I woke feeling for Emalee in the bed. The sheets were cold. I groaned, turning over.

She had insisted on going to work today, to talk to her family about them hiring on extra help while she was gone.

But first, she was going to meet with a friend from California.

I faced the ceiling, closing my eyes and letting a smile creep up my face.

Last night was hot. And when it was all over, Cory’s private chef had made the tastiest seabass meal complete with crème brulee for dessert.

Cory hadn’t cared when Emalee and I crashed in the room I had stayed in my first week there. We were too exhausted to catch the subway back to her apartment.

Holding Emalee as she fell asleep felt exquisite. All the girls, all the travels, all my mistakes and risks…. they had led up to that moment. I needed to meet Emalee and hold her close. Her and no one else.

Now, I rose out of bed, stretching and throwing a shirt on.

Entering the kitchen, I saw Cory, sipping coffee and scrolling through his phone. “Good morning,” he said without looking at me.

“Morning,” I said. A part of me wanted to gloat. I mean, it’s what brothers do. I sensed that even though Cory knew he needed to let her go, his pride had been damaged to a point where the subject was still sensitive for him.

And through all my life knowing Cory, I knew he hated a wounded pride.

I poured myself a cup of coffee and joined him on a bar stool. “Any plans for the day?” I asked him.

He rubbed at his unshaved jaw. “Yeah. I think I’m going to ask Brittiany to move in with me.”

I nearly spat out my coffee. “Already?”

He shrugged. “You know I have my pride. If Emalee doesn’t want me, it’s time to move on. I’d rather do it sooner than later.”

Sheesh. “Suit yourself,” I said.

“And you?” he asked. “What will you and Emalee do?”

I stared at my phone, silent and still and black. The possibilities with Emalee were endless. “I don’t know,” I said. “But we’re booking it out of here as soon as possible.”

Cory’s phone rang. He answered. “Hey, Mrs. McLaughlin,” he said. A pause. “Well, she said she was meeting with a friend this morning. That could be the delay. Yeah, she must have forgotten to tell you. Sorry about that. Bye.” He hung up the phone. “That might have been my last conversation with that woman…” he muttered.

“Emalee’s mom?” I asked.

He nodded. “Just wondering where she was.”

I stood, downing the rest of my coffee. “Right. Well. I’m off to make a new workout vid. See you in a few hours.”

I grabbed my camera and tripod and headed down the elevator to the luxurious gym. My guess was celebrities had to be working out down there. The complex was too fancy to be inhabited by the middle class.

I set up my camera in a corner with mats and started recording. I kept it simple, with sets of high-burning cardio moves.

But my mind was distracted. I was taking Emalee back to Colorado with me. The idea thrilled me to my core, making me feel as giddy as a high school girl. I couldn’t wait to travel the world with her, show her what she’d been missing out on. Give her that attention she craved and deserved.

I paused for water and checked my phone. Cory had tried calling. I’d get back to him after I finished recording the rest of my footage.

When I had finished twenty minutes later, I drank a long drought of water before packing up and making my way into the elevator. I was surprised when it opened and Cory stood there, scowling.

“Oh. Hello,” I said.

“You didn’t answer your phone,” Cory said.

I shrugged. “I was busy. What’s up?”

Cory exited the elevator. “Mia, Emalee’s friend, called. Emalee never showed up this morning.”

I frowned, shifting my tripod so it rested more comfortably against my shoulder. “Well, where is she?” I asked.

Cory’s frown deepened. “We don’t know.”

Fear and irritation spiked in me all at once. “What do you mean, you don’t know?” I snapped at him. “You have her under Covill protection.”

“Yes,” he said. “Mia and Liam Covill tried tracking Emalee’s phone through GPS, but it’s dead. We managed to get a location from before the battery died, though.”

“And where was that?” I demanded. He held up Emalee’s phone. “Here. She didn’t have her charger last night. Her phone must have died and she decided to leave it behind.”

“Shit.” My heart was hammering against my chest. “Where could she be, then?”

“I don’t know,” Cory admitted. “We’re meeting with Mia and Liam in fifteen minutes to find out.”

I stared across the table in Covill Security’s meeting rooms at the Californian couple. Liam Covill was big, I’ll give him that. The guy was built like a bull. As the son of Walter Covill, CEO of Covill Security, he looked pretty intimidating. And Mia looked tiny next to him, her large eyes filled with concern.

“What time did she leave the apartment this morning?” she asked Cory and I urgently.

Cory looked at me. “Shit,” I mumbled. “I was asleep… I’m guessing around 8?”

Mia nodded. “She was supposed to meet me for coffee at nine. She never showed.”

“Did anyone check her apartment?” Liam asked.

Cory and I exchanged glances. “No,” Cory admitted. “She could be there.”

I sprung from the chair. “I have a key. I’ll go check.”

“Hold on, Mr. Walker,” Liam said, standing himself. “Your brother here detailed us about the stalker who had been threatening you via text. Could she have had a hand in this?”

The thought had crossed my mind. I couldn’t remember who Roxy was. I didn’t know if she really was dangerous or all talk. “She might have,” I said slowly. “But I don’t know. I don’t know the girl.”

Liam nodded, looking at Mia. “I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until we put a team together. You don’t know what you could be getting yourself into.”

“I can handle myself,” I insisted.

Liam’s lips curled into a slow smile. “Trust me… I know the urgency you feel. But we need a team of professionals—”

“I’m just going to run in and check her apartment,” I said in frustration. “Maybe she just needed a day off. I’ll call you if I find her.”

I took off, leaving the meeting room and dashing through Covill Security’s doors.

I hadn’t heard from Roxy in over a week. I had assumed she had given up. I silently cursed myself, waving down a taxi. What if Emalee really was in danger? The one time I let my guard down… I would never forgive myself if something had happened to her.

Cory said he had her protected, dammit!

My chest constricted as I ducked inside a taxi, giving him the address to Emalee’s apartment. I prayed she was there, safe and sound…