Page 72 of Betrayal of a Billionaire
“Please tell me you’re not in trouble.”
“I’m not, but I’m a little concerned about Julia. She’s not here. Her bed hasn’t been slept in. I can’t get a hold of her.”
“I’m sure she’s just out hiking.”
“Her car is here, too. And…I…there’s a reason Sierra asked for police protection. Please, can you just see if you can find her?”
“Sure. I’ll check with Ally. Why don’t you come down to the station?”
“See you there,” he said, ending the call. “I’m heading to the station.”
“Do they think something happened to her?”
“No, they think she’s fine, but he asked me to head down there while they try to find her.”
“I’ll come, too,” Kyle said as he set his coffee mug on the counter.
“I will inform the driver, sir,” Worthington said.
Within fifteen minutes, they stood in Ethan’s office.
“Anything?” Grant asked.
“Not yet,” he said. “No answer on her cell.”
His radio crackled to life on the desk. “Whitmore for the Chief.”
“You got her, Ally?”
“No,” Alicia’s voice answered through the static, “but I’m pretty sure I know where she is.”
“Morning hike?” he asked.
“No. The Julia’s not at the dock.”
Grant’s eyebrows furrowed at the words. Was this some kind of code? “What does that mean?”
Ethan snapped his gaze up to him. “Uh, Luke’s sailboat is namedGentle Julia.”
His stomach clenched as he heard the man’s name coupled with his boat, named after Julia.
“If they’re sailing, they wouldn’t have cell reception.”
Grant tried to process the statement. Had they sailed all night? Where were they? Why hadn’t she left a note?
“She didn’t leave a note,” Grant murmured. Why had she not left one if she’d gone sailing?
“I’m pretty certain that’s where she is,” Alicia’s voice said through the radio. “They went out last night to look at the boat.”
“I took her home after that,” Grant said with a shake of his head, trying to will it not to be true.
“Why don’t you head down to the dock with Ally, and see if she comes in? I’m honestly surprised they’re not back yet, but…”
“I don’t think–” Grant started.
“We’ll keep looking, but head down there for now and when theJuliapulls in you’ll know.”
“I can go there if you want to stay–”
