Page 24 of The Fragile Truth

Sweat stung Ian’s eyes as he forced himself to run faster, his feet slapping out a steady rhythm against the asphalt. After leaving the hotel, he’d gone to the office and worked for a few hours. Even though it was Sunday, he called Chief Mortenson to see if there was any new information about Lina’s disappearance. The Chief regretfully told him that Lina had vanished without a trace. Ian asked about camera surveillance, but there was none. The only measure the PD had taken to keep Lina on house arrest was the ankle monitor. Ian was astounded that no other precautions were taken. Neighbors in the vicinity were questioned, but no one saw a thing.

When he got home, he piddled around, pulling weeds in his backyard. Ian enjoyed working with his hands. Normally, yard work helped to relax him. Today, however, the more he worked, the more he thought about Lina and how she would probably get away scot-free. Frustration and anger had boiled inside him to the point where he had to get it out, so he went for a run. Finally, when his energy was expended, he slowed his pace to a fast walk. It was unfair that so many lives were being affected by the likes of Lina. If only the judge had denied bail and kept her under lock and key. If only more precautions were taken to ensure that she couldn’t escape her ankle monitor. If only someone had seen Lina escape. She was worse than a cat with nine lives. Chief Mortenson and his officers were working with the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, in conjunction with the US Marshals, to find Lina. So far, they had no leads, but they planned to offer a sizable reward to the public for any information on Lina. Hopefully, that would help.

Ian felt so helpless. All he could do was try to keep Effie Romeo and the other members of the Chasing family safe. He wondered if Banks Chasing would hire a private detective to search for Lina. That’s exactly what Ian would do if he had the resources.

He rounded a corner and paused in his tracks, surprised to see Sadie’s car parked along the curb in front of his house. His heart quickened as he jogged up to her. Seeing him, she got out of her car, a large smile filling her beautiful face. “Hello.” She was still wearing her server uniform, a light-blue dress with a white collar. It formed well to her slender figure, showing off her fabulous legs.

“Hey.” He was surprised to see her. “I would give you a hug, but I’m sopping wet.” It was amazing how much seeing Sadie brightened Ian’s mood.

She looked him up and down with a throaty chuckle. “Yeah, I think I’ll pass on the hug.”

“What’re you doing here? I thought we were meeting at your place.”

“We were,” she said breezily, “but I decided to switch things up a bit.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Oh?” His calves were tight from the exertion. He pushed his left leg back and extended his heel into the pavement to stretch out his muscle.

She gave him a shrewd look. “Yeah, I figured considering the day you had, the two of us should strike out on an adventure.”

He grimaced. “It has been a day from Hades.” He stopped, tipping his head. “How did you know?”

Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “People talk a lot in small towns.”

He grunted. “You’re not kidding.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard about Lina’s escape.”

“I can imagine,” he said dryly, stretching out his other calf.

“You wanna talk about your day? Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Nah,” he grinned, “I won’t bore you with the sordid details.” Mostly, he wanted to forget about Lina and the Chasings for a while and relax.

“I don’t mind. If you ever need to talk, I’m here.”

“Thanks,” he said, impressed by her interest in his work. “About the adventure. What did you have in mind?” The idea of striking off somewhere with Sadie titillated his senses. His gaze was drawn to her full red lips and the small, seductive mole beneath them. If he weren’t so sweaty and gross, he’d pull her in for a long kiss this instant. Heat simmered through his veins. He’d have to wait until he got cleaned up to act on his wishes.

Her eyes sparkled. “Well, I thought we’d go on a picnic to the island.”

Disappointment rolled in his stomach. “The island,” he said flatly.

She gave him a funny look. “I thought you’d be excited. You love the island.”

“Yeah, I do.” He pushed out a hard breath. “It’s just that I already went there this morning to meet with the Chasings at the hotel.” He frowned. “Trust me when I say that I’ve had enough of that family for one day.”

Her soft laughter took him off guard.

“What?” he grumbled.

She took a step closer, her hand going up to cup his jaw. “What if I told you that I have a metal detector we can try out?”

He blinked. “You bought a metal detector?”

“Yes, sir,” she chimed. “Just for you.”

A grin broke over his features. “I could kiss you right now.”

“After you take a shower,” she laughed.

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