Page 25 of Deadly Designs

She looked at it, and her eyes widened. “You’re withCOBRA Securities?”

“I am.”

“Impressive.”

It was, and he still considered himself lucky thatthey’d hired him. That name carried clout.

“Let me take a look at the crime scene.”

Aja Blue stepped back, and Officer Lamb entered theapartment to view the carnage. “Have you gone inside?”

“I have. I needed to make sure Mr. Guitterez wasn’tinside.”

“He wasn’t?”

“No, and before you ask, I didn’t touch anything.”Technically, it wasn’t a lie since he’d used the gun to move theboa on the mirror aside.

“I’ll get a crime scene unit here to document andtake pictures.”

“You should talk to Detective Nicole Herbert,”Christian advised. “Ms. LaLonde’s condo was broken into like this,and we filed a report.”

While she was on the phone, Christian asked Aja Bluefor Jay’s phone number. After she recited it, he called Tyler andasked him to trace it.

“It’s a no-go,” Tyler announced. “It’s turned off.Last hit I get from it is where you are right now.”

That’s what he’d been afraid of. The man’s apartmenthad been trashed. No one had heard from him in a week, he had nofamily, and his phone was off. He was virtually untraceable.

Chapter Seven

Aja Blue watched the scenery asChristian drove to her office. Something terrible had happened toJay. Her stomach cramped with worry. He was such a good person witha kind soul, and it pained her heart to think he might be missing,or hurt, or . . . She couldn’t finish the thought.

“What he does, it’s harmless,” she told Christian. Itwas vital for him to know that.

“I know it is, honey.”

She was so worked up that she didn’t have the energyto acknowledge the endearment. “He’s not hurting anyone, and it’sno one’s business but his. It makes him happy, and he has a rightto live the life he wants. Why would someone want to harm himbecause of it? What kind of monster would do that?”

Christian reached over and placed a hand over hers,giving her a gentle squeeze. Aja Blue’s voice had risen with eachsentence until she practically screamed the words. She took severaldeep breaths as tears filled her eyes. Christian’s calm strengthcomforted and eased her from the ledge she’d been teetering on.

“We’ll find him.”

When he said it, she believed him, but she also heardwhat he didn’t say: alive or dead.

“Aja Blue?”

“What?” She followed his gaze to see two police carswith flashing lights outside her office. “Oh, no.” She whipped openthe door.

“Wait—”

Christian attempted to grab her, but she jumped outas he slammed the brakes. She beelined for her office. Air whooshedfrom her lungs when she spotted Sara Lea talking to an officer. Shewas okay. Where were Marla and Darwin?

Sara Lea looked up and saw Aja Blue. She saidsomething to the cop and came running toward her.

“Aja Blue, I was just about to call you.” Sara Leahugged her.

“What happened? Was anyone hurt?”

When Sara Lea didn’t answer, Aja Blue glanced over tosee her staring wide-eyed at Christian, who’d come up besidethem.

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