Yeah, along with a pointed reminder that the Colton family had its issues. As if ensuring that Noah would have that in the front of his mind as he investigated where Annie Ross had been for the two years no one had heard from her.
He slid Sabrina’s palm to his lips and kissed it, pulling her into a hug that washed through him. She was here. For now, that meant he wasn’t going anywhere.
They needed to talk about a lot of things. If nothing else, to get on the same page, because as much as he hated to admit it, his brother did have a point about that. Look at how differently Sabrina viewed working with someone she was dating.
What else were they not aligned on?
But at the moment, he didn’t want to talk about that. He wanted to get cracking on Annie Ross. Dark Canyon’s mysteries weren’t going to solve themselves.
And he had a feeling there was so much more going on here than one woman’s lone death indicated.
CHAPTER 13
Cold wind bit through Sabrina’s coat as she studied the convenience store’s grimy facade. One of the fluorescent letters in the Open sign flickered, mirroring her pulse.
Her heartbeat was erratic partially because she couldn’t quite believe they’d managed to track Annie Ross to this place. Hopefully. It was a lead Noah had scared up with some magic that she hadn’t pressed on too hard, unsure she wanted to know the answers.
Also, her pulse never quite settled around Noah anyway, but apparently the dodgy nature of this area geared him up to stick closer to her than normal, his shoulder brushing hers as they surveyed their target.
He hadn’t mentioned his father dating Susan once since they’d left Jacob’s office the other day. In fact, it felt like he’d gone out of his way to avoid the subject. It was weird to have noticed and even weirder for her to care—emotional crises weren’t her thing, and besides, sharing that kind of stuff wasn’t what they were doing here.
But Noah shared everything. Honestly, she’d call him an oversharer. His quiet felt wrong, like the atmosphere over Dark Canyon when you could see storm clouds gathering over the horizon.
“Ready to see what we can find out?” he asked, that familiar energy humming beneath his words despite the shadows in his eyes.
She nodded, fighting the urge to lean into his warmth. She’d been doing that too much lately—gravitating toward him, treating him like a shelter she hadn’t realized she’d needed.
It felt like a problem. Like she’d started depending on him. But she couldn’t seem to take a step back.
The bell jangled as they entered. An elderly clerk barely glanced up from her crossword puzzle, her smile widening as she met Noah’s gaze. He had that effect on people. Women mostly, but even a straight guy wouldn’t be able to ignore Noah’s dazzle.
“Annie Ross,” Noah said, sliding his phone across the counter to show the clerk their victim’s photo. “Did you know her?”
His voice carried that same forced lightness it had since leaving Jacob’s office, like someone trying too hard not to be swallowed by an emotional quagmire. She knew that technique. Had perfected it under her father’s exacting standards.
Should she ask him about it? It was getting harder and harder to remember that they weren’t a couple. That they were just two people hanging out and seeing how things went. Sure, they jumped in when the other needed someone to have their back, but that was a proximity thing, not a feelings thing.
She was here to solve a case, get some closure for Annie Ross, and hope it helped Noah find his way back into writing articles.
End of story.
The clerk’s weathered face creased. “Poor thing had a tough time of it. She was a sweet girl, though. Always took the worst shifts nobody else wanted.”
Of course she did. Sabrina’s chest tightened. With no social security activity, it was patently obvious Annie had been scraping by, working off the books, probably desperate for cash. What must her life have been like to resort to such measures?
That’s why it was critical to rely on no one but yourself. Eventually, everyone flaked out or disappointed you, leaving you to fend off the wolves. Better you learn how to do that early, or you ended up in Peavine Canyon dead.
“When did she leave?” Noah’s voice carried that same authoritative tone he used with Dancer. It seemed to work well on people too.
“About six months ago? Just stopped showing up.” The clerk shrugged. “Happens a lot with the younger ones. Can’t blame them—midnight shifts are rough.”
“Did she ever mention where she lived?” Sabrina asked, pen poised over her notebook. Action felt safer than dwelling on Annie’s desperate choices.
“Some apartment complex off Miller Street. Lived with friends from the system, she said. A couple of girls.” The clerk’s gaze turned quizzical. “Did something happen to her?”
Sabrina let Noah handle that one, his smooth deflection buying them a graceful exit. Outside, the wind had picked up, carrying the sharp bite of approaching snow. Perfect weather for nothing but cuddling up by a fire with Noah and a blanket.
Which was why they were tromping around in the freezing conditions, chasing leads. Otherwise, she’d get soft. This wasnecessaryfor multiple reasons.
