Page 48 of Phoenix Rising

“Hum. This is a new side of you, Reese. I like it.”

He matched her smile. “Kinda gives you a rush.”

She tossed back her head and laughed, and it was possibly his favorite sound—scratch that—second favorite. The throaty moans and whispered words of pleasure while in the throes of ecstasy were number one.

Reese watched for tails on the way to the police station but didn’t detect any. He found a visitor’s spot in the lot and parked. The station was in a cluster of city hall buildings that included the mayor’s office and the public works department.

Detective Beaumont was waiting for them, and they followed her to a conference room.

“Can I get either of you coffee? Water?”

“I’ll take water,” Audria said.

“Same.”

She returned with two bottles and a steaming mug for herself and sat across from them. “I’m going to record this.” She stated their names and the date. “Why are you in Sedona?”

“A friend went missing. Her last known location was here, and no one has heard from her in several days. She has not responded to messages or collected her belongings from her hotel.”

Detective Beaumont eyed him suspiciously. “You work for the FBI, the country’s biggest, most powerful law organization. Why aren’t you tapping into their vast resources?”

“When an adult goes missing, it’s not a crime that requires a response from the Bureau unless foul play is suspected, or local authorities request assistance.”

“The other day, you indicated that she’d done this before. Disappeared, I mean.”

“She has.”

“That’s why you aren’t here as a supervisory special agent.”

Among other reasons. “Yes.”

Detective Beaumont was giving him the evil eye again. “What aren’t you telling me? Who is this friend?”

“Her name is Paige Stockton.”

Detective Beaumont’s brow wrinkled, and then realization dawned. “She’s the famous investigative reporter who nailed several of your coworkers.”

He fought a wince. “One and the same.”

“Okay, I can see why you are on your own on this. I’m sure she’s not very popular at Quantico.”

Understatement. “I’m not on my own. I’ve teamed with COBRA Securities.”

“Oh, right. You work for them.” She pointed at Audria.

“I do.”

“I know of your company. They have a stellar reputation. One of the founders used to be a detective, right?”

“Yes, Luke Colton.”

“So, how did you hook up with them?” she asked Reese. “You two being a couple is a fake story, right?”

“No, it’s not.” At least not on his part. He avoided looking at Audria to see her reaction. “Audria is a former special agent.”

Detective Beaumont nodded slowly. “Okay. So, there have been two attempts on your lives, and your possessions were destroyed. Who did you piss off?”

“If we knew that, we’d be closer to knowing what happened to Paige,” Audria snipped. Reese detected a bit of derision in her voice and almost smiled.

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