Page 9 of Phoenix Rising

With nothing to go on, there wasn’t anything Audria could do except sit back and enjoy the flight with the man of her dreams by her side.

Chapter Three

Reese wasn’t convinced Paige Stockton was in danger, but he looked forward to investigating her disappearance, primarily because of the woman to his left: Audria Giroux.

He had taken a chance that she would want to work with him again after he practically mauled her in Miami Beach. Thankfully, it didn’t seem as if the kiss caused any uneasiness between them. Reese’s jaw clenched. Audria said she’d already forgotten about it. He sure as hell hadn’t. It practically consumed him. He recalled the softness of her lips, the clean, fresh smell of her hair, the feel of her toned, sexy body pressed against his.

Reese adjusted in his seat. He needed to think of Audria as a coworker again, not as a potential conquest. He hadn’t dated since the divorce fifteen months ago. Heck, he’d barely left his office, throwing himself into his job and rarely taking a day off. He knew he teetered on the edge of burnout but kept plugging along.

He’d given Gennie the home they’d purchased together in the divorce settlement. She’d fallen in love with the historic Victorian mini mansion at first sight. It wasn’t Reese’s style, and his commute to and from work had been a bitch, but it made Gennie happy, so it had been okay with him. She’d done all the decorating, so he’d let her have the furniture as well. He’d purchased a furnished townhouse near Quantico but was rarely home. Whether or not this proved to be a legitimate case, he was glad for the opportunity to step away from the Bureau for a while.

Reese’s mind wandered to the COBRA Securities complex. He’d been impressed by the scope of the place and the setting beside a peaceful lake. He felt his stress lowering just by being there. It was its own community. They had all the essentials necessary for a successful company, and everyone he’d met raved about their jobs and the people they worked with. He’d felt like a kid in a candy store strolling through the aisles of their supply warehouse. They had everything from guns to knives to clothing and even camping supplies. Anything that might be needed on a mission lined the shelves, and some of the technology blew his mind, which was hard to do when he worked for a premier government organization with access to top-secret materials. He’d love to go back and check it out thoroughly, but from what little he’d seen, the compound was incredible.

Since he’d joined after obtaining his law degree, Reese had thought he’d retire as a career FBI man. Even years later, his family still hounded him to join their firm, but being a lawyer didn’t interest him. Now, he was seriously considering leaving the Bureau and applying for a job with Luke Colton and Logan Bradley. He wouldn’t lie to himself and say Audria wasn’t part of his consideration. She was. He missed her. Having been around her almost daily for several years, he felt as if he’d lost a best friend after she left. He’d held out hope that she would return to her old job, but now he knew that would never happen. What would she think if he mentioned he was considering joining her at COBRA Securities? Would it freak her out?

The pilot announced their descent into the private airport outside of Sedona. The scenery of the red rocks from above was incredible. They were landing in a beautiful part of the country, but it wasn’t for pleasure.

Audria’s coworker, BeBe Hale, had a car waiting. Reese drove while Audria navigated. They’d done the same thing many times before on prior cases. Audria had an outstanding sense of direction, and Reese never questioned her orders.

The Aguas Tranquilas Resort and Spa featured an underground garage, but it was too early to check in. They decided to park and then explore the town. The main street featured an eclectic selection of shops, restaurants, galleries, and outdoor sculptures, not to mention the incredible views of the picturesque red rocks they’d witnessed from the sky. Reese had been to Arizona dozens of times but never made the trip from Phoenix to visit.

“Welcome to Sedona! Have a flower!”

Reese smiled at the young woman with Down syndrome, who called out the greeting and held out a daisy to Audria. She was sitting on the padded seat of a mobility walker. She clutched a glass jar full of the blooms and wore a mint-green shirt with the words Sunshine Residence above a picture of the sun shining over the desert landscape.

Audria accepted the gift and held it to her nose to sniff the fragrance. “Thank you for the lovely flower. This place is amazing. You’re lucky to live here.” The woman eagerly nodded her head in agreement. “What’s your name?”

“Ariel. It’s Ariel, like the mermaid.”

“That’s a beautiful name,” Audria told her. “I’m Amy, and this is my husband, Ross.”

It thrilled Reese to hear her call him her husband, even if it was fake.

“How long have you lived here?” Audria asked.

“A few months, er, I mean a long time. I don’t remember.”

Audria smiled at the woman. “Thank you again for the pretty flower.”

The woman grinned and offered a daisy to a couple behind them. Reese and Audria resumed walking, passing souvenir shops and trendy boutiques. When they came to a café with outdoor seating, they ordered lunch.

They were surrounded by beautiful scenery, with soft music wafting from speakers placed strategically around the patio. With Audria across from him, it would be easy to think of the trip as one of pleasure instead of business. There was no one he’d rather be with. But Paige might be in danger. He needed to keep his thoughts on the reason they were together.

In many ways, he knew this woman better than his ex-wife. When they had been on assignments in the past, they’d talked about everything in their downtime. He knew she liked pop music, working out, running triathlons, and romantic comedies. Her favorite color was blue, and she was a die-hard Indianapolis Colts fan. He not only liked her, but he admired and respected her. She was competent, focused, and intelligent. Reese trusted her with his life.

They both ordered the club sandwich with handmade chips, and their meals were delicious. When the server returned with the bill, Reese took out his phone. “I have a friend who is vacationing here. Have you seen her around?”

He showed the woman the photo of Paige that Gennie had texted to him. The server took the phone from his hand and studied the shot.

“She doesn’t look familiar, but I see so many people, and I’m not great with faces. Do you want me to ask the others?”

“Sure.”

She disappeared with Reese’s phone, and they watched her talking to her coworkers. When she returned, she handed it back to him. “One person thought she might look familiar, but he wasn’t sure. No one else recognized her.”

“Thanks for checking around.”

He left a generous tip and then held out a hand to help Audria to her feet. She looked at it and then at his face, seeming to think about it before she placed her hand in his. The sidewalk was crowded as they merged into the flow of tourists.

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