let out another sigh. “Fine. The client showed up for an online session, and your sister wasn’t there. I guess that’s pretty unusual.”
“The business is everything to Tamara,” Meredith stated. “She’d never abandon a client.”
“Which is what she said. So when Tamara missed a second session that week, she started to get worried,” he explained. “The client didn’t want her identity compromised and she didn’t want to involve the police, so she called me.”
She sensed there was more. “And?”
“I haven’t been able to locate Tamara. And now this.”
“Do you think—” Her voice caught. “Do you think someone took her?”
“I try not to get ahead of myself.”
“But you won’t call the police?”
Sam’s face darkened. “I can’t.”
Worry spiked at his unwillingness to involve the authorities. Then she thought about the police at Nick’s office. Was it something she should tell Sam? It seemed more and more relevant. But aside from his skills as a lifesaver and as an incredible kisser, what did she really know about the man in front of her? She had no clue if his reluctance stemmed from a lack of trust in cops, or if it was something darker. Meredith opened her mouth to ask—or maybe just to insist that the situation was far too dangerous to not call for help—but an oversize truck whipped around the corner, cutting her off. It barreled toward them, then jammed to a stop a few feet away. A big, fully bearded man with a curly ponytail stuck his head out the window.
He tossed a suspicious look at Meredith. “Who’s that?”
“The target’s sister,” Sam replied. “Meredith, this is Worm.”
“Why’s she here?”
Sam put an arm around Meredith’s shoulders. “Because she is.”
Surprise registered on the big man’s face for a second before he recovered. “Let’s see it.”
Sam stepped away from Meredith, reached into his pocket and pulled out the smashed camera.
“What the hell did you do to it?” Worm reached out and snatched it away.
“Disabled it. I hope,” Sam replied drily.
“Possibly. Sure as hell didn’t give the serial number a fighting chance.”
“It’s there,” Sam assured him.
Worm ducked back into the truck and, over the engine, Meredith swore she could hear the sound of a keyboard clacking. A minute later, the bearded man leaned out the window again, drew back his hand and tossed the camera through the air.
“You were right,” he said. “Police-issue.”
Meredith gasped. “The police planted the camera?”
Well. At least now his paranoia about the local authorities made sense.
“Still want to call 911, sweetheart?” Sam teased grimly, then looked up at Worm. “Can you give us a hand, my friend?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” the big man replied. “Hop in.”
As Sam helped boost her into the truck, Meredith’s mind alternated between wanting to go numb and wanting to race wildly. What had Tamara done? Fixed the wrong marriage? Or not fixed it? Or was it Nick? Had he crossed the wrong client? She still had a hard time believing her sister would call her in an attempt to help him. And what about the police involvement? She didn’t have an answer for any of the questions bogging her down, and she was left staring out the window blankly, wondering just how she and Sam would figure it out.
She and Sam.
From the backseat, she stole a glance at him. His held his head tipped to the side, his striking profile on display. He was on the phone, talking in a low voice, attempting to leave a message for the client who hired him to track down Tamara. When he hung up and shot her a reassuring smile, Meredith’s heart gave a surprising lurch.
A half a dozen other questions surfaced. What would have happened to her if he hadn’t shown up when he did? Would the gun-wielding man in the sedan have kidnapped her? Killed her? And what about Tamara? Would her sister have stood a chance if the local PD had been put in charge?
“You okay?” Sam’s voice cut through her worried thoughts.
“Should I be?” she replied.
“Probably not,” he admitted. “But I’m working on it. And we’re here.”
“We’re where?”
“My place,” Worm said and cut the engine.
Belatedly, Meredith realized the big truck had come to a halt in front of a squat bungalow.
“You can rest up,” Sam told her. “Maybe eat something, if you want. Though from what I remember, Worm’s cooking skills consist of takeout and toaster waffles.”
“I’ve had worse,” Meredith said and she let Sam help her from the truck.
Her body ached, and as weird as it seemed, her stomach rumbled the second she thought of food. But as soon as they’d settled into Worm’s living room, and Sam started to lay out his plan, hunger and exhaustion quickly took a backseat to her concern.
“I need to get my notes from my apartment,” Sam said. “Once I have them, Worm’ll use his super tech skills to track Tamara’s movements. I won’t be gone long.”
“You don’t really expect me to agree to being left here, do you?” Meredith asked.
Sam shot Worm a look, and the big man glanced from one of them to the other, muttered something about making coffee, then disappeared up the hall.
“Sending him away isn’t going to change my mind,” Meredith said. “You’re my only lifeline to my sister. If something happens to you while you’re out there getting your notes...”
At the end, her voice almost broke. Because it suddenly struck her that it was true. The man standing over her was the only one she could count on right that second. He was the only other person who knew Tamara was missing and quite possibly the only other person searching for her. The police couldn’t be trusted. Nicholas was nowhere to be found. Not that she exactly trusted him, either. Meredith also couldn’t put any of her friends in danger by telling them what was going on. And if the media got involved, the situation would turn into a circus and Tamara’s life would be at risk. If it wasn’t already.
Oh, God. What if she’s— Meredith shut down the thought before it could even finish. She refused to consider that her sister was anything but alive.
Sam sat beside her on the couch, and she lifted her hand to stop him from getting any closer. She knew if he touched her, that zap of attraction would floor her again, and she’d be in a bad position to say no to whatever he asked. And she wasn’t backing down. But as her arm raised, so did his, and before she could draw away, his fingers closed on
