Page 69 of The Saint

“You don’t get to say that unless it’s your sister we’re looking for.” Beth didn’t seem to remember why Amelia was asking for help. She studied the woman behind the steering wheel.

Or maybe Beth did know something of the pain harbored in Amelia’s chest. Despite Beth’s cashmere sweater, perfect hair and makeup, and keys to a luxury sedan, something marred her socialite appearance, as though Beth had seen far more than she could handle and wanted Amelia to avoid the same fate.

Beth flicked her gaze to Camden as though he had the power to dissuade Amelia from taking the next step. After the previous night, Camden had the power to do a lot of things to Amelia. But none would keep her from searching for Hailey. He didn’t give Beth the backup she was seeking.

Beth shrugged and opened her door. “Then let’s rip the Band-Aid off and jump down the rabbit hole.”

She slammed the door shut. Amelia and Camden sat in the reverberating silence as Beth sauntered toward the dilapidated metal doors. Despite Amelia’s cold shower and physical distance from Camden, the atmosphere between them buzzed. Their chemistry burned so brightly that Beth could probably guess what was happening when they were alone.

But right then, that wasn’t what Amelia saw in Camden’s expression. It was eerily similar to that dark shadow on Beth’s face, almost as if he could see what hid behind the warehouse doors.

“Cam, please don’t try to talk me out of this.”

The tight corners of his dark eyes assessed her. His lips rolled together as if physically restraining an explanation.

“I heard Beth,” she whispered. “My understanding of Hailey and Jonathan will shift in some irrevocable, indelible way.”

“It’s going to mark your soul if you go in there,” he said quietly.

He’d already marked her soul. Could she handle another mark? “Understood.”

“I don’t know if you’re going to get the answers you want. It’s just as brave to walk away from a fight as it is to stay.”

“I’ll never learn anything if I don’t try.”

“You’re willing to do that, knowing you might never find Hailey?”

“That’s not fair to ask, Cam.”

Tension ticked in his chiseled cheeks. Camden ran a hand over his face. “You’ve got to know what I know: In my line of work and in Beth’s, when we say that shit is gonna fuck you up, it’s gonna fuck you up, sweetheart, and—”

“Stop trying to talk me out of this. And Iamfucked up. Okay? My life has already been completely fucked.”

Hell, she’d done stupid shit like begging him to take her to bed—that was why he’d first said no. That was the power dynamic he’d tried to explain. Her eyes burned with embarrassment, and she rolled them to hide her humiliation.

“Stop. Wherever your head has gone. Stop.” Camden reached into the back seat and clasped his large hand over her knee. “We need to go home.”

Home—as if their business with Beth was secondary to the way they’d come together as a couple. Date nights and mornings in bed—as if it were all that simple, as if it were that way and might stay that way as long as they continued to play their game of pretend. She was in so far over her head in more ways than one, yet she didn’t want to be far from him.

“I’m going inside with Beth. You should join me.”

The corners of his lips quirked up. It wasn’t a smile as much as an“All right. What the hell? Let’s do it.”

A moment later, they found Beth shivering in front of a nondescript entrance with peeling paint and an uninviting sense of welcome. Signs pocked the building: Do Not Enter, Private Property, No Trespassing, Enter at Your Own Risk.

Amelia muttered, “This looks like a friendly bunch.”

“It’s another warning that you’re ignoring,” Beth pointed out. “Literal signs that say go home.”

Ignoring yet another red flag, Amelia grumbled and stared at her feet. “Weird how well kept the parking lot is when everything else around it is falling apart.”

Beth didn’t even glance at the parking lot.

Amelia had had enough procrastination. “I’m ready to go inside.”

“Suit yourself.” Beth yanked on the door, which opened wide into a dark hall. “Let’s get this party started.”

They walked in. Behind them, the heavy door shut as they were hugged by an inky darkness. Her heartbeat quickened. She blinked. Her eyes tried to adjust, but there wasn’t any light. Coldness radiated around them. Beth’s heels clicked forward, and Amelia followed the sound of her steps. Every step threw off her equilibrium. Not seeing where the floor met the wall was dizzying. The only somewhat calming notion was that Camden pulled up the rear.

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