Rachel after dressing. He wanted to make sure she was still sleeping. She looked peaceful and content.
He scribbled a note that told her where he was and left it on his pillow where she would find it in case she woke before he got back and headed to the security office.
He got there with five minutes to spare, and looking at Evan, he said, “This better be good. What’s up?” Knowing it was.
“We found the person who took Rachel’s wallet,” Evan announced.
“Great, I want to talk to her,” Dave said back.
“You can’t. She’s dead,” Evan stated flatly.
“Oh fuck,” Dave answered back, sitting down.
“F.U.B.A.R. all the way, man.”
“Fucked up beyond all recognition” was a phrase they had frequently used in the Air Force when a mission went wrong.
“Details?” Craig asked, deflated.
“Not much at this point, man. Her apartment was trashed and the body was a mess. I’ll spare you the gory parts. Needless to say, she suffered. The cops don’t have many clues, but I suspect Hawkins. Unfortunately the ass-hat seems to have disappeared. I have several operatives working on it. Kyle has pulled some contacts out of the wood and is seeing what he can find on his end. This is one big S.N.A.F.U., let me tell you.”
“Situation normal all fucked up” was another expression they had used in the Air Force.
Dave was glad to hear that Kyle was using his contacts too. Before retiring, Kyle had been one of the most-demanded bodyguards in the country, guarding everyone from movie starts to presidents. When he retired, the man was at the top of his game. His contacts could be some powerful and influential people. Craig didn’t want to think about what Kyle and Evan could do when they put their considerable resources together. He was just glad they were on his side.
“Great, man, keep me posted. Are there any clues?” Craig wasn’t surprised to find out that Evan suspected Hawkins. Hell, at this point he did too.
“No, but I have more bad news,” Evan added.
“Great, what?”
“Two more of the asses are due to be released in the next two weeks. We are beefing up security even more, and I suggest that Rachel take a leave from work until this is resolved. Kyle has put Jenna on lockdown. You don’t want to know how pissed she is.”
“I bet. He’s gonna be in the middle of a hornet’s nest. I may not be much better off,” he said with a little laugh.
“Better you two than me,” Evan answered, laughing.
The men talked for a while longer, then Craig left to check on Rachel and break the news to her. He was on bartending duty that night and needed to take a quick nap first.
When he got back to the room, Rachel was still sleeping. He quickly stripped and lay down beside her, pulling her body to spoon his. He felt her body relax into his, and the tension he had been feeling seemed to melt away. They would get through this.
When he woke several hours later, the bed was empty. Checking the rest of the suite, it was also empty. Where the hell could she be?
He grabbed a pair of jeans and pulled them and a shirt on. Slipping his feet into sneakers, he headed for the club. No sign of her there either. He ran back to the suite, and her purse and car keys were gone.
Chapter Sixteen
When Rachel woke, Craig was sleeping. Looking at him, she couldn’t believe how much she loved him. Being with him was the best thing that had ever happened to her, which was why she had to leave. Right fucking now, before she changed her mind.
Jumping up, she pulled on the first thing she saw and threw some clothes in a bag. Grabbing her purse, phone, and keys, she walked determinedly to the door, hoping she didn’t see anyone along the way. She walked cautiously past the security office, hoping to get by without any questions.