You Belong With Me (With Me in Seattle 14)

“There’s no one here, but someone definitely ransacked the place.”

Bile rises in my throat.

“Can I go in?”

“Yes, ma’am. We need you to tell us if anything is missing.”

There’s only one thing of value in there.

I run inside and up to my bedroom, wanting to sob at the sight of my little cottage. I hurry to the dresser, open the bottom drawer, and breathe a sigh of relief when I see the photo of my grandmother, exactly where I put it days ago.

Whoever was here, they didn’t find it.

But the rest of my place is in shambles. Furniture turned upside down, cabinets open, drawer contents spilled. It’s a disaster.

And it’s going to take days to clean it up.

“I don’t know if anything’s been taken,” I say when I step back outside. “It’s too much of a mess to know off-hand.”

The officer nods and passes me a card. “Call me anytime if you discover anything’s gone. We’ve had a string of auto theft in the area, and my guess is they’re getting braver. Especially since your place is secluded.”

He nods, shakes Archer’s hand, and then both officers leave.

“I’m going to throw up.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Archer says, rubbing a big circle over my back. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I have a bad feeling, Arch. I think it’s the family.”

“We don’t know that. You heard him, it’s probably kids. You need to gather up a few things and come home with me. I have a state-of-the-art security system, and no one even knows I’m here.”

I nod in agreement. “Thank you. I think I’ll take you up on your offer.”

“Come on. Let’s get you home.”Chapter 11~Archer~She’s been sitting on the balcony with her knees drawn up to her chest, watching the sea, since we got home two hours ago. She’s hardly said a word. Her dark hair blows around her face in the breeze, and her expression is sober.

But I can see it in her gorgeous, unusual eyes.

She’s scared.

And that pisses me right the fuck off.

“Here’s some tea.” I set it on the wide armrest of the chair and sit next to her.

“I’m not sick,” she reminds me and tries to offer me a smile.

“It’s just tea, E.” I can’t help but touch her. Maybe I need the reassurance as much as she does. I reach out to link my fingers with hers and give them a squeeze. “You heard the officer. It’s probably kids.”

She doesn’t touch the mug. Doesn’t tear her eyes away from the water. But her fingers tremble in mine.

“I have a bad feeling,” she says as she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “A very bad feeling.”

“Hey.” I pull her out of her chair and settle her in my lap, kiss her temple, and cuddle her close. “You’re safe here, E.”

She doesn’t reply. She just leans her head on my shoulder and continues watching the water.

“What would you normally do after work?” I ask.

“Run errands, maybe go to lunch with Lindsey. Perhaps try to get a walk in at the beach.”

“You should take that walk. It’ll help.”

She looks at me now and then kisses my cheek. “Do you mind if I go alone?”

I don’t want to admit that I’d prefer that she go alone. I have some things to do, and I’d rather she wasn’t here when I do them.

“I don’t mind at all. Enjoy your walk.”

She stands and takes a sip of her now-cold tea. “Thanks for this, too.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I won’t be long.”

“Take all the time you need.”

She doesn’t have to go back inside to get shoes or a jacket. She just jogs down the staircase that leads to the sand and takes off to the south, toward the rocks we ran to together.

I take a moment to watch her, and then I walk inside to my office, sit at the computer, and make a phone call.

“This is Montgomery.”

“This is also Montgomery,” I reply to my cousin, Matt. “Bad time?”

“I’m home today,” he replies. “What’s going on?”

“Is your line secure?”

He’s quiet on the other end for a moment. I hear him walking, then the sound of a door closing.

“How secure do you need, Archer?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, already regretting this call. Still, I trust my relatives implicitly, and I need information. It’s handy having a police detective in the family.

“Arch?”

“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “I need some information, and I can’t tell you why I need it.”

“That’s not really how this works.”

“I know. Matt, I found Elena. Let’s just say what I need to know involves her family, and if they were to find out that I was looking, or trace me to where we are, it could be incredibly dangerous for her.”

“What do you want to know?”

“I need to know what their movements have been. Specifically, if they’ve traveled out of state. And if so, where.”