Page 60 of Rhys

“I just don’t think it’s the right time. Maybe…maybe later?”

“How much later?”

“I don’t know. Maybe like…what the…shit.” A touch of panic overtook her normally chilled tone. “I have to go. I’m sorry.”

“What’s wrong?” Parker straightened his spine, his hands gripping the expensive leather covering the wheel

“I’ll call back when I can.”

“Jinx, wait!” He practically yelled. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“I can’t.” Her voice had turned into a whisper. “I’m sorry.”

“Jinx—”

The line went dead. Immediately, Parker tapped the screen on his dash and redialed the number she’d used to call him. The first time, it simply rang and rang. And rang. The second time…

“We’re sorry,” the automated voice answered. “The number you have called is no longer in service. Please hang up and try again.”

Frustrated, Parker ended the call and punched in Jinx’s digits, paying close attention to each and every one. He was greeted with the same disturbing message.

What the hell?

For the rest of the drive home, he kept his radio off and his phone at the ready. But Jinx never called back. Not that night or the next…

Or even the next.

A full week went by without a single form of communication. During that time, he made it a point to check daily—multiple times each day, actually—but she hadn’t sent him any messages on their gaming chat app.

She also didn’t text or call.

The more time that passed, the more concerned Parker became. He couldn’t explain it, really. Even to a genius like him, he didn’t understand it. But despite the fact that they’d never even met, he knew deep in his gut that something was wrong.

Maybe he’d spent too much time with Charlie Team lately. Maybe he was looking for something that wasn’t ever there. But by the time he was pulling into his six-car garage, Parker had made up his mind as to what he was going to do.

The mysterious woman maythinkshe was smart. But he was smarter. And something Jinx didn’t know about him…

I never give up.

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