Page 84 of All For You Duet

If I can focus on helping these women, I don’t think about the crush of my heart, the burn in my throat that wants to cry.

No.

This isn’t about me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Hot Blooded by New Constellations

Jameson and I search all night.

We take a break, a few hours to sleep, meet before dawn, and start searching again. We comb the island for every location Cam Le has been but we can’t find her.

Once Sunset Rentals opens, I take the lead. Jameson interrogates like the Boston mafia. That doesn’t work around here. You use soft words and a sharp mind in the South.

I find Cam’s crew mate, the one the office manager said cleaned the last condo with Cam. When I ask what happened next, the woman’s eyes shift, scared. “She went out with some man.”

“Did you know him?”

“No. He picked her up from the unit.”

“What did he look like?”

“I couldn’t see him.”

“What kind of car?”

“A white one. That’s all I remember.”

The woman looks terrified. I can’t bring myself to scare her more. Besides, I know she won’t tell me; too much is at risk for her.

“Those units down on Forest Beach Drive they were cleaning,” I tell Jameson in the car, “see if they have surveillance of the parking lot. We need to find that white car.”

Jameson nods. He’s way too skilled at this by now. It’s noon, and we’ve burned through every location used by Cam Le with no leads but that white car. There’s nothing left to do until we get that footage and we hate it.

I’m in a swirl of thoughts when Jameson asks, “You okay, Bryant?”

I know what he’s really asking about.

“Yeah. I’m fine. He says it’s old. That the picture was taken two months ago.”

Jameson huffs, and yeah, I don’t know if I should believe Redix, either. It’s like he’s been caught red-handed and is blowing up my phone, guilty. Thousands of miles away, and Redix can fuck up, and I’d never know. Women or liquor or drugs. Or all three.

I hate this feeling. Vulnerable. Anxious. I’m walking on eggshells, waiting for him to crack and break us both. Because yes, I love him, but I’m not dumb. Redix has proven what he’s capable of.

He’s texted and called all night and this morning, leaving me messages. I checked them, but I didn’t answer.

I don’t think I should yet. I don’t know if I can trust him. Or me. I’m a live wire inside, ready to touch something and explode into flames, so it’s best men stay clear.

Except for my dad.

I’m reluctant to keep my fishing date with him because I want to work on this case, but Jameson reminds me we’re in a holding pattern.

I don’t even go home to change. I just leave my duty belt and gun locked in my trunk, needing a few hours on the water.

“Y’all two”—Dad casts his line an hour later—“you know I love you both, but I don’t know if y’all can ever work this out.”

We share the same doubts about Redix and me.

---