Page 43 of Twin Threats In Austin
Sabrina’s eyes widened. She exhaled a sharp breath. “He wouldn’t do…” She flashed eyes at Rochelle. “You aren’t suggesting he could have…”
“We can’t comment on specifics of an ongoing investigation,” Rochelle said, leaving the questions unanswered. Rochelle was a good investigator.
“Well, then, let’s see,” Sabrina said, keeping most of her weight on her good ankle. “We were in a relationship, or so I thought.” Her eyes widened again. “But we always had to come to my place.” Shock was followed by fear in her eyes. “The first sign someone is married is that you can never go to their house. I confronted Asher but he swore up and down that he was free as a bird.”
Asher Foley. Camden hadn’t heard the name before. It was too soon to send a text asking for research into Asher Foley’s background. He couldn’t do that while he was still in Sabrina’s presence.
Was this a made-up name? Had Kage lied so Sabrina wouldn’t be tied back to him?
“How did you find out where he lived if he never took you there?” Rochelle asked.
“I saw him yesterday at the grocery store and followed him home,” Sabrina said. “I’m not proud of the fact. I don’t normally have to chase men, and I’ve certainly never stalked one. But Asher stopped calling and coming around. He must have blocked my calls because I couldn’t get through to him either. He ended it without a word. So when I saw him, curiosity got the best of me. I sat across the street from his apartment for hours waiting to see if his wife came out but there was no sign of one.” She shrugged. “I caught one of his neighbors and asked if they’d ever seen a woman in the apartment and the man said he hadn’t.” Her gaze shifted from Rochelle to Camden as she then studied him. “Men can be unpredictable, but I thought Asher and I had something special.”
“One minute, you’re lying in their arms as they promise the world,” Rochelle agreed. “The next, they turn the other way when they see you out in public.”
“I know, right,” Sabrina responded. Suddenly, a solidarity between wronged women emerged. It was an effective tactic and yet it still caused Camden to be embarrassed on behalf of jerks who deceived their partners. He was always honest about the fact he wasn’t looking for a relationship. If two consenting adults wanted to spend time together with no strings attached and have sex, the rules had to be clear up front. Honest communication was critical. Attachment wasn’t something Camden could do.Not with anyone. Then again, he’d never found anyone like Rochelle before.
Camden quashed the thought. He might have had amazing grandparents, but his mother’s abandonment had taught him early on not to count on anyone but himself. Getting attached was lethal to the heart.
But Rochelle was nothing like his mother.
“Men can be such jerks,” Sabrina said, shooting Camden a disgusted look.
“That’s my cue to leave,” he said, taking a step back. “I’ll leave you two to speak in private.”
Sabrina practically glared at him as he stepped away. He was grateful to leave a conversation that had turned into male-bashing. On Rochelle’s part, it was an act. But not Sabrina’s. She’d been burned and the last thing she wanted was a man around to hear about her rejection.
Plus, it had turned out to be the perfect moment to disappear so he could have Asher Foley researched.
Back in the Bronco, he sent off a text with the request as he checked on the group chat to see if any progress had been made with Grandma Lacey. There was no update. But there was a text from his younger brother, Dalton.Call me ASAP.
Camden’s heart sank. He immediately pulled up his brother’s contact information and tapped the screen to initiate the call.
“Hey,” Dalton said, sounding like he hadn’t slept in days.
“Everything okay?” Camden asked.
“Yes, sorry,” Dalton said. “Didn’t mean to scare you with the text. I probably should have told you the reason for the request, but I thought it would come across better if you hear it straight from me.”
“Ok-a-a-y,” Camden said, drawing out the word. His stress levels jumped at the sound of Dalton’s voice. “What’s going on?”
“Are you sitting down?” Dalton asked.
“I’m in a Bronco,” Camden answered.
“Are you driving, because—”
“No, I’m sitting in a parking lot,” Camden said. “My partner is interviewing a witness and needed a minute alone. So I came out to the parking lot to wait. What is it, dude? You’re starting to freak me out.”
“She wants to meet,” Dalton said. “Our mother has been in contact with Grandpa Lor and has requested to meet with us.”
“What the hell could she possibly want after all these years?” Camden asked.
“I guess there’s only one way to find out,” Dalton said.
“You want this?” Camden couldn’t believe his brother had done an about-face when it came to their mother. Then again, neither had brought up the subject in longer than Camden could remember.
“I’m asking what you think,” Dalton said.
