Page 17 of Coming Up Aces

Seth:Two months, and what friend?

Two months? What the actual fuck? Rayna’s instincts were screaming at her that Seth was hiding something.

Va.nessa:If Spencer’s been gone for months, why didn’t you pull me out of Haven?

No dots appeared, so either Seth couldn’t respond, or he was thinking of a plausible answer. Rayna slung her legs over the side of the chair and stood. She tapped the phone against her thigh as she walked toward the shade trees. She stopped at the far end of the yard, leaning against a tall aspen. While there had been trees at the compound, she’d not been able to enjoy them. Being a shifter, Rayna preferred the outdoors. Her Cat wanted to climb up the thick trunks and lounge on the branches while birds danced around her, toying with her Cheetah. It had been one of her favorite things to do as a teen. She would never hurt another animal unless she was in danger, and small songbirds were a delight. The phone pinged, and she tapped the screen.

Seth:Hanson thought you were safer there.

Safer? From whom? Rayna’s skin itched with unease. The only reason she’d been safe at Haven was because she was a shifter, but Seth didn’t know that. She could have escaped if her life depended on it. She’d been lucky that she hadn’t been paired up with one of the single men. When Rayna first arrived, she let Thomas know she was there for solitude, not to find a husband. Glory had befriended her and shared how she and her family came to be at Haven. Lisa Ann clutched her metaphorical pearls when Glory mentioned having sex as a teen, but then again, Lisa Ann was much older.

Seth:At least tell me where you are.

Rayna hesitated. This was Seth, so why was she hesitant to tell him the truth? Instead of typing a response, she padded across the yard and back into the house. Asher was standing in the kitchen, sipping a beer. He arched a brow, but she ignored him as she tore the phone apart. When she didn’t find a tracker, she put it back together and powered the device down.

She blew out a breath and met Asher’s eyes. “I need a favor.”

Chapter Seven

Ace

When Ace woketo a silent room, he worried Rayna had left, but his Gryphon informed him where she was. He scrubbed a hand down his face, then lowered the footrest. As he stood, a phone rang, but it was in the back of the house. He glanced outside to see Rayna resting on a lounge chair she’d pulled out into the yard so she was in the sun. She didn’t move at the sound of the ringing, so he strode to the room where her things were. Was it an invasion of privacy to enter the room even though it was his? The device pinged, and Ace followed the sound, finding a burner tucked away under some of her clothes, only it wasn’t the one he’d given her. Why didn’t she admit she already had a phone when he offered her the new one earlier? Ace snatched it up and closed the drawer. He didn’t try to open it to see who was contacting her. More than likely, it was her partner.

Ace retraced his steps and opened the back door. Rayna didn’t move. Either she was asleep or deep in thought. He stopped next to the lounge chair, and the female opened her eyes.

Holding it out to her, he said, “It was ringing. I thought it might be important.” If she got pissed at him for going through her things, he’d ask forgiveness later. Ace returned inside, grabbed a beer, then leaned against the counter where he could see her. Rayna didn’t return the call, but she did tap at the screen, sending a message. A few minutes later, she roseand walked to the back of the yard, leaning against a tree. Her body language was tense, and her pretty face was frowning. His beast wanted to soothe whatever was bothering her. That didn’t bother Ace. In fact, he found it fascinating. What did bother him was her reluctance to trust him.

She trusted us to come here.

But not enough to tell me she already had a phone?

Maybe she thought it was a nice gesture and didn’t want to hurt your feelings.

Rayna strode toward the house with purpose. Ace remained leaning against the counter as she entered the house. She pulled the cover off the phone and removed the battery, searching. She then put it back together but powered it down. When she spoke, she said, “I need a favor.”

Ace inclined his head. “If it’s within my power.”

“Can you have Bishop run a discreet check on Seth?” Rayna blew out a breath. “I have no reason not to trust my partner, but something isn’t sitting right with me about this whole situation. I asked why he left me at Haven when Spencer had been released months ago, and he told me because I was safer there.”

“Safer from whom?”

“That’s what I asked. Myself, not him. I’m a trained agent, and my record is spotless. I’ve received several awards over the years. Not tooting my own horn; I’m just saying that I’m good at my job. If I was in danger from someone, why not just tell me who it is and what they want?”

“Have you considered Sethisprotecting you?”

“Maybe, but my instincts are telling me something isn’t right.” Rayna paced the kitchen.

“Let me have Bishop run a search to put your mind at ease. Tell me about Seth. His family. What their day-to-days are like. What kind of house they live in, cars, etc. Better yet, let me getBishop on the phone and you can give him the information. That way if he has questions, you can answer them.”

“Yeah, okay. I hate this. I’ve never doubted him in all the years we’ve known each other.”

Ace dialed Bishop. When he answered, Ace said, “Hey, Bishop. I need you to run another search. This one is on Rayna’s partner, Seth McCauley. And I have her on speaker to answer any questions you might have.”

Bishop cleared his throat. “Actually, I’ve already done that. Since Rhiannon’s safety is threatened, I wanted to cover all our bases. I’ve also asked Zedra if she’ll shadow the wife and kids.”

Rayna leaned her arms on the bar and stared at a point over Ace’s shoulder. “With this being the holiday weekend, Vanessa would have taken the kids to visit her parents over in Little Falls. They stay with their grandparents for the month of July. Vanessa should’ve been back in time to open her shop today.”

“And Seth doesn’t go with them?”

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