Page 56 of Bravo

“We’re considering the possibility that she ran away and has been in hiding. If that’s the case, using a pseudonym wouldn’t be out of the question.”

Every alarm bell in my head is screeching at full volume. There’s something wrong here, very,verywrong. “I’m afraid that, if you’re here to interrogate my employees, I can’t help you. Have a good day, Mr. Newart.”

“Just let me speak with her. If it’s not Olivia, then there’s no harm, correct?”

“Sammywas already interrogated enough. Which you would know if you read that article. She’s injured, and I will not be putting her through any more stress, so you can check a box for your employer. I’m sorry his daughter is missing, and I truly wish you the best of luck in tracking her down.” I gesture toward the door.

“She’s precious to him.” Switching tactics, he tries pleading.

“I’m sure she is, and if I believed that she was working here on the ranch, I would handle it.”

“You find people, don’t you? That’s the nature of your business.” When I don’t respond, he keeps speaking. “You won’t even give tracking Olivia a try?”

“I don’t make the call alone. Leave the file, and I’ll discuss with my partners then get back to you on whether or not we’ll take the case.”

“You don’t know this woman,” he insists, pointing to the newspaper. “If she hasn’t been working here long. She could beanyone. It’s really not that difficult to get onto this property. She could be right under your nose, and you wouldn’t even sense the threat until it was too late.” The underlying threat does not go unnoticed by me. Bravo lets loose another warning growl as the man takes a step closer to me.

“I miss very little, Mr. Newart. And I can assure you that I have everything here under control. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll happily take your accusations to Sammy so we can all have a good laugh about it later. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do, and you’re currently standing in the way of that.”

He glares at me for a moment, a clear challenge in his dark gaze. Then he drops the mask back into place and smiles. “I hope that you know your employees better than I do, Mr. Hunt.” Reaching into his pocket, he withdraws a business card and sets it on the table. “If you happen to see anything, please give me a call.”

I don’t touch the card, nor do I lead him out of the house. Exposing my back to this man seems a dangerous game I’ve no intention of playing.

“I am sorry for your wasted trip,” I reply. “I do hope it wasn’t a long one.”

“It was well worth it, Mr. Hunt,” he says as he pulls the door open. “Have a great day. Tell your mother I really appreciated her tea. Hopefully, I’ll be able to have some again someday.” He heads down the porch toward his vehicle where one of the suits opens his door and the other climbs behind the wheel.

My dad steps out onto the porch as they’re pulling out of the drive. “Something about that man was off.”

“I agree.”

“What did he want?”

“He was looking for someone.” I turn to my dad. “When you hired Sammy, did she have any next of kin listed?”

“No,” he replies. “I don’t think so. We can check her employee file, though.” He turns and heads into the house.

“I’ll be right there. I need to check in with Dylan.” Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I give him a call.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“I need you to make sure that SUV leaves the property. It’s top priority. Track him and make sure he doesn’t double back.”

“Headed to my truck now.”

I end the call and wait until I see Dylan’s truck pulling away from the employee cabins. He offers me a wave as he passes our parents’ house, and only when I’m certain it’s safe do I head inside.

CHAPTER 19

BRADYN

Sammy’s file is a fake.

A very, very good fake but a fake nonetheless.

Tucker pieces together an email and sends it off to Elijah Breeth, a former Ranger turned private security specialist who works with my cousin Silas. Then he spins around to face my father and me.

“You had no suspicions when you hired her?” I ask Dad, who stands beside me.

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