Page 38 of Island Refuge

He ignored that. Couldn’t deal with that logic here and now. They’d discuss it later, in private.

“Have you dug up any possible connection to Lila?”

“None.” Connor didn’t sound happy about it. “We’ve been searching through every detail.” He paused. “I know how invasive that sounds and I’m sorry, Lila. But no one stands out. I can’t find any contacts prior to your move to Brookwell with any connection to you at all. No one you’ve been in contact with has anything to do with this. They’ve all been cleared.”

“Not even my parents?” She bit her lip.

Travis knew the question cost her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, offering his support. When she leaned in, he could feel her desperation. This difficult situation just seemed to get worse.

“We haven’t eliminated that possibility,” Connor replied. “So far, there’s no clear indication of their involvement.”

“That’s good.” She cleared her throat and when he saw the question in her eyes, Travis urged her to speak up. “Can you… do you know if they’re alive?”

Connor was quiet for a moment. “We believe so, though I can’t confirm it. I’m working out timelines and running down last known and current whereabouts.”

“Thank you.”

She tucked her hands into her jacket, the one with the Inn logo, and pressed her lips together. He caught the sheen of tears in her eyes.

“Is anything painting a picture for you?” he asked Connor.

“No.” The researcher was clearly frustrated. “Everything indicates a bad place, bad time situation.”

Travis wanted to agree, but he couldn’t shake off the personal element to that room search. “All right. We’ll keep operating on the assumption that the thief is convinced Lila has the loot and won’t leave without it.”

“I’m sorry I don’t have more.”

“You’re doing great, Connor. If we’re at a dead end with the thief on this end, let’s go back.” They were missing something and he couldn’t keep Lila dancing on this razor’s edge much longer. She needed to feel safe. For herself, her grandmother, and their family legacy. “See what you can dig up on how the stolen goods got into the galley. Maybe the investigators missed some clue in the original theft reports. Jess can help with the contacts at the insurance company if you need her.”

“You got it.”

Ending the call, Travis slipped his phone back into his pocket. “You okay?” he asked Lila.

“Sure.”

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he guided her down the sidewalk, toward the Battery. “Forgive me if I call your bluff.”

She was quiet for several minutes. “I don’t know why it bugs me. My parents,” she clarified, though he knew what she’d meant. “They let me go. Not that I wanted to stay.” She pushed her hair back from her face. “I did the therapy. With all the enthusiasm of a sulky teenager at the start.” A smile flickered over her face. “And Gram’s right. I could see I didn’t want that life.”

“You were built for better.”

She shrugged. “So why does it hurt? After all this time, I should be over it.”

They walked along the wide sea wall, with the breeze blowing and people moving along in various pursuits. “Because parents are supposed to be better.” He drew her to the railing, taking both her hands in his. “And kids regularly assume blame for things outside of their control. I sure as hell did. I couldn’t get away from home fast enough. I made it through high school and enlisted immediately. I left home and didn’t look back. Didn’t go back. Not ever. Not for weddings, funerals, or reunions.”

She studied him for a long moment. “And here you are, one of the best people I know.”

Something inside his chest seemed to crack and a warmth seeped through. It was the strangest damned feeling. A sensation that originated with Lila and made him want to burrow closer.

He’d never been the clingy guy. Hell, he figured he was full up on friends and relationships weren’t a priority at this point. Not when the job he loved could take him anywhere for extended periods of time.

But looking at her, the longing was so unexpected it stole his breath.

She lifted a hand to his heart and he was sure she could feel it thundering in an uneven rhythm. “You were built for better too.” Her gaze shifted out over the water, in the direction ofBrookwell. She slid her arms around his waist and he wasn’t sure if the contentment was hers or his. “Brookwell is the only real home I’ve known. Gram gave my life a restart that summer and I was all in. Still am. Thanks for everything you’re doing to help protect what matters most to me.”

“You’re welcome,” he managed. His throat was tight with the sudden influx of emotions he typically avoided. He was afraid that what mattered most to him, was her.

If he was right, if the feelings rocketing through his system were more than a sense of obligation for pointing trouble at her, more than superb sexual satisfaction, then he was on the cusp of some serious, life-changing decisions.

---