and exhausted, like a delicate flower that had been crushed in the wind.
But dammit, she also looked beautiful in that pale blue cotton blouse and that flowing black skirt. He itched to pull her into his arms and comfort her but gripped his hands by his sides to keep from touching her.
Someone, whoever had put that doll on her porch, had meant to torment her.
Or maybe the doll had been left as a warning. If she kept asking questions, the same thing would happen to her…
Hopefully Amanda could lift some prints. If not, she might be able to track down where the doll and knife were bought and the buyer.
Slade gritted his teeth. The fact that she’d received it the day after she’d hired him was significant.
Dammit, he didn’t like the fact that someone was watching her. Someone who obviously didn’t want her asking questions. That fact alone roused his suspicions and gave credence to her case.
The first suspect who came to mind was the doctor. But surely the man was too smart to pull such a stunt. He’d have to know that he would be the first person Slade would question.
“Other than Dr. Emery, who else knows that you hired me?” Slade asked.
Nina ran a hand over her forehead. “William.”
His gaze shot to hers. “Peyton’s father?”
She nodded and folded her arms across her chest. “He phoned last night.”
Slade growled, “How did he find out?”
“Dr. Emery called him.”
“Son of a bitch.”
Nina’s gaze jerked to his, and he forced himself to tamp his anger. “What did he say?”
“He was upset,” Nina said. “William doesn’t want anyone messing up his life by dredging up his past. Especially me.”
Slade frowned. “I don’t give a damn what he wants. He’s going to talk to me. And I’ll get the truth out of him one way or another.”
* * *
NINA’S HEART WARMED. For the first time in eight years, she actually felt as if someone believed her.
That someone else might care that her daughter had gone missing, when her father and Peyton’s own father had accepted her disappearance as if it had been a blessing in disguise.
“Do you want me to call William and tell him we’re coming?” Nina asked.
“No, I want the element of surprise on our side when I confront him.”
Our side? A warmth spread through Nina at the thought of this man defending her. For so long, she felt as if she’d been waging an uphill battle all alone.
The sun glinted through the clouds, the traffic thick as they left the mountain roads and turned onto the highway toward Winston-Salem. The interstate buzzed with early-morning traffic and commuters.
“Did you grow up in Sanctuary?” Slade asked.
“No, in Raleigh. I attended a private school. That’s where I met William. His father lived there before opening a practice in Winston-Salem.”
“So how did you end up in Sanctuary?”
Nina sighed. “When I got pregnant, my father rented a small house in town. He wanted to hide me away from the people he knew in Raleigh, especially his business colleagues. I stayed in the house until after Peyton was born, then Daddy wanted me to come back and live with him, but I…couldn’t.”
Slade’s thick, dark brows furrowed. “Let me get this straight. He moved you to a different town and left you alone when you were pregnant and just a teenager?”
Nina shrugged at the censure in his voice. “It was better that way. We weren’t exactly getting along back then.” She stroked the sides of her arms with her hands, shaking off the memories. “What about you? Where are you from?”
Slade’s jaw tightened. “All around. My dad was in the military. He died in combat.”
Nina wanted to soothe the anguish she heard beneath his calm veneer but sensed he wouldn’t welcome her touch, so she held herself back. “I’m sorry, Slade. How old were you?”
He maneuvered around an eighteen-wheeler. “Thirteen.”
“I’m sure that was difficult on everyone.”
He made a grunting sound. “Yeah. Two years later my sister disappeared, and my mother totally lost it.”
Just as she had when Peyton first went missing.
But she hadn’t abandoned a second child who needed her. “And they left you to fend for yourself,” Nina said softly.
Slade stiffened. “I was the man of the family,” he said. “I was supposed to take care of them and I failed.”
“Slade…”
“Drop it, Nina.” His expression warned her not to push. “Where does William live?”
“Downtown. He bought a half-million-dollar condo directly across the street from his law office.”
“He must be doing well.”
“Yes. Losing Peyton wasn’t even a blip on the radar for him,” she said, fighting bitterness.
He found a parking spot, parked and they climbed out and walked over to the condo complex. People clogged the sidewalk, walking to work; the coffee shop was overflowing with early-morning patrons and horns and traffic noises filled the air.
They stepped into the entryway of the high-rise building, then stopped at the front desk to speak to security. “We’re here to see William Hood.”
A middle-aged dark-haired woman greeted them. “Is Mr. Hood expecting you?”
“No,” Slade said. “But it’s important.”
Nina cleared her throat. “Just tell him that Nina Nash needs to see him.”
The woman buzzed his condo, announced their arrival then spoke quietly into the headset. A second later, she turned back to them with a frown. “I’m sorry, but he says he doesn’t want to see you.”
Slade slapped his hand on the counter. “Tell him he can talk to us now or we’ll be waiting at his office.”
The woman’s brows rose, then she spoke into the headset again. This time curiosity lined her face when she glanced back up. “He’s in the penthouse.”
Slade harrumphed. “Of course.”
The woman frowned again as they made their way to the elevator. Nina’s stomach thrashed as the elevator carried them up, her ears popping as they climbed to the twenty-ninth floor. The doors finally swished open, and she swayed
