Page 25 of Line of Resistance

Nate slowly made his way through the lot, looking for any sign of Eloise’s small SUV. “Maybe she’s still at work? Didn’t get out before the storm hit and decided to stay late until the roads were better?”

“Maybe.” Naomi didn’t sound convinced.

“I’ll check there next.” He promised to call with any news before disconnecting to focus on driving.

Except all he could think about was the look on Naomi’s face when she said she couldn’t get ahold of Eloise. How unusual this situation clearly was and what it might mean.

He gripped the wheel tighter, boot resting harder on the gas as he pushed the limits of the Jeep’s snow tires. Eloise was from Alaska but moved away for a while. Maybe she wasn’t as capable in weather like this as she could be. She did wear those fucking shoes to the bar Sunday night, testing both her own stability and his commitment to keeping her at a distance.

One of them managed just fine, which made him want to believe she was just as okay tonight as she had been Sunday. That she was hunkered down in her office with a hot cup of coffee waiting for the crews to clear away the muck and mess.

But that didn’t explain her cell phone sending calls straight to voicemail. It was what made him go against his better judgment, sending him tapping the touch screen again as he waited to turn out of the complex. Heidi answered on the third ring. “Nathan. How’s it going? You winning big?”

“I’m actually not at poker night anymore.” He took the turn out of the apartment complex, heading for the small school where Eloise worked. “I’m out trying to find Naomi’s friend, Eloise. No one’s been able to get in touch with her.”

“Eloise?” The panicked pitch of Heidi’s voice was unexpected. “Eloise always answers her phone.”

He shouldn’t be surprised Eloise’s charms extended far beyond Naomi and Tyson, but Heidi’s reaction made it clearer than ever his decision to avoid the sweet, sunshiny principal was the right one.

Unfortunately, avoiding her was the last thing he wanted to do. It was becoming clear just how out of character it was for Eloise to be unreachable, and his concern was amping up more with each passing second. “That’s what Naomi said. She wasn’t at her apartment so I’m on my way to the school to see if she’s still there.”

“I’m guessing you’re calling me because you don’t expect to find her at the school.” Heidi shuffled around on the other end of the line. “You want me to see if I can track down her location?”

That was exactly why he was calling, but hearing Heidi say it out loud made him realize how invasive it was. “I think there’s more than a few privacy laws—”

“Fuck privacy laws. It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.” Heidi grunted. “Let me get my ass up off the couch.”

Nate stopped at a red light, eyes drifting to the pile of gifts on the floorboard as a second alternative flitted into his brain. “Whatever happened to that guy she used to date? Is he still hanging around?”

“Matt?” Heidi snorted. “No. I’m pretty sure you made it perfectly clear he needed to stay away from Eloise.”

Unlike Naomi, Heidi wasn’t giving him shit over Eloise, and he appreciated the hell out of it. It made it easier for him to do his job when he wasn’t worried about crossing a line that might cut him off at the knees. “There were some gifts on her doorstep when I went to check her apartment.”

Heidi snorted. “Were they from Matt?”

“Don’t know.” Nate drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, holding his breath while waiting for Heidi to bite. Give him the permission he was seeking.

She didn’t let him down. “Is there a card?”

“Yup.”

Heidi scoffed. “Then why in hell haven’t you opened it yet?”

“I’m trying to find her, not completely invade all her privacy.” He glanced at the card again, torn between concern and aggravation with himself. He had no right to care whose name was inside the card. No right to be upset that Eloise was moving on.

“Fair enough.” The sound of Heidi’s fingers moving on her keyboard carried through the line. “How about if she’s not at the school you open the card? It might be a clue. We can’t completely ignore it.”

Heidi’s words settled, cold in the pit of his stomach. “Do you really think something might have happened to her?”

“I am not saying I’m ready to assume something has happened to her, but historically speaking, the closer someone is to Alaskan Security, the more likely they are to end up in a less than ideal situation.”

He hadn’t thought of that. Hadn’t considered the very thing keeping him away from Eloise might also put her in danger.

“You at the school yet?” Heidi sounded as impatient as he was.

Nate took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Trying to focus like he would any other time. This was a normal situation for him. One he’d handled countless times.

But for some reason it felt different.

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