Page 109 of Nothing to No One

“Last night, about two, before he went to bed. You stayed in Seattle last night.”

She didn’t want to ask how he knew that. Either the press was slyer than she gave them credit for and actually did understand the word discretion, or Magnus had someone tailing her. A mole was unlikely given only Struan, Tripp, Roxie, and Zairn had known their course. And her mother, but even Magnus wouldn’t cross that line.

“Have you talked to him today?” Magnus asked her.

“No, we talked last night. I texted him from breakfast in Seattle, but I figured he was busy with the UO decamp.”

She’d texted him after the chopper landed too, yet her phone was silent. No replies.

“I’ve tried to call, his phone is dead. Both of them are.”

“What does that mean?” she asked. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”

“It means this has been a conscious decision,” Stone answered. Magnus had a loud voice, guess her call was kind of public. “Wherever they are, they’re together. And they don’t want to be interrupted.”

“There’s no mistaking that,” Magnus said. “It would be a hell of a coincidence otherwise, and I don’t believe in those.”

“They’re together, is that good?”

“If they don’t kill each other, we may get a resolution,” Magnus said. “Might not be one you like.”

She trusted Struan though there was always a chance of that. It may not be one she liked, or it could be one that solved their problems. Was there a chance of a miracle?

“We have to trust them.”

Though killing each other was a possibility, all her money went on Struan being the one to make it out alive. Not just because she had more confidence in him, but because he had the better physique and sharper mind. If something dramatic did happen, would he reach out… or cut all ties to protect her?

“And what do we do in the meantime?” Magnus asked. “How do I spin this? The press hasn’t caught wind of it yet. It won’t take them long. Rumors quickly turn to leads and everyone wants the scoop.”

“All we can do is wait.”

“And in the meantime, what happens to Roman’s career? You were supposed to be ensuring it wasn’t left in tatters. If this drags on, there’ll be nothing left. Filming is due to start in less than forty-eight hours. If he’s not in Vancouver, and on that set, on time, you can kiss your happy ending goodbye.”

Happy Ending. Wasn’t that laughable? Whatever her man was doing, wherever he was, she trusted him, but since they’d known each other, they’d hardly been out of touch. How long could she go without hearing his voice? Without knowing he was okay? Accidents could happen anytime. Could her goodbye in that apartment be the last goodbye they ever shared?

THIRTY-NINE

TICK, TICK, TICK… Oh, it was driving her nutty, insane, literally insane. Her mother cooked and Stone’s men were invited in for dinner. Stories were shared and the mood was high, but the night was dragging on, and still there was nothing.

She watched the mantle clock strike midnight. Other than at New Year, had she ever seen her mother up this late? Were she and Struan in the same time zone? Was he already asleep? How could he sleep when she was wound up like this?

The jovial conversation churned her stomach. She turned to the group strewn throughout the room.

“It’s getting late. Everyone should get to bed.”

“Are you going to sleep?” her mother asked.

“Probably not.”

“We’ll get out of your hair,” Stone said.

His men said their good nights and shuffled out.

“I don’t know how you do this,” she said to Roxie, squeezing herself in her own embrace.

“This?” Roxie asked.

“Being apart from Struan was always going to be difficult. I didn’t know it would hurt so deep inside. You and Zairn spend so much time apart—”

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