Fox stepped in smoothly. “She got a call from your dad about an hour ago,” he clipped. “He threatened her.”
Ash froze. His mouth parted, like he hadn’t heard right. He stared at me, eyes boring into mine, as if confirming the truth by the look on my face.
“He called you?” His voice was quiet, coated in disbelief. “How? Are you sure it was him?”
Fox had filled me in on the conversation with Ash earlier today. My father had been missing for the last seven years.
Missing, but not gone, it seemed.
“I’m pretty sure.” I nodded slowly. “It washisvoice… He spoke the same way, not just the tone but the cadence.” I shivered, swallowing down the nerves. “And he knew that I—” I cleared my throat. “He knew that I pick at my skin.”
I raised my hand, fighting the shame as Ash took in the raw and cracked skin around my nails. This was something I didn’t share with people, and I hadn’t struggled this bad with it in a long, long time.
Ash’s face paled. His lips pressed into a tight line, and he turned to Fox. “What are we going to do?”
Fox jerked his chin toward the security building. “Let’s head inside. I’m meeting some of my brothers. We’ll figure something out.”
Ash looked between us. A flicker of worry passed over his features—maybe a touch of anger. But he nodded.
Fox let us inside the office. The place was nice. It had a modern feel, with little elements of the older building that it had once been—exposed brick in places, wooden beams in the ceiling and black metal accents. I vaguely remembered a run-down building in the woods at the back of Fox’s yard, long ago. It was hard to believe it had turned into this.
The front was an open lobby with tall glass windows. Through a door was a hallway lined with the individual offices of each brother. Ash and I followed Fox as he led us to a conference room toward the back of the building.
August and Emersyn were inside. The only other Ramsey brother there was Graham, who did a coy double take when he saw me.
It had been a long time since I’d seen Graham. He had filled out since I’d last seen him, his jaw more defined, his hair slightly longer with waves falling over his forehead. He looked put together in a dark pair of pants and a navy button-down shirt. He had a pen, but nothing to write on that I could see.
He gave me a subtle nod as I followed after Fox. “It’s good to see you, Skye.”
I forced my shoulders back, telling myself that I wasn’t going to play the shocked victim, not in front of all these people. I had to get a handle on myself. I could do this. I was a professional. This was all another case…just another story.
At least if I pretended that it was, it would be easier, right?
“Good to see you, too,” I replied.
I turned my gaze to August and Emersyn. She gave me an encouraging smile, though I could see the worry in her eyes.
I took a seat in the chair beside Fox, and Ash sat next to me. August and Graham’s stare lingered on my brother.
“This is Ash,” I said, unsure they recognized him.
To my surprise, August’s body stiffened. Graham shifted in his chair, not making eye contact. Neither of them looked particularly happy to see him. That was strange.
This wasn’t the time to ask questions about that, though.
“Hey.” August gave my brother a curt nod.
Ash lifted a hand in a casual wave.
“Skye thought it would be a good idea for Ash to come,” Fox explained, “since he was the last one to speak with her father before he disappeared.”
“You haven’t heard from your father in years?” Graham twirled the pen between his fingers.
Ash nodded. “Yeah, that’s right.”
“You filed a missing persons report at the local police department—the day after you last spoke with him, correct?” August said, his voice a little too clipped.
I glanced between August and Ash, wondering whether August was in a mood today. What did he have against my brother?
