Page 119 of Sapphire Sunset

Connor threw the deadbolt on the entry door,then slid into a T-shirt he’d tugged from his suitcase. He checked the lock onthe door to the adjoining guest room. They’d kept it unoccupied in case theyneeded it for workspace, something damage control related they didn’t feel safediscussing in the warren of management offices, but so far it had gone unused.The lock was firmly in place. The suite’s sliding door was open a crack, lettingin warm ocean breezes, but they were four stories up, and solid concrete wallsseparated all of the terraces.

No way was he going back to sleep. So he ducked into thebathroom. A little mouthwash would make sure he didn’t subject Logan to a late-nightversion of morning breath when he got back.

He flicked the light switch and set his phone down on thecounter, assuming the creak behind him was the bathroom door drifting shut.Then he realized, too late, it was the glass door to the shower stall. And itwas opening. The combined stench of body odor and booze hit him in a wave. Ahand reached around him and seized his phone, then sent it sliding away downthe counter with a flick of the wrist.

Before Connor could scream, Rodney’s other hand clamped downover his mouth.

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“We need to talk, sport.” Rodney’s breath washot in Connor’s ear. His palm was greasing Connor’s lips with sweat andsomething worse, something that tasted like black tar smelled.

He’d either been hiding outside for hours or sheltering insome filthy place with no AC. His black T-shirt and jeans didn’t quitefit—which suggested they were either stolen or borrowed—and his face was dirtsmudged, the grime standing out against a fierce fresh sunburn.

Now Connor had no choice but to meet the man’s wild eyesthrough the mirror in front of him, which also forced him to take in the awfulreality that he was both barely dressed and half his uncle’s size. His mindraced to figure out how the hell Rodney had gotten in. Connor and Logan hadboth used the bathroom on several occasions earlier. There’d been no trace ofhim then.

He thought of the only open door to the room. The terrace.Four stories up.

And his hands tasted like tar.

The roof.He dropped down from the roof andcame in through the terrace.

The thought of his uncle dangling off the edge of thebuilding like a deranged Spiderman somehow made this moment more horrifying. Ifhe was that committed to a confrontation, what was his end goal?

“No screaming, sport,” Rodney said. “Blink twice if you’renot going to scream.”

Connor complied. His uncle lowered his hand.

“Are you armed?” Connor whispered.

“My guns are at home. I can’t go home. What do you think?”

“Were you hiding on the roof?”

“Been here a while.”

“When did you get in?”

“You guys were out cold.”

In his mind’s eye, he saw Rodney creeping past their bedwhile he and Logan slept. He had trouble drawing his next breath. “The hotel.How long have you been in thehotel?”

“A while. Helps if everyone’s looking for some missing kid,I guess.” He released Connor with a little shove but held his ground betweenConnor and the only exit. Connor felt his butt thump against the edge of thecounter.

“What do you want, Rodney?”

“I’m going to clean this whole thing up, best I can.”

“Okay. How?”

“I’m going to withdraw my not guilty plea.”

“Okay,” Connor said.

“That’s all?” Rodney whined. “Okay. Justokay? Doyou have any idea how hard this is for me?”

“I appreciate you sparing the hotel a trial, but did youhave to break in to tell me that? Like, what about an email? Through your lawyer?”

“I didn’t break in.” Rodney sounded like a petulant child.“I didn’tbreak in, okay? This is my fucking hotel. I built SapphireCove. I did everything your grandfather never wanted to do. I got up to myknees in the mud every day so he could cruise through this place like somedignitary. So your dad could huddle over the books and avoid his least favoritething on earth, other people.”

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