Page 126 of The Saint

They retraced the semi-familiar path in the shadows until they reached the great room. The bar shelves were empty. The decorations were gone. Their footsteps echoed as they crossed the large space. Anticipation needled the back of his neck. He unsheathed the compact snub-nosed gun from the holster at the small of his back. Amelia didn’t notice.

They walked into the far hall toward Esme’s office. Time passed slowly. His heartbeat drummed with a warning. Something was off. They arrived at her office. An overhead light illuminated the space with a harsh brightness that he hadn’t seen before.

“Esme?” Amelia called through the open door.

They stepped in. Gone were the black desk and purple cushioned chairs. Gone was everything—except a small envelope on the floor labeled “Amelia.”

She snatched it.

“Wait.” He reholstered his weapon, but Amelia was already pulling out the card inside. “What is it?”

She held up a thick piece of card stock. “Numbers?”

His heart sank. With sudden clarity, he understood what Esme had left Amelia. “Coordinates.”

Her head cocked, not understanding.

Camden swallowed against the painful rusty knot that tied in his throat. “It’s Hailey.”

Amelia’s lips parted. Instant tears filled her eyes and fell. “That’s where she is?”

He folded her into his arms. Whatever was on the microchips didn’t matter. He would ensure they ended up with the right person. Amelia’s involvement in everything was done. She had what she set out to find: her sister. Now Hailey could be buried, and both women would have peace.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

One Week Later

The early December afternoon sun was dipping westward. The cemetery staff had removed all the chairs except for the row where Amelia remained. She wasn’t ready to leave Hailey and Jonathan’s grave site yet and hadn’t wanted company. She’d even asked Camden to leave.

Time crept by. Long shadows reached to her with heartache, clinging to her in the steady chilly wind as it cut into her soul. Nothing would be the same again, yet Amelia’s heart didn’t ache with the unknown.

“I wonder if you learned how to sneak in and out of buildings from those nights we were sneaking out as kids.” The memories stuck, familiar yet so long in the past. She dug the heel of one shoe into the grass. “I wish you would have told me what you did.”

Maybe Amelia could have helped Hailey and Jonathan. Surely, they could have used Events and Occasions for sneaky situations. Hell, as Amelia thought about it, she figured she’d probably organized events with spies milling about. The thought sent hollow laughter rattling in her chest. Covert assignments at glitzy galas might be the only thing that held her interest in her business since she’d had a taste of the adventurous lives others around her had lived.

The wind picked up. She ducked her chin to her chest. The drying tear streaks on her cheeks burned as though grief had left painful marks on her skin—but she had to laugh.

Covert assignments?“I’m glad you kept your kinky secrets to yourself.” It would’ve made movie nights weird if she’d thought Jonathan was waiting to tie Hailey up. Amelia tilted her head toward his grave. “No offense.”

That levity was enough for her to take a deep breath. Laughing made her less alone. She had Camden, after all—even if he would be all the way on the other side of the world. What was she going to do without him? “I fell in love, Hails.” Her throat ached. That time, the razor-sharp pinpricks were for him and their upcoming separation. “I wish you could have known him.”

“Amelia?” Veronica called, approaching from several graves away. “Can I join you?”

She wiped her cheeks and pushed her hair behind her ears. “Hey. I didn’t know you were still here.”

“I left after the services but thought I might find you here still.” Veronica sat next to Amelia. They faced the grave site for a long moment before Veronica wrapped an arm over her shoulder. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Amelia rested her cheek on her business partner’s shoulder. “Though you killed it without me.” That was something to think about. Veronica seemed to love the corporate side of owning a business. She didn’t dread things like running payroll and understanding profit-and-loss statements.

Veronica squeezed Amelia. “Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

The real world was calling. She wasn’t ready to answer, but always responsible, she did. “Do you want to go somewhere and talk?”

“No. I just wanted to give this to you.” She untucked a manila envelope from her large purse. “I wanted to let you think about it, and then we can touch base later.”

Amelia’s stomach dropped. Surely, Veronica wouldn’t quit on her, especially not at Hailey’s grave. She eyed the legal-size manila envelope in Veronica’s hand. “Please, please, please don’t quit.”

Veronica snorted. “Quit? Of course not.” She lifted the envelope. “I brought this here because I thought it might be a family decision.” Her gaze shifted to the graves. “I know you started your company to support Hailey.”

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