Worth the Risk (Worth It 2)
“No, we agreed it would happen after the Worthwhile launch, and that’s at the end of the week.” Alex frowned. Hunter’s final hope was dashed, just like that. “Has she called in? Maybe she’s sick.”
“She’s not sick.” He didn’t think she was. But he knew he was sick with worry. Where the hell could she be? Why wouldn’t she return his calls or texts? He’d been burning up the phone lines since early Saturday morning, and there’d been no word of her.
It was now Monday morning. And he had no idea where she was. Who was she with? Was she safe? Had something happened to her? Or was she so pissed she couldn’t even bother to call him back? So completely angry that she refused to come into work? Would she really risk her job because of what he considered a minor argument?
He didn’t know. And that fact alone was slowly killing him.
“Then where is she?”
Hunter sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. He hadn’t shaved since Friday, and he was so tired his eyeballs hurt. He must look like absolute hell. “I have to come clean with you, man. Gracie and I, we’ve sort of been seeing each other.’
Alex remained quiet for so long Hunter finally couldn’t stand it. “Aren’t you going to say something?”
“I suspected it,” was all he offered.
Hunter growled. “That’s all I get? No, that’s not a smart move, why the hell are you sleeping with an employee? None of that judgmental crap you’re so good at dishing out?”
Alex flinched, and Hunter immediately felt like shit. He’d dealt Alex a low blow. “Who am I to judge? I married my personal assistant.”
“It’s different between you and Tessa. You fell in love.”
“And you’re not in love with Gracie?”
Hunter frowned. Christ, was he? He cared about her. Thought about her constantly. And the thought of losing her again…it twisted up his guts and made him want to throw up. “I have no fucking idea what I feel for her. I just know I’m worried. She won’t return my calls.”
“When did you last see her?”
“Friday night. Well, early Saturday morning.” Hunter relayed what had happened at his apartment. The emergency call she’d received, Gracie’s need to flee without telling him much, even her ultimate refusal of his help and their little argument.
“It was minor, though. At least, I thought so. I tried to call her most of Saturday and her cell rang before going to voicemail, but now when I try, it goes straight to voicemail…”
“Like the phone is dead,” Alex finished for him.
“Exactly.” Hunter nodded grimly.
“Have you tried calling any of the hospitals around where she went?”
“See, that’s the thing. I have no idea where she went exactly.”
Alex scratched his head. “This is strange.”
“I know.”
“I hate to ask you this, but I have to.” Alex cleared his throat. “Do you think she has…someone else in her life? And that’s why she flew out of your apartment so fast?”
“No,” Hunter bit out. Just the thought of Gracie with another man made him see red. She wouldn’t do that to him, he knew it. “No way. She has a hard enough time opening herself to me. She’s implied before that she doesn’t let a lot of people in close to her.”
“All right, so who is this mysterious person that she’d drop everything for then?”
“It’s not a man, it’s a woman. She kept referring to her as a ‘she’.” Hunter shook his head, frustration filling him to bursting. “I don’t know where she’s at, if she’s okay. What if she’s been in an accident? What if something terrible happened to her? I can’t stand not knowing.” He stared at his brother, fear making his voice shake. His entire body quaked with it. “I’m scared, man.”
Alex stood, determination lighting his eyes. “Give me as many details as you can. I’ll have Tessa make some calls.”
Hunter frowned. “Tessa? Why would you involve her in this?”
“Because she’s the best damn little investigator I know. Trust me, I still ask her to help me with projects, and she’s not even my assistant anymore. Considering she has her hands full with Charlotte, you’d think she’d tell me to go to hell. But she never does.” The admiration in his voice was clear.
“She won’t mind helping out?”