Page 161 of Menace in Vegas

And a toddler yelling, “This is my truth!” while throwing chicken nuggets at his mom.

Somehow, none of that is as concerning as what I just saw across the street.

“Connor?” Allie tugs on my hand. “You good?”

I blink and refocus on her. “Yeah. Thought I saw someone I knew.”

We’re walking back from a late lunch, our hands tangled, the scent of coconut and sunscreen lingering in the air. It’s the kind of warm, lazy day that should feel like paradise.

Except my gut’s doing that thing it does before a fight breaks out on the ice.

I glance toward the alley between the souvenir shop and the smoothie shack.

Peyton was there. The same woman Daltyn got stuck in the elevator with in Vegas.

She looked different today. Still polished and put together, but… off. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. And when someone brushed past her, she flinched.

Now, she’s gone.

Vanished like smoke.

Allie doesn’t notice my shift in mood. She’s mid-story about how Gram accidentally subscribed to a goat delivery service instead of a husband catalog.

“Apparently she named one of them Carl,” Allie says, “and tried to teach him how to play Go Fish.”

I nod, pretending to listen, but my focus is shot.

Peyton looked over her shoulder like she was being watched.

Then she saw me and nd her entire body locked up. Panic flickered in her eyes.

“I don’t know how Harper deals with her,” Allie continues.

“Hey,” I say gently, squeezing her hand. “I need to swing by the coffee shop. Grab an espresso or something.”

She narrows her eyes. “Didn’t you just drink a coconut smoothie with three shots of espresso and half a can of Red Bull?”

“That was... tropical. This is for balance.”

“You’re lying.”

I sigh. “I’m investigating. I saw Peyton.”

Her whole demeanor changes. “Here? In Key West?”

“Yeah. Looked like she didn’t want to be seen.”

Allie glances around, scanning the area like Peyton might be hiding behind a palm tree. “Why wouldn’t she say hi?”

“Don’t know.” I pull out my phone and frown. “And Daltyn hasn’t answered my texts since we left Vegas.”

“When I saw her before we left, she told me she was heading home after the conference,” Allie says, brows pulling together. “This doesn’t make sense.”

“Nope. And yet... here she is.”

Allie bites her lip. “Think we should check on her?”

“Yeah. But don’t corner her. If she’s hiding from something, there’s a reason. We don’t want to scare her off.”

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