Page 107 of Nothing to No One

“We didn’t know there were cameras. The power was out. We were locked in that room.”

“And somehow this Roman—”

“It wasn’t Roman,” she said again. “I’m not with Roman Lowe, I’m with his brother.”

THIRTY-EIGHT

RELAYING THE WHOLE story to her mother took time. There were questions, of course, some she was more confident answering than others. How could she have got herself into such a position? Who was this Struan? Was he a good man? Was he anything like his brother? If they were together, why wasn’t he there?

He would be, she said only to herself, if he could, he would.

Roxie was a great help. She diverted many awkward lines of questioning and managed to keep her mother’s mood high.

The pie was as she remembered, just as every detail in the house was imprinted on her memory. The feeling she got there was like nowhere else. The acceptance and security of her mother’s home was something she’d taken for granted. Even with the horde outside and the Men in Black patrolling the yard, it still felt like home.

“Shall we go out for dinner?” Roxie asked. “My treat, you can invite your family and your friends. Anyone you want. Where do people eat in this town?”

“I don’t know if going out is a good idea.”

Her mother was already on her feet cleaning up. “Everyone would love to see you.”

“I don’t want us followed around. These people can be intrusive, Mom, they don’t hear no.”

“Yes, I found that out when they wouldn’t stop hammering on the door all day yesterday. I couldn’t tell the difference between the pounding in my head and that on the door. Ihonestly thought I’d lose my mind until your wonderful friend showed up.” She stopped to land a smile on Roxie. “Mr. Stone.”

As always, the woman wasn’t shy. “Unfortunately, my friend is spoken for,” Roxie said, “if only every woman could have a piece of Ryder Stone.”

At that, the back door opened and a tall, well-built guy came inside. Much like the others, but not the same. There was something different about him, more authority in his air, yet he carried easy confidence too.

“Speak of the devil,” Roxie said and leaped up to rush around. “Any baby yet?”

“No baby yet,” the bass of his voice rumbled.

“Why didn’t you come to the chopper?”

He let Roxie hug him, but quickly took her shoulders to pry their bodies apart.

“One minute,” he said, and abruptly took Roxie from the room, rushing her back down the hallway toward the front door.

“That’s him, that’s Ryder Stone,” her mother said. “Shame he’s taken.”

The twist of her mother’s wry smile rung a laugh in her chest. “I’m spoken for.”

“So this boy, this Struan, you love him?”

She nodded. “It’s so difficult, Mom, I don’t know how we’re going to do this. The whole fake out thing, I didn’t think it through, or I sort of did, but he didn’t. I couldn’t exactly tell him I don’t want to do this because it means I’ll never be yours.” Except she kind of had said that, and he’d repeated it, proving he’d listened. “What am I supposed to do, Mom? How do we get through this?”

Her mother came over. “Oh, sweetheart…”

She pulled her to her feet, and the two embraced for a brief second. The consolation was short-lived. Roxie appeared in the doorway, Stone just behind her.

“There’s been a development,” Roxie said, still as bold as ever, though slightly more subdued than she’d come to expect.

“A development? What does that mean?”

The grave look on Stone’s face chilled her.

“He’s missing.”

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