Page 123 of The Saint

“Let me get this straight. You just want to get dressed and head over.”

“Now?” She thought about it.Why not?“Yeah. Now.”

“Amelia—”

“Come on, Camden. What more could go wrong?”

He snorted.

“This is the least dangerous thing we have done in weeks,” she pressed. “And I’m going to, whether you like it or not. So you might as well come with me.”

He could’ve pointed out she was carless, clothes-less, and likely the subject of a federal manhunt. But Camden sighed and stood. “Did you see any to-go mugs?”

She jumped to her feet and scurried back to the bedroom to search for clothes that might fit her.

By the time she found suitable clothing, Camden had found to-go cups for their coffees. Amelia took the coffee and paced.

“Cold feet?” he asked.

A little bit.But more than that, adrenaline flowed in her veins. She would have answers soon. “Eager.”

The drive to Hailey’s neighborhood took almost an hour. Not until they turned onto the familiar street did the circumstances come to mind again. It wasn’t a game. It wasn’t an adventure. They were visiting the neighbor of her dead sister and brother-in-law. Raw memories cut through the adrenaline.

“You doing okay, babe?”

She bit her lip. “Yeah.” But she couldn’t hide the lack of pep that had been in her voice all morning.

“We don’t have to do this right now.” He paused at a four-way stop and checked the mirrors. No other cars were around. Camden waited for her answer.

She had to do it. Finding the book was the final step to ending the whole headache. It was what Jonathan and Hailey had tasked her with protecting, even if she’d blanked on it until recently. “Let’s go. I want to do this.”

They parked in front of the Callaghans’. Her stomach dropped. “They’re not going to let me look for a book I left, are they?”

“If they don’t, we go to plan B.”

“Break in?”

He shrugged. “I’ll pick their locks. You grab the book. No one would know the difference.”

That would be easier. But she felt sneaking into their home would be another violation. “I’ll come up with something to say.” She rested her hand on the door. “Come with me?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, of course. There wasn’t a chance I was letting you do this alone.”

She’d known that already, but it still made her feel safe and protected. They made their way to the front door. Adrenaline punched in her blood.

When Amelia rang the doorbell, an older woman answered. “Can I help you?”

What had I planned to say?Something had been there. But it was all gone.

The woman looked at Camden. “Is everything okay?”

“I—” Amelia swallowed hard and stared at the staircase behind the woman. She glanced into the living room that she’d run through in the dark. A purr caught her attention. Their cat slinked through Mrs. Callaghan’s legs and looked up at Amelia as if it recalled their fateful night together. Abrupt tears rimmed her eyes. Her breath caught. “Your cat saved my life.” A tear fell down her cheek. “She…”

Camden laid his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry we disturbed you.” He gently tugged Amelia. “Come on, babe.”

Another tear fell. Amelia stepped back. “I’m sorry I broke into your house.”

Mrs. Callaghan stopped with the door partially shut. Her head tilted. “You’re Hailey’s sister?”