Page 12 of Dangerous Rhythm

Fear spiked his blood as he searched the rest of the first floor.

“Curtis,” Lina’s low, firm voice came from behind him. She lifted a finger to her lips, signaling him to quiet down.

She listened to the quiet house, and her gaze flew to the ceiling. There were faint noises. She pointed to the second floor and signaled for him to stay behind her. He followed her quietly, but his heart was pounding, and his head was going haywire.

Where the fuck are they?

six

Lina stepped lightly on the wood tread of the stairs and was satisfied it didn’t creak. After giving Curtis one last warning to be quiet, she moved up the stairs fast and paused before the landing, making sure the hallway was clear. Spotting a couple of open doors, she signaled Curtis to stay put while she cleared those rooms.

She checked the closest door and found an empty bedroom decorated in a bird theme, but nothing was disturbed. She moved on to another room with one of those fancy exercise bikes with a giant monitor attached to it. Some loose equipment was neatly stored along one wall. Again, nothing looked misplaced or messy, like the situation downstairs. The last two doors were a bathroom and another beautifully decorated but without a personality bedroom.

Even in her focused mode, Lina couldn’t help but wonder which room was Curtis’ childhood bedroom. There was no trace of children ever living in this part of the house. Granted, the children were adults living on their own now. But her ownparents’ house hadn’t seemed to change since she’d left for West Point.

Returning to the stairs, she gestured to Curtis that side of the floor was clear. She moved to the other end of the hall with only one double door.

“That’s my parents’ room,” Curtis whispered close to her ear, making Lina stiffen involuntarily.

“I told you to stay put,” she hissed under her breath.

“I’m not going—” he argued, but she put her fingers to his lips to shut him up.

“Stay behind me,” she warned, her voice barely audible. She pushed him back an arm’s length away.

Curtis’ brows furrowed in impatience, but he nodded.

It was no time to baby a client. Lina refocused on the target and crept toward the door, keeping all of her senses alert. The faint noises she’d heard earlier came from the master bedroom. A groan, as if someone was in pain, became clearer.

But the second sound made her freeze in her tracks. She put her ear closer to the door to make sure she didn’t mishear. In the next second, she abruptly straightened and spun to Curtis, double alert. She pointed him to the stairs.

He stared at her with big, questioning eyes. “What?” he mouthed.

“They’re fine,” she whispered. “Let’s go back downstairs.”

Looking at her as if she was insane, Curtis pushed past her.

Lina grabbed his arm and held him back. “You don’t want to go in there.”

Curtis growled at her this time. “Let me go.” He pulled away and stomped straight into his parents’ bedroom.

She shrugged and counted the seconds.

“For fuck’s sake!” she heard Curtis’ exclamation as a feminine shriek filled the air.

Another masculine voice boomed, “Curtis, what the hell?”

A rush of movement, followed by the slam of a door, delivered Curtis right back next to her. His hands covered his eyes this time.

“Fuck! My eyes!” he swore.

“I warned you,” she deadpanned.

Curtis dropped his hands and gave her a death stare. “Why the hell did you let me go in there?”

This time, Lina looked up and met his gaze without a word. She might give him some leeway for being a client under distress, but it didn’t mean he could take that tone with her.

“You could’ve been clearer,” he stubbornly argued.

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