Identity Risk (The Billionaire Experience #3)

Chapter Two

Mac Ramsey leaned back in his office chair, his fingers tightening around his phone as he listened to the man on the end of the line talk.

After almost two years of radio silence, the woman who had stolen his heart before vanishing without a trace had resurfaced.

His FBI contact called him moments ago to let him know she returned to New York just yesterday. When he pressed for more information about her whereabouts, the guy had no answers, claiming he couldn’t access her case file. But the agent didn’t realize that he had just admitted that Jessie had a case file with the FBI. He always suspected they knew more than they let on, but he could never prove it, even with all his high-up contacts in the government.

“Thanks for the heads-up, man,” Mac muttered before ending the call. His chest tightened with a mix of relief and frustration.

She was safe. That was the most important thing. But the endless questions he’d wrestled with for the past year and a half now flooded his mind. What had driven her to just up and leave without a word to anyone? Why hadn’t she reached out? Was it her choice, or had something forced her into hiding? Shit! Had she been in danger? Dammit! He needed answers, but only one person could answer them—Jessie Marchand.

He ran his fingers through his dark, short hair in frustration.

Before he could even think about hopping on a plane to New York, he had a business situation he needed to take care of. If a five-million-dollar contract weren’t on the line, he’d send one of his employees to deal with it.

However, he wouldn’t let that stop him from getting things rolling.

Picking up his phone, he dialed Adam, his tech guy.

“Hey, bossman,” Adam answered, and Mac rolled his eyes. Everyone called him that, and he hated it. But they knew that, so they kept calling him that. They were lucky that he considered everyone on his staff like family.

“Adam, I need you to look into something for me,” Mac said.

“Alright.”

“See if you can find anything new on Jessie Marchand. She’s back in New York, but I want to know where she’s been and anything he could find relating to her and the last year and a half. The sooner, the better.”

There was a pause on the other end, then Adam replied, “Jessie? Your Jessie? You mean…she’s back?”

Mac grinned, knowing this news was a shock to Adam. Adam spent countless hours helping him look into Jessie’s disappearance. Though not even the computer geek could crack the FBI’s files.

“According to the call I just received from my contact at the FBI, yes, she’s back.”

“I’ll get on it right away.”

“Thanks. I’ll be out of pocket for a few days dealing with that contract for the state. So, that should give you enough time to find something.”

“Got it. I’ll talk to you when you return.”

“Thanks.”

Hanging up, Mac stood up and started pacing the room. He’d torn the country apart looking for Jessie when she first disappeared, chasing every lead and turning every stone. But it had produced nothing. And now, just like that, she was back. It felt surreal, but his heart raced at the thought of seeing her again.

Mac glanced out the window of his St. Augustine office. His eyes landed on the white sand of the Florida coastline that stretched into the Atlantic Ocean. He loved Florida and the beach. But right now, New York was calling his name.