The quiet street boasted several lights and trees. It was probably a nice place to live. But right now, it was her prison.
Erin walked as fast as she could toward the gated entrance, the skin between her shoulder blades prickling the whole way.
Any moment now, Riley was going to race out after her. He’d have some good point about how stupid her plan was. They’d fight, and she’d try to leave. Or maybe he understood, and he’d go with her, like he had in Erbil. Unless he’d learned his lesson following her lead.
Erin glanced over her shoulder at the gray brick house with the two black SUVs in front of it.
This was the right thing to do. Then why did her heart hurt leaving Riley behind?
She let herself out of the community by way of a side gate.
Colburn had indicated he’d be there in a short amount of time.
She stepped onto the grass, deep into the shadows of the trees and hedges framing the entrance to the development.
This was the right thing.
Erin wrapped her arms around herself despite the heat.
She had a bad feeling in her gut.
What was it Riley had said?
A gut feeling saved his life?
She glanced back toward the house. Was this really the best decision?
The grass rustled and the prickling between her shoulder blades intensified.
Her gut screamed run!
Erin straightened her spine. She would not be afraid of the dark and the make-believe shadows that haunted her.
She turned toward the sound, peering into the darkness.
A figure in the shadows moved.
Erin wasn’t alone.
17.
WEDNESDAY. SAFE HOUSE, Las Colinas, Texas.
“Riley?”
There was a note of alarm in that voice. The kind that hooked Riley out of a deep, satisfied sleep and brought him to full wakefulness.
“Hm? What?” He sat up, blinking in the darkness.
“Where’s Erin?”
Riley blinked at Brenden standing in the doorway.
Where was Erin?
Riley twisted, but the other side of the bed was empty. She’d been right there. He placed his hand on the sheets, but they were cold.
“She was taking a shower...” And he’d passed out despite telling himself to wait up for her.
“She’s not here,” Brenden said. There was a note of alarm Riley hadn’t often heard from the man. It fueled his desperation to find Erin, prove Brenden wrong.
Riley threw back the blankets and stood, glad he’d at least gone to bed with his boxers on.
“She’s here somewhere. Move.” Riley shoved past Brenden into the hall. “Erin?”
He pushed the bathroom door open.
Water droplets still clung to the shower walls. The humidity hadn’t had time to dissipate.
She hadn’t been gone that long.
“Erin? Where are you?” he called out.
“The laptop is gone.” Brenden followed him into the living room. “I thought... I thought she just needed some space.”
“What’s going on?” Grant shambled out of his room in sweats and a t-shirt, squinting at the light. Another door down the hall cracked open and Melody leaned out.
“Erin left and took the laptop with her,” Brenden said
Riley ignored the others and poked his head into the office. He made sure the exterior lights were on, checked the back yard, the SUVs and finally wound up in the kitchen. The sound of raised voices followed him, Grant demanding answers Brenden couldn’t give.
The notepad sat in the middle of the kitchen island. Folded up on top was a square of paper with his name on it.
His mouth dried up.
“Guys?”
Riley took a step toward the notepad.
She was gone.
He didn’t need to read the note to know that.
He shouldn’t have fallen asleep. This was his fault. If he’d waited up, if he’d insisted on holding her until she fell asleep, she’d still be there.
“What? What is it?” Grant strode toward the kitchen.
The others clustered in the living room. This was the first time an asset had run away from their team. They’d never had to deal with this. He knew some of the other teams had this happen, but this was a first for them.
Riley picked up the notepad and skimmed the words, each one driving an invisible knife deeper into his chest.
“She’s gone.” He handed the note across the counter to Grant.
“Thanks for all your help. I need to take it from here and do what I think is right,” Grant read aloud.
“What’s that one say?” Melody had her robe wrapped tightly around her. She leaned against the bar a few feet from Grant.
“I don’t know.” Riley held it up. His name was printed in big block letters.
Melody’s gaze flicked to his face. “Read it,” she finally said.
He wasn’t sure he wanted to. Erin had decided she couldn’t trust him. If she could, she’d have taken him with her. Hadn’t he proved himself to her already?
“When did you last see her?” Grant asked Brenden.
“Fifteen minutes ago? Less? She got her laptop, made a phone call, and I thought she was in here. I got up for a drink and that was when I realized she was gone.” Brenden was in some deep shit.
Riley unfolded the sheet of paper and leaned against the cabinets. He rated more than two sentences.
I’m sorry. You aren’t going to understand. I need to take care of this. I also suck at goodbyes. I hope that by the time you read this, it’s handled. If not, don’t worry about me. I have a plan. Hope to see you in Miami.
“Okay, we need to know who Erin called and where she went,” Grant said.
“I’ll alert Zain,” Melody announced before turning her back on them.
“She went out this way.” Nolan pulled the back, sliding door open. It wasn’t locked.
“Nolan and I will take a walk outside. See if we spot her. Fifteen minutes, exhausted, hauling a laptop, she’s not going to be fast,” Vaughn said.
“Go,” Grant barked.
“Where the hell were you this time?” Grant braced his hands on the counter. “You’re fucking her. You can’t keep an eye on her, too?”
“Fuck you,” Riley snarled before pulling himself back. “She was going to take a shower, that was it.”
“Last time she tried to run off she