Page 71 of Alpha Rising (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

“No, but when I was at breakfast, I noticed one of the Jeeps was missing.”

“He didn’t text you about where he was going?”

“Well, no. But I wouldn’t necessarily expect him to.” Sam glanced across the lobby, probably to make sure there were no staff members nearby. “You sound worried. Are you asking because of that anonymous phone call the other night? Did Reese get another one?”

“Not that I know of. Would he have told you if he had?”

Sam scoffed, and in that one small sound I heard his thoughts as loudly as if they’d been spoken. Reese wouldn’t want to alarm his siblings—or me—unless he absolutely had to. The alpha’s protective instincts were strong, but they could also be irrational.

My phone rang and John Riordan’s name appeared on the screen. “Excuse me,” I said. “I need to take this.”

Sam gave me a nod, and we parted ways. I headed for my office. “Hi, John.”

It felt different, talking to him now. I didn’t have a firm grasp on what a “seelie” was—or even what “the fae” were, in general—but knowing John wasn’t human gave our conversation a whole different flavor. At least on my end.

“Why haven’t you called me?” John demanded.

I entered my office and dropped my voice low, despite having closed the door. “Was I supposed to?”

“I texted you.” He sounded urgent. “I said to call me right away.”

“I never saw a text. Wait….” I opened my text messages, and there it was:

Call me IMMEDIATELY. I’ve found a new place for you. And in other news, DaBruzzi’s attorney brought a motion for release pending trial, and it was granted. He’s out on an electronic monitor and ordered to remain in his home.

“Why would the judge release him from custody?” Dread trickled through my veins at the idea of DaBruzzi walking around free, ankle bracelet or not.

“Bullshit health reasons. Listen, Sarah. DaBruzzi has a reputation for taking care of certain business matters himself, especially when his associates haven’t been successful. With him released, I’m putting you back in a government safe house.”

I blinked and sat on the edge of my office couch. “You mean,he’sgetting out of jail, soIhave to be held in a cell?”

“You know it’s not a cell,” John said. “It’s a safe house.”

“It’s as good as a prison cell!” The injustice of it was staggering.

“Stop being overdramatic.” John sounded annoyed.

“Thiswhole thingis overly dramatic,” I said, matching his tone. “I’m talking to afaeabout leaving my protected arrangement with a family of mountain lionshifters, so I can avoid anotherabduction, this time at the hands of acrime bossaccused of human trafficking. If I want to be dramatic, John, I think I’m entitled.”

He let out an exasperated sigh.

That’s when I noticed the one a.m. time stamp on his text, and a new fear shivered over my shoulders.

Did I not see a notification for John’s text because Reese had already opened it while I was sleeping?

If true, it wasn’t hard to imagine his reaction. Reese thought Johnlikedme; that hewantedme. It was a ridiculous notion, of course, but I could just see that text message triggering Reese’s alpha instincts to confront John in person.

I did the math in my head. It was about a four hour drive to Minneapolis. If Reese had left between one a.m. and whenever Sam had been at breakfast, then he’d had plenty of time to drive to the city, find the U.S. Marshal’s Office, and get in John’s face.

“Um, you haven’t by any chance heard from Reese Fitzpatrick, have you?”

“No. Should I be expecting a call?”

I let out a breath, grateful there’d been no further hostilities between the two men, but that still didn’t explain Reese’s absence. “Nope. Just curious.”

John got back to business. “I’ll be picking you up tomorrow morning. Please understand, your safety is my primary concern.”

I closed my eyes and thought of Reese. For as wild a ride as his life had put me on, it was one roller coaster I didn’t want to get off. I was buckled up and ready for more.

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