Page 81 of Desolation

He leans down and kisses me briefly. “Keep the shirt. It looks good on you.”

He walks out the door before I can even stop him.

A chill goes down my spine thinking about last night and the call with my daughters. Something isn’t right and I know Dax and Landon have suspicions. My only hope is that I am safe here, if they really think I might be in danger.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Landon

My feet pound the pavement as I run. Thoughts of Mari are drowning my head with every step on the pavement. She is in deep shit. Deeper than Dax had suspected. With what happened two nights ago and the revelation I uncovered yesterday my brain is a mess. I didn’t see her last night. I couldn’t face her after what I found. Dax made sure she was safe. But neither of us know how to tell her what we found out.

I don’t know how that file she has is connected to corruption in the government but it points directly to that. I know that Dax and her are keeping something from me. Something that might crack this case open but I’m at a dead-end. Neither of them will tell me the name of her foundation, for security and privacy they say but I know they are hiding something else.

I even went as far as researching her name and I can’t find shit about her. I know I shouldn’t be investigating her but something in my gut tells me I should be.

And I couldn’t face her last night. Couldn’t find the courage to ask her to give me her truth. Again.

My phone rings as I round the block to my house. When I see Aubrey’s name flash across the screen, I nearly collapse. Between the case at work and the secrets Mari is keeping I didn’t realize what day it was. Didn’t realize that it’s been one year since my life fell apart.

I wish I didn’t have to answer but I do. Any other day and I would ignore Aubrey’s call. But I can’t today.

It’s been one year since Sam died.

“Aubrey,” I breathe into the phone.

“Landon,” she cries.

And that sound brings me to my knees.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Mari

I haven’t heard from Landon since he left yesterday morning. I know it can’t be good since he left while we were talking about my shitshow of a life. Even Dax has been weird. He made me sleep in the house last night instead of the pool house. He made up some lame excuse about an issue with the water but I know he was trying to watch over me.

Now I am sitting by the pool, Dax a few feet away, wondering why he hasn’t let me out of his sight all day. I’ve tried to call Landon but his phone goes straight to voicemail. I shut my laptop since I haven’t been able to get anything done and stomp over to Dax and shut his.

“What the fuck, Mari?”

I cross my arms over my chest. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

I throw my hands in the air. “You haven’t left my side in twenty-four hours. Landon is unreachable. And I know it has to do with that damn gate shit from Tuesday.”

He uncrosses his legs and gives me an emotionless stare. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, come on,” I huff. “You two freaked the fuck out when he came by the other night. And now you are babysitting me and he is on lockdown.”

“I’m not babysitting you.”

“Then what the hell is going on? Landon finds out that Michael is looking for me and suddenly it’s radio silence. You two know something.”

“We made some headway on that file. But that doesn’t mean we have answers. I have no idea why he isn’t answering you.”

I groan so loud I am sure people on the beach can hear me. “Ugh, I am leaving. I can’t take this.”

Dax jumps from his chair. “What do you mean you are leaving?”

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