Page 70 of Romeo

“I found this.I don’t know what it means.”I offer him the folder.

Riley opens it, and I cringe as he flips through the photographs because I know he’s about to see me at my lowest.He doesn’t hesitate on it though, doesn’t look at me, just continues moving through the photos at the same pace.

“What does this mean?”I ask him.“Why would he have hidden it down here?”

“He was trying to keep anyone from finding it,” he says.“Looks like he succeeded.”

“But why?”

Riley raises his gaze to me.“Maybe he found out what happened to you and was trying to prove it.”

Chapter24

Riley

Leaving Jules back at the house with Elliot was one of the hardest things I’ve done since taking this job in the first place.But the last thing I need is her anywhere near Glen Dodger.

Not now.Not ever.

I barely want to face the man, but I have this gnawing feeling that he’s at the center of this entire thing.Finding those images hidden by Jules’s grandfather was just confirmation of that.The number left inside the folder Jules found was turned off, but Tucker and Elijah Breeth—a former Army Ranger who works private security in Maine—have both been trying to track down who it belonged to.My hope is that it belongs to whoever took the pictures.

Then we might be able to ascertain why Landers was looking into Dodger.

Dylan is with me, chosen because I know, if things escalate, he’s someone I want at my side.Bradyn is here because he’s arguably the most levelheaded of all of us, and if Dodger says something that sets me off, he’s the only one whomightbe able to keep the situation from exploding.

Tucker’s here because he’s going to be—hopefully—getting us ears on Dodger even after we leave.Part of me wishes I’d brought Romeo, but with how sensitive he is to my moods, I couldn’t risk him being on edge too.

I’d left Elliot with Jules because he’s known to be chatty when he’s in a good mood, and I can trust him not just to protect her—but to also help ease some of the fear I know she’s dealing with at the moment.Whether it’s fear that my confrontation with Dodger is somehow going to have him coming after her again—which willneverhappen—or me ending up in handcuffs, I’m not sure.

To be honest, I half expected Dodger to not even buzz us into the gated estate, yet here we are, stepping up onto the large wraparound porch.He’s either innocent—this time—or arrogant.I’m betting on the latter.

I press the doorbell button then glance at each of my brothers.They’re all aware of the type of man he is since I filled them in after Jules gave me permission.Dylan’s practically vibrating with anger beside me, and I’m not even sure he’ll let Dodger get a word off before his thirst for vengeance gets the better of him.

Dylan doesn’t tolerate violence of any kind.Though he won’t hesitate to deal it out with his own hands if necessary.

The door opens, a young woman wearing a gray uniform answering it with a smile.“Please, come in.”After stepping aside, she waves us into the house.A maid?Or another one of his victims?

“Doctor Dodger is right inside the study,” she says then gestures toward the hall.“Right down there, second door on the left.He was just wrapping up a phone call but said to send you on in.”

“Thank you,” Bradyn says.

“You’re welcome.”She turns and heads toward the stairs, so we make our way down the hall toward the study.As we walk, Tucker pauses to gently inspect a vase sitting on a glass table against the wall halfway down the hall.

To anyone else, he’s appreciating the art.

To us, though, we know he just planted a device that will allow us to listen in and is so small no one will find it.Unless, of course, they have a detector.

Arrogant man like this?Probably doesn’t believe he has anything to worry about.While we won’t be able to use anything we pick up to put him away, we can use the knowledge to find something we can use.

The door to Dodger’s study is open, and as we step inside, he’s just hanging up the phone.He smiles widely at us and stands.“You are an impressive lot,” he jokes, coming around the desk and offering Bradyn his hand.“What is in the water out there in Texas?”

We’d given him a brief summary of who we were and why we’re here—to look into the murder of his old friend—when we called.

“Bradyn Hunt,” my brother greets.

Tucker takes his hand.“Tucker Hunt.”

“Nice to meet you, Tucker.”He stops in front of me, and I have to choke on the bile in my throat as I take his hand.My mom’s words echo in my mind,“You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, my darling.Be kind even when you’d rather see them on the ground.”And I wantso badlyto watch this guy rot away in prison.