Neil’s jaw ached. He had no desire to leave Gwen, but knew Rick wouldn’t suggest they talk if it wasn’t important. He glanced Gwen’s way one last time before following Rick out of the bar.

There were plenty of bars to fade quietly into throughout LA. They found one, ordered a couple of drinks, and faded.

“Billy’s dead.”

“What?” The hair on Neil’s arms went up and stayed there. Billy Thompson was a redneck from the woods of Tennessee, and one of Neil’s men. His grandfather was notorious throughout his hometown because of the moonshine he pumped out of a homemade still. A skill he passed on to Billy who shared his bounty in mason jars. Redneck he was, but Billy could track a king rat through a rain forest and take it out with a shot through the eyes from a mile away. His place on the team was invaluable.

Had been invaluable.

“How?”

“The official report said suicide. Post traumatic bullshit.”

“That’s crap.” Shit rolled off Billy better than most of them. Last Neil heard, he’d married his high school sweetheart and was trying to put his military days behind him.

Rick took a drink. “That’s what I said. The fact there was a report to hack into told me our guys were watching him.”

“Why?”

“His wife disappeared. Rumor in his town was that she left with someone other than Billy. The official report was he drank himself stupid and jumped off a cliff.”

Neil sat forward. “If Billy’s wife ran off with another man he’d hunt them down and bring her back.”

Rick smiled. “Exactly.”

“So what do you think happened?”

“I think someone tossed him off that cliff. And whoever did it either has his wife, or killed her and no one has found her body.”

“What makes you say that?”

“His wife, Lucy, worked at a local restaurant, waited tables. The day she disappeared someone saw her in the restaurant parking lot talking to a man. A man who wasn’t Billy.”

“Where did you get that information?”

Rick shrugged. “Several people were happy to share. It’s a small town, people lower the volume on their TVs to hear their neighbors fighting. Cheap entertainment. The next day Lucy doesn’t show up for work.”

“And?”

“Billy comes home from his shift at the mill. The report said some of her clothes were missing, but her mother said the only thing missing was her purse.”

“Did Billy file a missing persons report?”

“So the local yahoos can find her? What do you think?”

“I think Billy could find her faster.”

Rick nodded. “Exactly. Except Billy stays home…doesn’t look for her. There are three phone calls to his residence, all from pay phones. Who f**king uses a pay phone?”

“People who don’t want to be seen.”

“Exactly.”

“When Lucy doesn’t show up for work and her boss calls, Billy says she’s ran off.”

Neil’s jaw twitched. “You think someone had Lucy and was calling Billy…taunting him? Threatening him? Demanding ransom?”

Rick pointed his beer in Neil’s direction. “That’s exactly what I think happened. Only I don’t think they were after money.”

“I don’t think Billy had any money.”

“Exactly. Which is why I think they were just f**king with him…making him bleed on the inside, ya know?”

“Jesus. That’s sick.”

“Some kids hunting came across Billy’s body at the bottom of a ravine.”

“Hidden?”

“No. On a path…or just off one. Whoever did this wanted him found.”

Neil rubbed his jaw. “So you want to hunt down whoever did this to Billy?”

“Damn right, but that’s not why I’m here talking to you.”

“Oh?”

Rick’s cold, hard stare met Neil’s. “They found a dead raven shoved inside Billy’s coat.”

The chill up Neil’s spine turned to blocks of thick ice.

Gwen twisted her pillow over a third time, finding the cool spot, and forced her eyes closed. Still, sleep eluded her.

He’d left. Walked out without as much as a backward glance. One minute he was standing guard, the next he was gone.

All she could say to herself was…I pushed him to it.

Karen and Eliza both suggested she move on. Regardless of the heat between them, if Neil never made a move things would never get off the ground.

Yet as they left the bar, Gwen could swear someone was watching her. Maybe Neil decided he needed to be stealthier.

Eliza suggested she take a couple of self-defense courses…buy a gun. If only to feel better about living alone. Leave it to Eliza to see through some of Gwen’s armor. Gwen wasn’t making a big deal about living alone, but the truth was, she’d never done it. Eliza had already shown her how to use a gun. Up until Eliza’s marriage, there had always been a firearm in the house. Eliza’s parents were murdered when she was a young girl. The man responsible promised to kill Eliza, too. Her friend had grown up in a witness protection program and carried a handgun for her own protection. Karen moved in shortly after Eliza moved out. With Karen around and the never-ending presence of Neil, Gwen didn’t feel the need to own a gun.

But maybe she’d look into it now.

Through the etched glass of her I’m fine on my own thank you very much facade, she wasn’t completely comfortable by herself.

The next day Eliza flew back to Sacramento and Karen went on her first official date with Michael.

At ten in the evening her phone buzzed, signaling a text.

I like him. Going to stay the night.

Gwen smiled and texted her back. Call anytime if you need me.

Karen’s reply was an emoticon smiley face.

And so the evenings home alone begin. Gwen set the alarms, thought of Neil, and went to bed.

In the morning when she worked her way into the kitchen for tea, she noticed the back door open an inch. She could have sworn she’d shut it, but maybe she hadn’t. The offshore winds, otherwise known as the Santa Anas, were tossing leaves around the backyard.

She was sure the motion detectors were going crazy and yet Neil hadn’t called.

He wasn’t going to call.

He’d made his choice.

“A week from Friday,” Karen announced when she strode through the door midday.

“Welcome home.”

Karen beamed. “We’re getting married a week from Friday.”