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Chris followed me to my car to say goodbye, sweeping me into a tight hug and kissing my cheek before pulling away. “Thanks again. And talking about Missy was good. Maybe I can get some closure. Overall, good afternoon, even though you refused my bedroom invite.”

“I’m ignoring that comment,” I said. Then I narrowly glared, giving him one final warning. “Remember, not a word, Chris.”

“I got it.”

“Good.” I opened the door of the Jag.

“This is what you’re driving?” He whistled. “I have to get on that show.”

I cursed myself for not parking around the corner. Though, if I wasn’t paying for my mother, if I was less conservative with my spending, I suppose the car could have been purchased with my own salary.

Deciding not to comment, I smiled and climbed into the car. I started the engine, and with a wave, I drove off.

CHAPTER 19

Three blocks away from Chris’s, I pulled into a drugstore parking lot and let out a long, shaky breath. I massaged my temples, sorting through what I knew and what was merely a guess. What was still unknown, what actually mattered.

As horrible as it was to admit, I didn’t care two figs about justice for Missy. She was dead. It was sad. But I didn’t know her and it was in the past.

What I did care about was why she died. Or how she might have died, because it was still possible that she’d really just fallen. However, there was also a very good chance she’d been pushed. Silenced before she could lead authorities to the Vilanakis family. To Reeve’s family.

No. I didn’t know that for sure. But I would have bet money that if I called Joe and told him to look for Reeve’s mother as Elena Vilanakis instead of Elena Kaya, he’d find something.

Then he’d tell me to get the hell away from Reeve. He’d tell me again that searching for Amber was a lost cause. He’d tell me he’d do what he could, but it wouldn’t be much considering whom we were dealing with.

I closed my eyes and tapped my head on the steering wheel. “Dammit, Amber,” I said out loud, talking directly to her for the first time in weeks. “What the hell did you get yourself into?”

Seeing no other options, I gritted my teeth and pulled my burner phone from under the driver’s seat where I kept it. I hit dial on the only contact that was programmed.

“What’s up, Em?” There was concern laced in Joe’s voice. It made me paranoid for a second. Made me feel like he knew where I’d been and what I was doing.

But then I realized he was probably only anxious because I never called him. “Not much,” I said with as much cheer as I could muster. “Just…” God, Chris was going to kill me. Well, he’d never know. “I want to pull the investigation. Can I do that?”

I’d still keep looking for Amber, but I couldn’t lead Joe or Chris to the same possible fate as Missy. It wasn’t fair to risk so many innocent people. As for myself… I hadn’t really been innocent since I’d first joined her and Rob in the bedroom. And she’d walked into the fire for me. She deserved my reciprocation.

Joe was silent a beat. “Why?”

I knew he’d ask, and it still caught me off guard. “Because I finally realize it’s a waste of time and money.” Please, let that sound honest.

“Did Sallis threaten you?”

“No!” That was the last thing I wanted Joe thinking, especially since it wasn’t true. I had to be more convincing. “Reeve isn’t a threat at all, Joe. In fact, the more I’ve gotten to know him, the more I see he didn’t do anything. The rumors about him are exactly that – rumors. He’s all bark and no bite. If Amber’s still in trouble, it’s with Vilanakis and not Reeve. And I’m not getting mixed up with the mob.” It was basically all of his previous points regurgitated. I couldn’t get more convincing than that.

But he still didn’t buy it. “This is fishy, Emily.”

I leaned back against the headrest and stared out the front window. “I know it sounds fishy. It’s not. Things are going really well and my relationship with Reeve is now more important than this investigation. I don’t want to mess it up.” My voice cracked on the last line as I realized it was actually true. Yes, I was more fearful than I’d been before about my involvement with him, but mostly because I couldn’t bear to give him a reason to leave me.

Jesus, I was fucked up. I pinched at the corners of my eyes. “Sorry. I’m really feeling guilty about going behind his back.”

“I can see how you’d feel that way,” Joe admitted. “You’re sure he’s safe?”

“He’s very safe. A kitten in lion’s clothing.” More lies, but it didn’t feel as far from the truth as it could have. As scary as he’d made himself out to be, he hadn’t ever hurt me.

Funny, how I could still comfort myself so easily. My gut knew it was false security and a little voice inside my head repeated the words I’d said to Chris earlier. “It’s hard to see when you’re in it.”

“All right.” Joe still sounded hesitant. “If you swear that —”

“I do. I swear. You can send the final bill to my accountant and I’ll get you paid.” I wanted to be done with the conversation. Even if he wasn’t convinced, he wasn’t going to keep up his digging if he wasn’t getting any more checks.