I glanced at my ripped and charred attire, shocked I’d managed to catch a cab and check into the hotel without being arrested for indecent exposure.
Alexander was undaunted, pocketing the business card as I suspected he would. I’d already memorized the details, thankful I had a photographic memory among other traits. “What about the sim card?”
This time, I placed what was left of it on the table. “Not sure you can get anything off it.”
Jaxon was the one who picked it up, turning the cracked plastic over in the light. “We might be able to get something. I’ll hand it over to our computer experts. Is the asshole dead or just injured severely?”
“I let him walk with a warning. I don’t think he meant her any harm.”
“Was he in the club?” Alexander’s breathing was ragged.
“Outside her house.” There was no reason for me to feel odd about telling them where I’d been, but it felt different than every other time I’d been asked to protect her.
What in the hell was the look the two men kept sharing? And why was I bristling from it?
“You want a drink? Might be a little early, but I had a long, arduous night.” I poured another thimble full then thought what the hell? I had no house to go home to, most of my favorite personal items torched. At least my car hadn’t been damaged.
“No, and neither do you.” Alexander’s voice held a tone I couldn’t decipher. With the battles we’d fought over the years, nothing usually bothered him.
All I had to do was tip my head in his direction to know something was terribly wrong. “What is it?”
The two men looked at each other.
“Cards on the table. We have another problem. Emmeline is missing.”
“What?” What the fuck? I stared at Alexander, instantly tensing, so much so I had difficulty breathing. I’d fucked up. The photographer had doubled back. “The bastard took her.” I immediately reached for my weapon as rage swept through me.
“It’s true,” Jaxon added, a slight grin on his face. “And we have no idea where she’s gone, but as we all know, Emmeline is a clever girl.”
“Who the fuck did this? Who? I will hunt him down and kill him.”
I hadn’t realized I’d had a squeeze on the glass until the damn thing cracked, the sound surprising all three of us.
“Whoa, for fuck’s sake. Calm down.” Jaxon advanced, giving me a harsh nod.
Glancing at the glass, I took a deep breath before tossing it aside. There were other glasses. “Where is she? Who took her? I’ll hunt down the photographer today. Fucking Peter Kendall.”
Alexander was calm, more so than I’d thought given his sister had been taken by one of the family’s enemies. Then I realized why he wasn’t engaged in an act of rage.
“She left of her own accord.” My words in repeating the information sounded hollow.
“It would appear that way,” Jaxon said. Unfastening his jacket, he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked toward the window. His stare at the French Quarter appeared as hollow as mine had been earlier. “We’ll check the photographer out, but there is no indication of a struggle.”
“What makes you say she’s gone?” I knew at least part of the answer as to why.
“I checked her house. Her suitcases and some clothes are missing.” Alexander was very uneasy.
“What about her passport?” I glanced from one to the other. She’d been dead serious about needing space. Why had I left? I should have known she’d been up to something.
Jaxon laughed. “We have no idea. She’s very private with her finances, every form of identification, and most of her friends. She always has been. Our father taught her that.”
I thought about the woman she’d been with a couple of nights before, who’d also been at her house. “I can make one of her friends talk. She’s close to at least one of them.” However, if there’d been an intentional kidnapping, it would have occurred after her friends left, which I doubted happened.
Jaxon turned around, grinning when he did. “No one can ever accuse you of being unable to take your job seriously, but you can’t go around torturing her friends. Besides, you know Emmeline. She’s too smart for that. This is all about her being furious that we’re invading her life. Maybe she saw the photographer and thought we hired the asshole.”
That was a distinct possibility. He hadn’t been that savvy in his clandestine actions. “Have you checked commercial flights?” She wouldn’t take one of the family jets. That was certain. Fuck. I’d sensed she was up to something. Why hadn’t I acted on it?
“Planes, trains, and automobiles,” Jaxon answered, meaning he’d also checked taxi services such as Uber.
