was spoiled when you stayed here. Ten days. I liked sliding between the sheets and smelling you even after you went back home, but even Rogans have to wash their sheets.”
It was a joke, at least the last part, but she didn’t smile.
“What?” He kissed her. “Did I say something?”
She shook her head and pulled his lips back to hers. He couldn’t read Lucy the way he read other people, yet her depth and complexity had drawn him in from the beginning.
“Excuse me,” a voice came from the doorway.
Lucy jumped, her body instantly tense, and Sean stood, taking one of Lucy’s hands into his.
Patrick stood in the doorway, a dark cloud over his face. Lucy saw it, and she looked embarrassed.
That angered Sean. He wasn’t angry at Lucy, but he was furious with Patrick for sounding so self-righteous in his tone, for making Lucy uncomfortable. What he and Lucy shared should make her happy, but Patrick was doing everything he could to put a wedge between them, however subtle. Their conversation yesterday had revealed the ugly truth, and if Patrick thought Sean was backing down he was an idiot.
“I have the preliminary background checks done on Trey Danielson and his family, and the server host information from the
“Anything interesting?” Sean asked. Lucy tried to extract her hand, but he wouldn’t let her go.
“Danielson is an only child. His father is a high-ranking consultant for the Congressional House Committee on Appropriations. His mother works for the Library of Congress. They’ve been married for twenty-six years. Danielson has an older brother, career Army, deployed in Afghanistan, rank first lieutenant. Twenty-four years, went through the ROTC program at University of Virginia. Nothing pops on any of them, but with the dad’s position I need to be cautious so I don’t trip any invisible wires the FBI might have on him. So far I haven’t found anything on the kids, either, at least in official records. Trey has a 2005 Ford Ranger registered in his name. I sent you the license, make, and model.”
Patrick continued. “As far as the server that hosts the
“New York?” Yet another connection. “Do you have an address?”
“Just the provider, but that means nothing. It’s just an office. I don’t know where the servers are, and the site itself has full privacy protections, using the provider as the contact and address.”
“That’s all I need,” Sean said. “Once I know the host I can track down who pays the bills.”
“Don’t you dare hack into the database,” Patrick said.
Sean didn’t like Patrick’s tone. “I have no intention of hacking into any place. I have plenty of legal ways to get the information we need, especially since Lucy and I are going to New York in the morning.”
Patrick looked at Lucy, then said to Sean, “You’re bringing my sister? I’m your partner.”
Sean realized he’d handled this poorly, but Patrick had overstepped with the hacking comment.
“Kirsten is a teenager who may need help when we find her. We don’t know what’s been going on with her, but she’s more apt to trust Lucy than a strange man.”
“Sounds good,” Patrick said sarcastically.
“What’s your problem?”
“I thought we were equal partners. But if you’re calling the shots, fine. I’ll hold down the fort here.”
Lucy stood. “It’s not like that, Patrick.”
“It’s not like what?”
“Hold it,” Sean said. He needed to defuse the situation. “You want to go to New York, go right ahead, but Lucy is the one who figured out that Kirsten and Jessica Bell-the 917 number she had been calling for several months and the last call she made-are both on the
“Then you should bring in the police.”
“I will, when we have more than a cryptic message to go on. What can the police do?”
“Put out a BOLO? Talk to their informants? Work the case?”
“For a teenager who has been branded a habitual runaway?” Sean shook his head. “When I have something to turn over, I will. I’m not a maverick.”
“Really?”
Lucy said, “Patrick, I think that Kirsten got into something she can’t get out of, and she’s confused and scared and doesn’t have anyone to turn to. When we find her, we’ll have the answers. And get her the necessary help. She’s only seventeen. I doubt she considered the repercussions of what she was doing on the
“It was pretty clear from the photographs,” he snapped.
“You think that because she made a bad decision she deserves what she gets?” Sean asked.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
Patrick didn’t answer, but he looked torn. Sean wasn’t about to cut him any slack, however.
“What time are we leaving tomorrow?” Lucy asked Sean.
“Early. I’d fly, but in this weather it’s probably best we drive.” He looked at Patrick. “Unless you want to go.”
Patrick shook his head.
“I’ll pick you up at seven,” Sean told Lucy. “I should take you home now; it’s getting late.”
Lucy nodded. “Thanks, but I’d like Patrick to drive me.” She gave Sean a look that he thought held something secret, but he couldn’t figure it out. “Okay, Patrick?”
Her big brother shrugged. “I’ll get my keys.” He left.
“Luce, what’s wrong? Did I do or say something-”
She cut Sean off. “No, of course not.” She kissed him. It was a peck, nothing more, as if she were afraid Patrick would walk in again. “I want to talk to my brother, and it’s better if it’s just him and me.”
Sean frowned and grabbed her hands. “Why are you so tense when Patrick is around?”
“I’m not.”
“You act like he caught us doing something wrong.”
“No, I just feel funny-he hasn’t really come around to us seeing each other.”
“And what if he doesn’t?”
“He will.”
She kissed him again, and this time Sean didn’t let her back off. He held the back of her head, and kissed her long enough for her to feel it all the way home. “We’re going on vacation,” he said. “You, me, no one else.” They’d been planning to go after she’d recuperated from the attack five weeks ago, but then she’d needed to prepare for her FBI interview, and he knew she’d be too preoccupied waiting for the results to enjoy a long weekend away. Now? As soon as they found Kirsten, he was taking her away.
She smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Three or four days, time to be together without any work, without stress, and without her overprotective brother.
Patrick pulled into the narrow driveway behind Dillon’s Lexus but kept the engine running. The heat had just started to warm the car when they reached the Kincaid house.
“You wanted to talk?” he asked.
“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked from the passenger seat.
“Nothing’s wrong.”
She shook her head. “Right. Nothing. You obviously don’t like me being involved with Sean. But he’s your friend and partner. You trust him. You like him.”
“In business, yes.” Patrick glared at her. “Not sleeping with my sister.”
“Okay, just get over it; you’re acting silly.” Lucy was trying to make the conversation light because she couldn’t bear for Patrick not to approve.
“And you should respect my feelings and trust me.”
