Yes, that was exactly what Sloane thought now. It was just as Emmitt said. Her worst nightmare had come to pass—Sloane had been on the wrong side all along.
Her heart went into triple speed. She had to break the news to Emmitt and his family. It was not something she could delay. Their safety had been compromised, and there was no predicting how much time they had.
Sloane jumped to her feet, dreading the task at hand, when Dad’s strong words came to her mind.Never report a problem until you have come up with some solutions.
Yes. Therehadto be solutions.
At once, her mind went to work. And just like that, possible solutions started to pour in, as if they were coming from Dad himself. She had resources, a lot of them. Gabe, Elroy, and even Dad’s old buddies. Each would be willing to help in a situation like this.
Sloane nodded as the first spark of hope flittered onto the scene. Her efforts might not salvage her relationship with the Duran family, but at least they would keep them safe.
Chapter 19
Laughter poured from the spacious family room as Emmitt headed toward the hall. The large group was gathered around the flat screen, playing an interactive drawing game from their phones. Betty had taken Lucas with her when she ducked out early, leaving the rest of them there to finish out the night.
Around that time, about thirty minutes ago, Sloane had come down with a migraine like the one that kept her home the other night. And though Emmitt had wanted to stay by her side, Sloane had insisted he rejoin his family. Her migraine would pass, she’d promised, and she’d be good as new in half an hour.
Andie had offered up the guest room bed, where Sloane had been waiting for the medicine and washcloth to do the job.
A spot of worry sank in as he hurried his pace, possible underlying health conditions running through his mind. The truth was, he’d opted out of the last two games so that he could search up those possible conditions. It was the second migraine she’d had in just a few short days, after all.
When he rounded the corner, Emmitt expected to see Sloane lying on her back, the washcloth over her head, eyes still closed. Instead, she was on her feet and hovered over her phone in concentration.
Pacing, he realized, as she moved toward the closet, then back.
“Sloane?” he said softly. “Is everything all right?”
She was quick to lower her phone and look up at him in surprise. Lamplight pierced through the darkness of the room, the dim, rather uneven spread seeming to cast more shadows than actual light. It hardened her expression as she looked at him for a blink.
“I need to tell you guys something,” she said, hurrying toward the doorway where he stood.
Emmitt stepped to the side as she approached, surprised when she brushed past him and into the hall.
“Come on,” she said. “We have got to hurry.”
He’d assumed the off expression had more to do with the strange lighting in the room, but Sloane’s voice was tense, her speech urgent.
“What do you mean?” he asked as she barreled down the hall. When Sloane continued to move, Emmitt hurried to catch up, unable to fathom what could be going through her head.
Andie shot to a stand. “Is everything okay?”
Sloane only shook her head and went to stand in front of the screen.
“I am afraid not.” She turned her gaze to Emmitt, her blue eyes glossy and filled with regret. “I would have liked to tell you about this privately, but time is of the essence. I really do love you, Emmitt, and I hope you will forgive me.”
Sloane motioned to the rest of the group. “I hope all of you will.”
A streak of hot fear tore through him like a lightning bolt. Forgive her forwhat?
“There is a problem,” Sloane said. “A potentially dangerous one. It pains me to admit that I am, at least in part, to blame. But please trust me when I say that I never set out to harm anyone.
“If you’ll hear me out, you will find that I have potential solutions to this problem, one I’ve already set into motion, and another that will require your cooperation before the night is through. But I promise to do everything within my power to see that your family remains safe.”
A collective hush fell over the room.
“I am not an aviation instructor here to enforce mandates,” she said, her gaze moving back to Emmitt once more. “I am a private investigator, and I was sent here to find Anna Fielding.”
Gasps echoed throughout the space.
