The Rogue (Hideaway Springs #3)

26. Levi

26

F ists clenched, I push off the counter and pace the length of the front hall. My vision is blurred. I can’t think.

I thought when this day would come, I’d see Lilly walking out. I’d feel the same rage and disappointment.

But the woman didn’t even cross my mind.

All I see is Tessa.

The hurt in her eyes when I threatened to end us. The goosebumps breaking out over her arms when she ran to me.

I can read a fucking room. She didn’t want to leave.

She had to.

I lift my phone from my back pocket and dial.

Noah answers on the second ring. “Your kid’s fine, jackass. Even won a few prizes. Think it was rigged. This has Tessa written all over it.”

“Have you been drinking?”

“A few. Seven. Not my fault. Every time Charlie makes a speech, she hands me her drink.” He burps. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

That makes two of us.

“Pull yourself together and come over. I need you.”

“What’s going on?”

“Tessa left. Bring your laptop.”

He curses. “Give me an hour. We’re just about done here.”

“You okay to drive?”

“Dad will drive me.”

I’m about to hang up when I realize what he said. “Dad? He left with Tessa a while ago.”

“Came back. Lookin’ for you.”

Exactly one hour later, Dad, Noah and Jackson walk through the front door.

Jackson shows me all his prizes and party accessories Charlie let him keep. I try to keep a smile on my face, but it’s damn hard knowing I’m going to break his little heart in the morning.

I sure as hell don’t have the strength for it tonight.

Or the words. I’m not making him the promises Tessa made me. That she’ll be back. That it’s only a few days. That she’s just helping a friend.

I don’t know if I believe any of it.

But if she’s lying, I will find out.

As usual, Dad saves the day and helps settle Jackson into bed.

I walk over to Noah, who’s seated at the kitchen island. Fingers racing across the keyboard, pausing, then clicking away again.

“Find anything?”

My brother looks up, glaring at me through his glasses. “Yeah. Digging up info on someone who didn’t exist three years ago usually takes about seven minutes.”

I stare back. “Is that a no?”

He shakes his head. “Get me a glass of water. Need to sober up.”

Thirty minutes later, dad comes down the stairs and straight into the living room .

“Kid’s energy reminds me of you when you were that age. Wouldn’t bet on him sleepin’ in tomorrow though,” he says, like I don’t know my own kid.

I join him on the couch. Dropping my head into my hands, rubbing my temples. “Thanks.”

“Anything I can do?”

“You could tell me the real reason you left with Tess earlier.”

He glances back at Noah, who’s laser-focused on his task. “I heard her on the phone.”

“Tonight? When she disappeared?”

He nods. “Had front-row seats to one side of a conversation.”

“What did you hear? Who did she call?”

He shrugs. “A guy named Frank.”

“Frank,” I mutter. “Helpful, thanks.” I shove off my seat. “Swear it’s like pullin’ teeth with the two of you.”

Noah sighs, shutting his laptop. “I’m not getting anywhere tonight. And frankly, I’m not sure how far I’ll get with what I have.”

I run a hand down my face. “Thanks for tryin’. Will you apologize to Charlie for me for duckin’ out early?”

“Charlie doesn’t accept indirect apologies.”

“Of course she doesn’t,” I grunt and walk him out.

Dad’s behind him and I don’t press him to stay. I got a gut feeling he knows more than he’s letting on. But it’s late. Everyone’s tired.

He pauses at the door. “Come by the Inn tomorrow with Jackson. I’ll make us breakfast.”

“I don’t know, Dad. I might make something here and then take Jackson for a ride. Spend some time with him. Alone.”

“I get it. Keep me posted.”

I head upstairs. My legs lead me into Tessa’s room. The guest room with no door. She hasn’t slept here in over a week .

She used the bed to spread the new clothes I bought her. Since she refuses to use the damn wardrobe.

I open the nightstand drawer. It slides out easily. But it’s not empty. There’s a piece of paper stuck in the seams of the drawer.

It’s her pros and cons list.

I skim down to the bottom of Tessa’s Pro list.

#5. If Frank is right…six weeks is all I need.

Something else is going on here. And I feel like a damn fool.

I don’t get a lick of sleep. Random facts race through my head. Shit that shouldn’t be filling my mind as a single dad.

I should be planning what to do with Jackson this last week before school. Prepping the ranch for the fall season.

Reminding myself of the reason I never liked that woman.

How much she reminds me of my ex.

With that last thought planted in my head. I take a stab at sleep. But all I do is list out those random words in different order until they can form together.

Chicago.

Summer Hill.

Door.

Bullet hole.

The system???

Three years old.

Bessie.

Frank.

Hideaway Springs.

“So, she’s ours now?” Jackson asks as we head back to the stables. It’s our third morning in a row riding Willow to watch the sunrise. Then we’d walk home and try to recreate Tessa’s breakfast spread to the T.

“Technically, she’s Tessa’s.”

“But she’s going to live with us?”

“Tess doesn’t have any place to keep a horse, so she’s boarding Willow here at the ranch.”

He frowns, his head dropping in thought.

“You meant Tessa,” I say, not having the heart to ignore his feelings.

He nods.

I hop off the horse and lift him down. “You know the plan for a nanny was only through the summer, right?”

He squints up at me. “Was the plan for a girlfriend only through the summer too?”

“Christ. How old are you?”

“I’ll be ten in November.”

My chest squeezes and I take his hand as we walk back to the house.

“When is she coming back?”

He hasn’t asked me this since that first morning without her. And I wish I had a better answer.

“When she’s done helpin’ her friend out.”

Another beat. “I need help. I start school on Monday. You need help, too.”

“Buddy—” I nearly snap with irritation and catch myself with a deep breath. “I’m getting a little hungry. What do you say we go whip up some pancakes?”

Noah: What are these words you sent me the other day ?

Levi: Everything I know.

Noah: It doesn’t make sense.

Levi: Make it make sense. It’s all I’ve got.

Noah: Come by the office. We’ll need two heads for this. Yours will have to do.

At two in the afternoon, I leave Jackson with Dad at the Inn and head to Noah’s law office.

Again, the man was too quiet for my liking. Tessa told him something and judging by the way he hasn’t looked me in the eye, he’s been sworn to secrecy.

Fine.

I don’t need them to tell me what’s going on.

I’ll find out on my own.

What I do with it is another story.

Noah’s wide-eyed without the espresso dad sent me here with, but he gladly takes it.

“Thanks.”

I sit on a black leather chair across from him at his spotless glass desk.

Noah leans back with a question in his eyes. “Bullet hole?”

My eyes dip to the list he’s got in front of him. “I don’t think she knows I’ve seen it.”

He sighs, sitting up. “You sure this is what you want? Look for a woman who doesn’t want to be found?”

“She said she’s coming back.”

“Of course she’s coming back. When she needs another job or when she gets bored or whatever other reason, she keeps showin’ up. ”

“City girl who loves small towns,” I mutter, remembering Tessa’s words to me one night when she told me where she’s from.

“What?”

“Somethin’ she said to me.”

Noah shakes his head. “Loves small towns. Hates doors. And I thought I had the weird one.”

He taps his pen on the glass table. “Do you remember her first time here?”

I scoff. I’ll never forget it. She was a hell of a spitfire then. Had passion, beliefs. She looked…hell, maybe a decade younger. She’s lost some of that since. It’s like something’s been sucking the life out of her these last few years. Like she’s given up.

“Yeah. She was workin’ at the Hideaway Police Station.”

“Okay. Any chance Sheriff can tell us anything?”

A vague memory strikes. And I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before. “He knows something. When she messed with their computers and deleted all their violations, they were going to arrest her. But then Sheriff got a call, and they let her go. He wouldn’t tell me why. Just walked away from me.”

Noah’s brows skyrocket. He picks up the phone and puts it on speaker.

“Sheriff Bradshaw’s office.”

“Paula, hi. Noah Reeves.”

“Hey, Noah. Who’s complaining to you about us now?”

“My brother.”

“The hockey player?”

“No. The grumpy one.”

“Oh. Well feel free to tell him to pay us a visit and we can settle this my way.” There's a smirk in her voice.

I laugh. “ Hey, Paula.”

“You two playing games again. I’ll get the Sheriff for ya. Hang tight.”

Noah lifts his glasses and rubs the bridge of his nose. Then points to me and I nod, taking the cue.

“Reeves, what’s going on?”

“I need information,” I answer.

He grunts. “Police business information?”

“It’s for a client, Sheriff,” Noah says then looks to me.

“Three years ago, you got a call about one of your employees. Tessa Banks. I need to know who it was.”

“Of course. Why don’t I just give you all our system passwords and social security numbers while I’m at it.”

I smile. “Because I didn’t ask for that.”

“Look, if it’s a client we have in custody, and you’re calling as an attorney, that’s a different story. But we can’t comment or provide information not privy to us, much less the public.”

Noah’s interest perks, and he sits up, grabbing a notepad with the list of random words I gave him. Then turns to the speaker. “I’m not asking for information on her case, Sheriff. I was just going to ask who contacted you from the FBI. I’ve got a few names here, Frank something, and…oh darn, where's that list…” Noah shrugs at me as he improvises.

Wyatt grunts. “Hold on a second.”

I shoot my brother a look to find out what the hell he’s up to, but he holds up a hand.

The sheriff comes back on the line. “Mercer. Agent’s name was Frank Mercer. That's all I can tell you.”

Ice creeps through my veins.

Damnit, Tessa. What's going on?

Noah lifts a red pen and circles the name.

I swallow the lump in my throat. “Thanks, Wyatt. Let’s get lunch soon. My treat,” I offer .

“Later.”

Noah presses the red button on his desk phone. “I can’t get into that system.”

“Tell me you know someone who can." I can't just give up knowing she's in some kind of trouble.

Noah types. “Most cases are not public. But there are other ways. They usually investigate crimes that originate from public incidents.” He looks up at me. “This could take a while. You got time?”

I pick up my iced coffee. “Not goin’ anywhere.”

It doesn’t take Noah too many misses until he finds something that lifts me off my seat.

“Twenty-seven-year-old male Eric Johnson was shot cold with two bullets in the chest in a second-level apartment in Summer Hill." Noah glances up at me. "Girlfriend, Teresa Bennett , witnessed. The twenty-five-year-old female was hiding in a wardrobe when shots were fired. An attempted getaway from a locked door resulted in a bullet in her back. Bennett was found bleeding nearly to death in the apartment minutes after the final shot was heard. Two suspects got away.”

He stops reading, eyes shifting to the list. He circles several other words. “Your list is starting to make sense.”

“Still doesn’t explain why she went back there," I rasp.

“Levi, they didn’t kill her. She survived . If she got a call from this Frank, my guess is she’s in witness protection. Which means one thing.”

My blood runs cold. “They found her.”

It should make me feel better. That she’s safe.

“Or…”

“Or what?”

He pushes off his seat and starts to pace his office. “Tessa’s been in and out of town, which means she refused protection but is still working with the FBI. ”

“For what?”

“Either they caught the guys and need a material witness, or she’s in immediate danger and they’re putting her in protective custody.”

“They can’t force that either.”

“They can.”

My chest is tight. My stomach sinking. “So she’s out of options?"

“I didn’t say that.”