Page 139 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
“Hello?”
When no one returns my greeting, I pace deeper into the room. While turning off the tap, I scan the space. The bathroom is outdated, but compared to downstairs, every surface is sparkling clean.
Once I’ve checked behind the shower curtain, and in the bathtub, I head back to the hallway in preparation to check the next room at the end of the corridor. My heart leaps into my chest when Hugo unexpectedly steps in front of me. I snap my mouth shut, suffocating the urge to scream.
After sucking in a shaky breath, I flutter my eyes back open.
“Sorry,” Hugo mutters, genuinely remorseful that he scared me. “There’s nothing down there but a bedroom with a double bed. The closets and drawers are full of clothes, but the bed hasn’t been slept in recently.”
“Okay.” I shift my gaze to the last door in the corridor. “That just leaves one room.”
Brandon climbs the stairs two at a time, narrowly missing the hole Hugo’s boot left, his head shaking when he spots my silent question. “Excluding a dozen rats, there’s nothing down there but rubbish.” His face scrunches up when he mentions the vermin.
In sync, we turn our heads to the one room that has yet to be searched. A bead of sweat rolls down my back as I follow Brandon and Hugo to the end of the hall. Hugo wraps his hand around the doorknob before cranking his head back to Brandon and me.
“One… two… three.”
On three, Hugo flings open the door for Brandon and me to rush in with our guns drawn. My eyes go crazy, rapidly absorbing every confronting detail while also making sure the room is secure. When my search comes up empty for potential threats, I lower my gun before shifting my attention to Brandon.
He’s pivoting in a circle, taking in the entire room. “Holy shit.”
His response is more reserved than Hugo’s. He bites out a string of curse words as he takes in wall after wall of photos, magazine cut-outs, CD covers, and posters of Isaac's brother, Nick. Some images appear to be taken by paparazzi, but at least half of them aren't professional pictures. There are hundreds of long-range shots of Nick in various poses, but the ones that make my stomach churn are the up close and personal ones.
A handful are of Nick sleeping, but most are of him in various stages of sexual activities with a young lady with strawberry blonde hair. I thought the bathroom in Megan’s hotel room was bad. This room is ten times worse.
My stomach tenses when I reach a desk in the corner of the room. “Is this Jenni, Nick’s fiancée?” I lift one of the many photos with her eyes gouged out and blood trailing down her legs.
After drawing in a long, shaky breath, Hugo nods.
“Does Isaac have someone watching them?”
“He has Peters watching Nick from a distance, but I don’t know about Jenni. His security team determined the threat pertained more to Nick than his fiancée.”
A dull ache gnaws in my chest, my intuition warning me that something isn’t right. “You need to get protection for Jenni.” I shift on my feet to face Brandon. “What’s the closest division associated with this district?”
Hugo exhales raggedly. “Don’t call the authorities until Isaac’s security team gets a look at this first. If you bring in the feds, this will get shut down quicker than Hunter turning down an offer to dance.”
I hate what he’s saying, but it’s true. With Isaac being investigated by the Bureau, they won’t let him anywhere near the scene, much less share confidential information with him. But can I do this? Can I go against everything I’ve been taught for a man I’ve only known for months?
With my stomach too twisted up in knots to think straight, I seek Brandon’s opinion. He takes a few moments to deliberate on my soundless question before mumbling, “It’s up to you, Izzy. I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”
A tense stretch of silence crosses between us. The only audible noise is my big pants of breath. I’m terrified of what Isaac's reaction will be, but nothing he’s done the entire time I’ve been a part of the team investigating him has been classified as illegal, so I can trust him. I’m just worried this will force him to do something unlawful. He loves his brother, and he’d do anything to protect him—anything at all—but if I keep this from him, and something happens to Nick or his family, I’ll lose Isaac forever. That’s something I’ll never handle.
With that in mind, I remove a layer of sweat beaded on my neck before digging out the cell phone Hugo gave me earlier. When I thrust it to him, the tension straining his face slackens. The cuff of Brandon’s shirt tickles my wrist when he moves to stand next to me, but I can’t take my eyes off Hugo. He dials a number he knows by heart before lifting the burner phone to his ear. He’s making a call I know will break the heart of the man I love. Nothing is more important than this.
Just as faint ringing stops sounding through my ears, Hugo’s eyes rocket to mine. “She's fine. She's right in front of me.”
My heart swells, pleased Isaac still cares enough about me to be concerned about my welfare. My happiness dampens when Hugo says, “You need to send the security team to Parkerville. Tonight. This isn’t about Izzy. It’s Nick.”
CHAPTER20
ISABELLE
“Feel free to tell me to buzz off, but what’s a beautiful girl like you doing in a shithole like this?”
When I turn toward the voice, I'm met with the grinning face of a ruggedly handsome man. His jawline is covered with a thick, full beard. His dirty blond hair is pulled back into a messy man bun. His red and black checked plaid shirt rolled up at the sleeves showcases his vast collection of tattoos, and a pair of well-fitted jeans and black boots finalizes his outfit.
“That was the worst pick-up line I’ve ever heard.”
