Page 70 of The Rogue

“Like hers, dumbass.” Noah’s no dumbass. He’s the smartest attorney I know. Dad was right. If there's something on this woman out there. He'll find it.

“Relax. I didn’t find anything.”

I blink. “Nothing? Not even where she went to school, jobs?”

“Sure, there was some job history. But that’s it.”

“So, she’s clean?”

Noah stares at me like I’m a client he’s trying to intimidate. “Too clean.”

I roll my eyes. “You bored or something?”

Noah glances at Chase. “There’s a…slight gap in her history.”

I swallow the hoppy liquid. Everyone takes time off working occasionally. But something about Noah’s tone makes me ask. “How much of a gap?”

“All of it.”

“What do you mean all of it?”

“Three years ago. Just before her first appearance in Hideaway Springs. There was no trace of her. Anywhere.”

I flick my gaze to Chase and something about his expression tells me this isn’t the first he’s hearing of this. They’vediscussedthis.

Without me. “Elaborate.”

“Either Tessa Banks is three years old. Or that’s not her real name.”

“You watch too many law shows.”

He shrugs and sits back. “Suit yourself. It’s not my kid she’s watching.”

“That’s enough,” Chase snaps. He’s always been a fan of Tessa. But that’s because they’re both town outcasts.

Chase by choice.

Tessa because…well, because I made her one.

“She’s only here for four more weeks. I’m not going to ask her if she lied about her name. What difference does it make?”

“You don’t want to know?” Noah probes.

Hell yeah, I want to know. I want to know why she wakes up from what’s clearly the same nightmare every morning before dawn. I want to know why she disappeared all those times only to come back when she needed a job.

Why she was desperate enough to come knocking on my door…

Why she looks lost.

I don’t want to notice that last part about her, but I do. It’s hard not to.

It’s hard not to want to wrap her in my arms when something scares her. Or be there when she wakes up so I can assure her she’s safe.

She didn’t come out this morning.

I set my own alarm and waited downstairs. When it was clear she was avoiding me, I spent the rest of it in the gym until it was time to head to the ranch.

Noah’s eyes flick to Chase. “Maybe Pepper knows something. Or…can ask?”

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