Page 19 of Todd
“I promise,” she whispered.
His thumb brushed across her cheekbone, so gentle it made her eyes burn. “I should be the one going with you instead of Timothy.”
Before she could respond or process the weight of those words, Timothy’s voice cut through the moment. “Sadie? We need to roll.”
Todd’s hand dropped from her face, and the loss of his touch sent a chill over her. He stepped back, wincing while his eyes remained dark with emotion. “Be careful,” he said, and somehow those two simple words carried everything else he couldn’t say.
As she and Timothy pulled away from the compound, heading toward the airport, Sadie found herself twisting around, her gaze searching.
Todd stood just outside the bunkhouse, his tall frame silhouetted against the morning light. Even at a distance, she could feel the intensity of his gaze, could sense the weight of everything he wasn’t saying. Then he lifted his hand in a wave that seemed to carry all the words they’d never spoken, all the feelings they’d never acknowledged.
Her traitorous heart squeezed in her chest, and for a moment, she wanted nothing more than to tell Timothy to stop the car, to run back and say all the things that had been trapped between them for so long.
Instead, she raised her own hand in response, their silent farewell stretching between them like a bridge made of regret and unfinished business.
As the compound disappeared behind them, Sadie forced herself to focus on the mission ahead. Somewhere in Arizona, a woman had vanished, and it was up to her to find out why. The personal complications would have to wait, but as Todd’s face lingered in her memory, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this mission would change everything, one way or another.
10
PRESENT DAY - SERENITY DUNES SPA
Unlike the dimly lit, mud bath cubicle, the lighted mineral spa facility was a testament to bright luxury. Individual marble tubs, each one carved from what appeared to be a single block of pristine white stone, were arranged in a spacious circle around a central fountain that sent crystalline water cascading over smooth river rocks. Gossamer curtains hung between each tub like delicate veils, offering privacy while maintaining the space's airy, open feel.
Damn, this place is… hell… not like any place I’ve ever been.
As Sadie settled deeper into the warm, effervescent water, she felt her muscles begin to unknot for the first time in months. The mineral-rich bath swirled gently around her body, tiny bubbles rising to the surface and popping against her skin like champagne tickled her nose on the few occasions she’d actually had champagne. She let her head fall back against the padded spa pillow and released a long, shuddering sigh. Much better than mud.
The memories she’d been trying so desperately to avoid had ambushed her anyway, dragging her back to that first devastating morning when her world had shifted on its axis in ways both wonderful and terrible.
For so long, it had taken every ounce of her professional training and personal willpower to work alongside Todd without betraying even a hint to Logan or the other Keepers that she’d ever experienced anything beyond professional respect for him. The effort was exhausting on a level that had nothing to do with their demanding work and everything to do with the careful mask she wore every single day.
By necessity, they’d quickly established a new routine after her arrival at LSI Montana. Those early weeks living in the bunkhouse had been excruciating. Every shared meal in the common kitchen, every casual encounter in the hallway, and every team meeting where they sat across from each other had been loaded with unspoken tension. Her emotions had been a volatile cocktail of irritation at his dismissal, embarrassment at her own vulnerability, and most damaging of all—a persistent longing that refused to be reasoned away.
Now, with her head resting against the spa pillow and her hands gliding through the silky mineral water, her body felt weightless in a way that had nothing to do with buoyancy.
She’d had no idea how emotionally exhausting it would be to work for a man she genuinely respected, alongside coworkers she’d grown to love like family, in the most fulfilling professional environment she’d ever experienced, all while having to maintain friendly distance from the one man who’d awakened every part of her that she’d thought was permanently dormant.
And it seemed that after their conversation in the Jeep that day, Todd had no trouble whatsoever consigning her to the friend zone. She sometimes marveled at her own acting ability, wondering how she managed to keep the others from seeing how much his casual, easy treatment of her continued to hurt. He could joke with her during briefings, work seamlessly alongside her on assignments, even share late-night conversations in thebunkhouse common room, all without any apparent awareness that every interaction was slowly breaking her heart.
“But that’s my own damn problem,” she muttered to the empty air, her voice echoing slightly off the marble surfaces.
Suddenly overwhelmed by the weight of months’ worth of careful pretense, she lifted her legs and let herself sink completely beneath the surface of the mineral bath. The water closed over her head like a warm embrace, muffling the sounds of the soft music playing in the background. It also managed to temporarily wash away the persistent ache in her chest. For a few precious seconds, she existed in a world where Todd Blake had never smiled at her across a bar, never made her believe in possibilities, never shown her exactly what she was missing.
When her lungs began to protest, she pushed herself back up to the surface, gasping as she broke through into the cooler air. Water streamed from her hair and down her face as she sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly.
She glanced down at the slight bruise on her arm and thought of the blood test she’d been given earlier that day. Once they’d climbed from the van that brought them from the airport, they had been given glasses of iced cucumber water and taken to a meeting room for the introduction of the staff and welcome. She would rather have had a beer and a chance to wander at her leisure.
The staff heads greeted them. Dr. Saanvi Patel was introduced as the spa medical practitioner. She oversaw the blood tests being administered by her nurses. Sadie noted Dr. Patel was watchful over the proceedings. Yelena Mirov was introduced as the retreat's manager. Her welcome said all the appropriate words, but Sadie had noted her smile didn’t reach her eyes.
Matteo Delgado offered his welcome, announcing he was over the yoga and sound bath programs. His demeanorscreamed calm, and Sadie had to hide her grin at the Zen expression he had on his face. The lead nutritionist, Jake Wilson, assured the guests that their meals would be exceptional, but unlike at other resorts, they would be tailored to their individual needs and the supplements they were taking. Brock James looked like a California surfer with his blond hair and tanned body. He was the guest services coordinator and planner of their individual spa itinerary.
The groundskeeper wasn’t present, but they’d learned his name was Eli Park. “You probably won’t see him,” Yelena had informed them. “None of you should be wandering the grounds. We have several acres that afford us privacy and give you exquisite views. But as you know, we are in the desert, and it can be as dangerous as it is beautiful. No one is to leave the resort buildings and wander outside the designated area.”
The last person to be introduced also hadn’t been present. “Dr. Marvin Selinski is the owner of the spa and the one who is ultimately responsible for the research he’s done on regenerative wellness. While here, you will experience the benefits of his extensive research.”
They were then shown to their individual rooms. Once there, she carefully examined her luggage, chuckling at how easy it was to see that it had been searched. Pulling out the small phone hidden in her shoe, she sent a message to Timothy, letting him know the setup. Receiving a message in return, he confirmed he was settled at the nearby hotel.
And now she’d been dunked in mud and a mineral bath.Yep… this spa is so not like any place I’ve ever been.
