They dug into the food. The steaks were perfectly grilled and the potatoes were twice-baked with loads of butter and melted cheese.Thank God one of us can cookshe thought.
“I heard Brian Taylor went to rehab,” Alex said. “Kyle told me.”
“I checked when I got into work and Brian was scheduled to get a police escort today.” From Tom, as it happened. She wished she could have been a fly on the wall—or, rather, in the car. “I hope he can turn his life around. Do you know how Brianna is doing in the competition?”
“She’s favored to win tomorrow night. Rachael says she deserves it.”
Sylvie smiled. “That makes me happy.”
Alex grinned at her. “You know what would makemehappy?”
Sylvie gave him her most seductive smile. “I have a few thoughts.”
* * *
Sunday morning.Something was pulling her out of her nice, warm dreams. Something loud and rude, and insistent.
“Mmph. Hang on.” Sylvie reached for her buzzing phone on the nightstand. She felt Alex’s arm tighten around her when it should have loosened. She also felt pleasantly sore in all the right places as memories of the night before crept back in. The feel of the knotted cord embracing her torso. Alex with his face buried between her legs, tongue licking and swirling until she was gasping for release. His cock plunging balls-deep into her core as he growled her name. Letting go in ecstasy as he held her in place.
She hit the alarm button to turn it off.
“Not yet,” Alex mumbled next to her.
“Yes, yet.” She turned and kissed him.This will be so nice when it’s every morning.
She left him dreaming and headed into work. Sylvie sat down at her desk and sent a text to Alex telling him to meet her at the festival later, when her phone rang.
“Sylvie, what the hell is going on?” George demanded. “Brian Taylor is missing.”
She felt ice-cold dread filling her stomach. “Missing? From rehab? Did he sign himself out?”
“He never made it far enough to sign out. Taylor’s folks just called and said he never showed up to the center.”
“Tom Hicks was supposed to escort him.” She jumped on her computer and took a quick look. She could find no evidence or record of the transfer. “Fuck.”
“Yeah, well, Tom fucked up big time,” George continued, “because he showed up at their doorafterBrian had supposedly been escorted by a different officer.”
Sylvie stopped typing. “What? I don’t understand.”
“I already spoke to Robert. Tom’s almost here and Frank’ll be up here in an hour after Robert talks to him. I told him to send you too, so make sure you’re with them. I’m about to deal with a bunch of extremely pissed-off Watchdogs and I could use your help.”
“Shit. Yeah, I’ll be there.”
“Sylvie…is this related to what you told me about Frank and Tom?”
“I don’t know yet, George, but I’m about to find out.”
Sylvie hung up and went looking for Frank. She didn’t have to look far—he was already in Robert’s office. She didn’t bother knocking, just swung the door open.
“What’s going on?” she said as she walked in. Frank looked ashen and Robert looked like hell. The scowl he gave her didn’t help.
“Officer Madden, I don’t remember inviting you.”
“I’m going to Lyons, Robert. Now, brief me.” She studied Frank’s face for any indication that he knew what had happened to Brian Taylor, but Frank looked just as lost as she was.
Robert and Frank exchanged looks. Frank nodded once. “Okay, fine,” Robert said. “Brian Taylor was supposed to receive a police escort to a rehab center. When Officer Hicks arrived, he was told by Taylor’s parents that Brian had already left with his escort an hour before.”
Sylvie pulled out the empty chair in front of Robert’s desk and sat down beside Frank. “Who was it then? Badge number, description?”
