Page 74 of Believing in a Billionaire
“I told you. Kyle crosses lines all the time. The day after Luke showed up, he and Grant had this big plan to ruin him–”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No, and they didn’t go through with it, but they talked about it. I found out and Grant and I argued, then I texted Kyle that I was disappointed in him. I called you after and, when he couldn’t get a hold of me, he left his shift at the hospital, came home, and burst into my room insisting we talk.”
“Okay, so, the kid normally pushes himself in with you if he thinks you’re upset with him. Would he think that now?”
“Maybe. After he and Grant argued, I got up to go after them. He put me back in bed, but then Grant came in and they got into it again. I had suggested they spend some time apart, and he took that as me saying I didn’t want him there. He left.”
Alicia sucked in a breath, her eyes narrowing as she waded through the evidence. “Okay, so this is the first time he thinks you don’t want him around. Maybe he split.”
“Ally, there have been plenty of times before. Oh, case in point, your little stunt in Maine with the restraining order. He broke into the house to see me despite thinking I never wanted to speak to him again. And he’d called and texted all day.” She held up her phone. “Radio silence isn’t Kyle.”
Alicia’s head bounced back and forth as she puckered her lips. “Okay, all of these other incidents have occurredbeforeyou ‘picked’ Grant, right?”
Julia focused her gaze on her sister. “Yeah. So what?”
“So, Julia, I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but…maybe the kid has given up on being your knight-in-shining lab coat and moved on. Maybe he gave up. I mean, before he mayhave been interested in winning you. And now…now that he can’t have you, he’s not going to waste his time.”
Julia’s heart sank as she considered it. Was her sister correct? Had Kyle given up on their relationship and moved on?
She shook her head.
“Wow, you have an ego, sis! I mean, you’re cute, but dang, girl. How many men do you want on the hook?” Alicia offered her a playful grin.
“That’s not it. Kyle is clear on the terms of our relationship. But that’s my point. We had a conversationafterGrant and I decided to remain a couple. And he was just as insistent that we stay close.”
“Maybe now he’s not.”
“Come on, Ally, you’re a cop. I know you mostly police garden gnome height in Harbor Cove, but you were with the FBI. You don’t think this is weird? This is odd behavior for Kyle. His things are still here, but he isn’t. He’s not answering calls or texts. And Lydia is attacking us at every turn. What if she did something to Kyle?”
Alicia pressed her lips together before her eyes rose to the ceiling. “Okay, I may be slightly uncomfortable with this situation only because I literally just brought you home with arsenic poisoning after someone injected your toothpaste with a deadly substance.”
“Yes, exactly. And this on the heels of Lydia nearly tossing me off a roof. Kyle was there. She has to know he was playing her. And she probably wants revenge.”
“Okay, okay, now I’m not on board. No, I don’t think this could be beyond the doc simply deciding he’s had enough of this crazy family and ducking out for a few days.”
Julia’s features pinched, and she opened her mouth to speak when her sister cut her off.
“Julia, he could have. It’s a possibility. At least admit that. You chose his dad, you had a big fight…over pictures of him kissing you. Maybe it brought up some bad stuff for him, and he just ran off. I know you don’t think that, but in many missing persons cases, that’s exactly what happens. And the other family members never see it coming. They don’t think the other person would do that.”
“Fine, okay. You’re the cop here, but please, please can we look into it?”
“Sure. If he’s not back in a few days–”
Julia slapped her hands against the bed, her frustration building. “No, not in a few days. Now!”
“Whoa, sis, you need to calm down. If no one’s heard from him by morning–”
“Now, Alicia,” Julia insisted, her voice breaking with worry. “You know in a missing persons case hours can make the difference.”
“Okay. Fine. Now. What do you want to do? Go check out his room? Call a few hotels?”
Julia shook her head. “If he’s not in his room, he’s not here. We can try his apartment.”
“He has his own place?”
Julia nodded as she tossed back the covers. “Yeah. Near the hospital. Come on.”
