“Yeah.”
Perhaps they were more alike than he’d realised. “Well, you’re getting your adventure now.”
She rolled her eyes and chuckled. “More than I want.”
“When we get home, I’ll show you those trunks. You might find something interesting in them.”
She squeezed his hand. “Thanks, Ed.”
Sam’s warning whispered in his ear, and he pushed it aside. He wouldn’t believe Tess was playing him.
It would hurt too much.
***
Tan Lewis slammed the phone onto the table, anger pulsing through his veins. How hard was it to find one stupid girl? He’d never expected Tess to have the guts to run, didn’t know why that night had been the one time she’d chosen to come back.
He’d told Salvatore not to bring Charmaine to the restaurant. The last thing he needed was for her to be associated with his place of business, but Salvatore had ignored his wishes again.
Tan was surprised Salvatore hadn’t run for it, considering he’d fucked up twice, but Salvatore assured Tan he would find Tess and clean up the mess.
He’d better. Tan had few other options. It was like looking for a needle in a desert.
If his boss found out about this latest cock-up, Tan was screwed.
The anger still coursed, and he stood and strode across his living room. None of this was his fault. He’d been following orders, like he always did. He couldn’t be blamed if his boss kept changing his mind.
Buy the land, he’d been told. Through any means necessary.
Retribution Ridge was strategically important to their northern operations, so he’d done what was requested, sending people to monitor the situation when Bill Stokes had refused to sell. He’d set up the fake company to extort their remaining hard-earned cash, something which should have tipped them right into bankruptcy. But somehow Bill had discovered it, said he was going to the police, so of course he had to go. The last thing Tan needed was police interest.
He’d underestimated the Stokes family, particularly Brandon Stokes. He hadn’t factored him in at all, being the estranged son. That had been his only mistake.
The investigative spotlight had brushed by him, but he’d hidden his tracks so they hadn’t seen him. Then the botched kidnapping, and Roger’s confession had put him smack bang in the middle of the spotlight, almost blinding him.
People had to know what happened if they crossed him, hence the need to make an example of Charmaine.
Salvatore had been too eager to please. Tan should have left it to one of his more experienced men, but Salvatore had wanted to prove himself.
Now he was in Newman, lying low, because his picture was all over the police social media. Tan had ordered him to stay hidden for a few days and then head to Retribution Bay and contact their guy on the ground there. He might as well do something useful while he was in the area.
Tan had other men looking for Tess, but she could be anywhere.
Tan’s phone rang again and when he saw the caller ID, the anger vanished, replaced with icy fear. His boss rarely called him.
He debated whether to pick up for a millisecond, but making his boss wait wasn’t wise. “Boss.”
Silence before the clipped tones. “Why did I hear about this latest mistake from someone else?”
Tan swallowed. “I hoped to find the girl before calling you.”
“You’ve contacted her parents?”
He didn’t know how his boss got his information, but he always knew the details of every interaction. “Yes. They haven’t heard from her, but they’ve been told what to say when she calls.”
“You still have her passport?”
“Yes. In my safe.”
