Page 6 of Phoenix Rising

She could easily afford it as the heir to a shipping company on one side of her family and oil on the other. Her ancestry was old money. Reese’s too. His lineage was involved in real estate, from way back through the genealogy tree. He also came from a long line of lawyers. Reese had done his part and gotten the Juris Doctor degree, but instead of taking the Bar exam and joining the family firm, he’d chosen a career with the government. Despite the number of criminals he’d helped take off the streets, he was still considered the black sheep of his family. Or so the story went.

“Why does your wife think Paige Stockton is missing?”

“Ex-wife, and Paige called her to tell her she was on to a big story. Then she went dark.”

“Maybe she’s undercover and can’t contact anyone.”

“That was my first thought too. Gennie was adamant that Paige would’ve told her if she was going to be incommunicado. They’re as close as sisters.”

“Did she try calling the hotel where she’s staying?”

“Yes, and no answer to those messages either.”

“We could ping her cell.”

“She didn’t take it with her. She uses burner phones when she’s after a story.”

They couldn’t be traced. Smart. “What’s your plan?”

“I have little to go on, so I thought we’d use your resources to track her credit card charges, see if we can get a picture of what she’s been doing. Then we head to Arizona and dig around.”

The thought of working with Reese again made butterflies flutter in Audria’s stomach. She was so attracted to him that she would grab any chance to see him again. “I’ll go to the office now and get my bosses together. We’ll call you back.”

“Audria, open your door.”

Chapter Two

Audria jerked her phone away and gaped at it before returning it to her ear. “What?”

“Open your door.”

Audria spun around and gawked at the entry to her apartment. It was the same tactic Reese had used on their last case when she and her coworkers were actively keeping a potential witness away from authorities. He’d shown up unannounced and repeated those exact words to her. No way he was here. Getting inside the COBRA Securities compound was more challenging than getting into the United States Bullion Depository in Fort Knox.

She marched over, grabbed the handle, and whipped the door open. Audria gasped and stumbled back. Sure enough, Reese stood there with a smug look on his handsome face. Seeing him, with his silky black hair and crystal-blue eyes, sent her heart galloping in her chest. “H-how did you get here?” she sputtered.

“You can put down the phone, Audria.”

“Oh, right.” Audria pulled her cell from her ear and started to put it in a pocket. That’s when she realized she was wearing a tank top, spandex shorts, and no bra. She hadn’t considered her attire—or lack thereof—when she opened the door. She honestly didn’t think Reese could be there. Then again, he was a supervisory special agent.

One glance at Reese told her he’d noticed her state of undress. His gaze was heated when he met her eyes.

“Uh, be right back.”

Audria turned and dashed into her bedroom before slamming the door and falling against it. What was she thinking? She’d basically agreed to work on a case with Reese Reneau, the man she’d been more than half in love with for years. The man who had kissed her senselessly a short while ago and walked away as if it had meant nothing to him.

Hope had soared like a magnificent eagle inside her chest when she saw him. Before the Wanda Bunker nightmare, she’d dreamed of him, and seeing him again brought back those vivid images from her subconscious. Maybe he was missing her as much as she missed him. But no, he wanted her to work on a case with him for his ex-wife.

Audria didn’t know why she continually prodded him by calling Genevieve his wife. They’d been divorced for over a year, closer to two. Gorgeous, elegant Gennie had always been extremely friendly to Audria, so she had nothing against the woman except that she had been married to Reese.

Her mind rewound to her first day as a special agent at Quantico. She’d been waiting nervously in the conference room to meet the team she’d been assigned to. Notoriously early, she’d arrived before everyone else and bid her time by memorizing their names. Men and women had trickled in, and she’d exchanged greetings and handshakes. They welcomed her warmly, and she’d relaxed.

Then Reese had walked in.

Tall, dark, and extremely handsome, he was all authoritative and sure of himself, and Audria had been instantly intrigued. He was clearly in charge, and the others in the room hung on his every word. She’d crushed on him hard. Discovering he was married had been a devastating blow. Then she’d gotten to know him. He was honest, brilliant, and a man of integrity. The more she learned about him, the more she liked, but Audria had become an expert at managing her feelings. When she’d heard he was getting divorced, she refused to get her hopes up. They worked together. He was her supervisor. Nothing could come of her silly fantasies.

Then Audria had quit her job. Reese Reneau was no longer her superior. There were no forbidden boss-subordinate rules to keep them apart. Fast-forward to Miami Beach, where he’d kissed her, not like a friend, but a lover. Now, he wanted to work with her. She wasn’t sure she could do it and keep her feelings hidden.

Gathering her wits, she pushed away from the door and freshened up. After washing her face and brushing her teeth and hair, Audria selected a COBRA Securities polo shirt and tactical pants. The outfit was infinitely more comfortable than the suits and heels she’d worn at the Bureau. She hadn’t planned on going to the office today since they’d arrived home from the mission in Florida a few hours ago, but donning the outfit was like stepping into a suit of armor. She felt more in charge of her emotions.

---