Page 10 of Final Cost

“We’ve been over this, sir,” Winwood says. “As I told you —”

“Drop thesirbullshit and tell me again,” I say. “You didn’t see any sign of Ravenna when you swept the grounds that night?”

“No,” Winwood says, calm and unblinking. He’s his usual sincere and professional ex-military self, but what else would he say if he wants to keep his job with me but knows he dropped the ball and let Ravenna back onto my property after I’d banned her and he was in charge that night? “I checked the grounds personally. You saw me. We checked the video feeds in the office. Someone had eyes on the cameras at all times. There was no sign of her.”

“So how the fuck did she get back on the grounds?” I say. “Teleportation? Parachute drop? She got here somehow. Check the feeds again. The police are going to want to see them. They’re probably getting a warrant for them as we speak. I want to know what they show before we hand them over.”

Got it,” Winwood says with a crisp nod.

“Get to it,” I say, jerking my head toward the study door.

“Sir,” he says, military bearing in full effect as he pivots and walks off.

I turn to Hank and Daniel, both of whom have been here longer than Winwood. “I’m not sure I trust him,” I say, lowering my voice and staring after the departing Winwood. “I wantyouto oversee the review of the video feeds, Hank. Keep an eye on him.”

Hank looks startled. “I’ll do what I can, buthe’sthe technical guy.”

“Just do it,” I tell him.

“You got it,” he says, also walking off.

Daniel opens his mouth but hesitates.

“What?” I say.

He shakes his head, frowning. “I’ve been kicking myself for not mentioning this sooner. I’m not trying to get anyone fired. I want you to know that.”

“But…?”

“But why wasIthe one who found Ravenna the night she came back? If Winwood and his team are so well trained and highly qualified, why did they miss all signs of her? I only stumbled on her because I was checking on the boats in the storm.”

I nod. He’s not telling me anything I haven’t thought of myself. It’s another reason I want Hank to keep an eye on Winwood. “Got it. Thanks.” I start to walk off, but the look on Daniel’s face stops me. He looks like he’s struggling with something major. Something he doesn’t want to tell me. “What else?”

He blows out a breath. “I saw Winwood talking to Ravenna the other day before you kicked her out. They seemed a little, ah, friendly.”

I stiffen even though this information does not surprise me in the slightest. I should have known. Daniel has had my back my whole life, Like the time he gave he the heads-up that one of our teammates on our middle school soccer team—this was back before Roman and I went to boarding school and Daniel went to the local high school—tried to make moves on my little girlfriend. I put the kibosh on that and Daniel earned my heartfelt gratitude. As for Ravenna? Let’s just say it never took her very long to zero in on a handsome man in the group. She was as predictable as death and taxes. “Where was this?”

“I saw them pass each other in the driveway,” Daniel says, frowning at the memory. “She was on her way to the guest cottage, I think.”

“What were they talking about?”

“I was too far away to hear. I hate to be the bearer of this kind of news.”

“Don’t worry about it. I appreciate your loyalty,” I say, clapping him on the back and quickly walking out. I can’t shove this Ravenna bullshit out of my mind fast enough. I’m dying to see Tamsyn.

I head for the staircase. She’s probably up in her yellow bedroom, barricading the door against me so she doesn’t have to deal with me. Which is exactly what I deserve after the way I treated her. But a few steps up, I hear the mellow sound of her voice and a tinkle of laughter.

Dining room. Lunch buffet.

I recalibrate and pivot, going back down and straight across the foyer to the dining room.

That’s when my nerves stall out. I pause on the threshold, staying out of her line of sight and giving myself a beat or two to soak her in and think of something to say as she smiles after the departing chef and helps herself to a plate.

Everything inside me aches with longing at the sight of her.

Her spine is straight, her shoulders squared and her head held high. I have no idea how this twenty-two-year-old is so strong and self-possessed, but she is. She doesn’t look heartbroken or even mildly upset about our breakup. She looks fine. She also smells fantastic, with a liberal spritzing of the lily of the valley perfume I bought her back in Monte Carlo. The scent torments me. I want to bury my face in her neck and get drunk off it. Maybe she wore it as a nicefuck youto me. I’ll give her the win on that one if she did. It’s damn effective.

I miss you, Tamsyn. I want you. I need you.

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