Irelyn zipped the small duffel bag and set it on top of the larger one standing at the bedroom door. It was only seven in the morning, but she was packed and ready to go. She’d woken just past dawn with an odd, almost panicky feeling in the pit of her stomach. She rarely had this feeling of impending disaster, so when she did, she took heed. Problem was, they weren’t scheduled to leave until early afternoon. Grey had a couple of meetings he wanted to conduct in person. She knew if she told him she wanted to leave now, he would likely accommodate her, but she refused to give in to this silly premonition. The meetings were being held in his office here. He wasn’t leaving the apartment, and no one could gain entry unless on the approved-visitors list.

She told herself the worry came from exhaustion. She was still battered and bruised. Plus, so much had happened over a short period of time, it only made sense that she felt physically drained. She hadn’t slept well last night, had tossed and turned as nightmares dragged her through hell. She’d woken dry-eyed, with a throbbing headache. A hot shower and a bracing cup of coffee had helped, but she still felt washed out and ragged.

She also felt something she hadn’t in a long time. Insecure and undesirable. Grey had turned her down last night. That had never happened. Even at their lowest, most-distant moments, they had always been able to connect physically.

She told herself it was understandable. He had a lot on his mind. Even though he could work remotely, there were a thousand things he needed to accomplish before their trip. It wasn’t because he no longer wanted her.

When he had come to bed last night, she had turned to face him. Kissing his neck and his chest, her hands had roamed over him, letting him know how much she wanted him. Instead of reciprocating, he’d kissed her forehead and told her to go to sleep, that they had a long day ahead of them.

She had lain in his arms for a long time, bereft and rejected. And when she’d finally fallen asleep, nightmares welcomed her as an old friend.

He hadn’t made love to her the night before that either. Yes, he’d given her unbelievable pleasure, but he hadn’t taken anything for himself. At the time, she had believed it was because he feared hurting her, but now she wasn’t so sure. Could it be that Grey had finally tired of her? After all she’d done, all she’d put him through, had he finally reached his limit?

“You’re already packed?”

Startled, she whirled around. Grey stood at the door. Though his tone was mild, she heard the concern in his voice. Did he think she might be leaving on her own? Did he want her to leave? She hated this new insecurity, but couldn’t let it go.

“Yes. I didn’t want to leave it to the last minute.”

“What’s wrong?”

Hiding her worries from him was becoming more difficult. “Just anxious to get there, I guess.”

“My last appointment had to reschedule. I came in to see if you wanted to leave earlier. Guess the answer is yes.”

“Yes, please.”

“The plane should be ready, but I’ll call Lily and ask her to move up the flight plan. I—” Grey’s phone buzzed with a text message.

“You get the text,” Irelyn said. “I’ll call Lily and—” She stopped, startled at the dark look on his face. “What?”

Instead of answering, he grabbed the television remote from the nightstand, pressed the power button, and switched to a local channel where a polished, appropriately serious reporter was saying, “Again, details are still coming in, but we can report that local businessman Joe Morrissey, president of Morrissey Industries, was found dead at his home last night. Cause of death has not been made public. Sources close to the investigation indicate the victim was killed yesterday afternoon in what may have been a stabbing. Morrissey was recently indicted on suspicion of embezzlement and fraud.”

The rest of the news report was lost on Irelyn. Her heart was pounding with dread, and now she knew why she’d felt such trepidation earlier. How coincidental could it be that the man they’d suspected of hiring a hit man to kill Grey had been murdered?

Grey listened carefully to the report. He’d learned that first reports were often the closest to the truth. Irelyn stood beside him quietly, and he knew she was absorbing all the implications. They would need to talk, but for right now he wanted more facts.

The doorbell rang. He headed out of the room to answer it, assuming Irelyn would follow.

The security camera showed Gallagher’s face, dark with concern and something else. The instant he opened the door, Nick said, “You heard?”

“Yes. Think it was a hit?”

“That’s what my sources are telling me.”

“Any suspects?”

“Not yet. I—” His eyes veered slightly as he looked behind Grey to Irelyn. “I’m sure there are more than a few people who wanted him dead.”

“Is there something else you want to say, Nick?” Irelyn asked.

“No. Is there something you’d like to say?”

“That’s enough, you two. Gallagher, have a seat. Irelyn, come with me.”

Following Grey back to her bedroom, she waited until he closed the door to say, “Do you think I did this?”

“Why the hell would you even ask me that?”

“He was killed yesterday. I was conveniently absent for several hours. I could have broken into his home, killed him, and left without leaving any evidence behind. I’m that good.”

“No, you’re not.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. You aren’t good with break-ins. Yes, you can do great undercover work, and your disguises are both creative and excellent. But you’re terrible at being covert. You’re too loud. I think that might be why you were caught at Hill House.”

She was so filled with ire at his insults, she completely forgot about her fear that Grey might think she had killed Morrissey.

“I’ll have you know, I did not make a sound.”

“You got caught, didn’t you?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“But nothing, Irelyn. You suck at sneaking.”

She was about to defend herself again when she noted his steady, unwavering expression. She dropped down on the edge of the bed and sighed. “You’re deliberately pissing me off, aren’t you?”

“Am I?”

“So you don’t think I did this?”

“Of course I don’t.” He surprised her by kneeling in front of her. “Ah, darling.” Taking her hand, he held it to his mouth, kissing it softly. “What’s it going to take for you to trust me again?”

She tried to smile but was suddenly too tired to even try. “I guess we both need to work on the trust issue, don’t we?”

“We’ve been battling it for a long while. I never let you forget where we started.”

“It’s not forgettable.”

“No, it’s not. But we move forward, or we don’t move at all.”

She straightened her shoulders, ready to focus on the here and now once more. “You think Morrissey’s death has anything to do with you?”

“I doubt it. The man had almost as many enemies as I have.”

She wished she could smile about that, as he intended. She couldn’t. That just reminded her that someone hated him enough to pay a lot of money to have him killed.

“We’re still going away?”

“Without a doubt. Why don’t you call Lily and have her schedule our flight as soon as possible? I’ll deal with Gallagher, and then we’ll be on our way.”

* * *

The house was lovelier than she remembered. She and Grey had purchased it several years ago, but had stayed in it only a handful of times. Built with a combination of rock, brick, and log, the small mansion stood like a massive boulder on a small hillside. Surrounded by giant trees and distant mountains topped with snow, it was Christmas-card perfect.

“I’d forgotten how beautiful it is here.”

As they carried their bags inside, Grey briefly described the damage that Luis Mendoza’s men had done, all in an effort to find the man’s granddaughter. Not because he loved her, but because of his own selfish desires.

It no longer surprised her what people could do to one another. When she was younger, she had thought she was the rare breed and that other people had sane families and happy lives. As she got older, she realized that there were more sadists and evil people in the world than one could ever guess.

She glanced over at Grey. He fought against that evil every day. Most of the world knew him as a successful businessman and philanthropist, but only a few knew that he actively sought justice for those who’d been denied. Even fewer knew how lethal he was. To anyone who crossed him or hurt those he cared about, he was a dangerous opponent. And to Irelyn, who had met him at her most vulnerable, he was the center of her universe. Grey was as constant as the ocean and as steady as the mountains surrounding them. He had seen her at her very worst.

Their relationship had changed over the years. Maturity and wisdom had created a different dynamic. Their recent division was the closest they’d been to losing each other. She’d had her reasons for that separation, but it was clear Grey did not agree. A discussion was coming. An open, throw-it-all-out-there kind of talk. They hadn’t had one in a long while. She didn’t look forward to this one, but it had to be done. Things needed to be said, grievances had to be aired. Secrets, lies, and half-truths were a part of a past she’d worked hard to escape. They might not survive the outing, but allowing anger to fester would only be worse. She owed Grey the truth, no matter how ugly and painful.

On the plane, they had sat together in silence, a lovely, quiet peace between them. Nothing was settled. She likened the mood to a dormant volcano—seemingly tranquil, but beneath it all were volatile emotions that could spew forth like molten lava, decimating everything in their path.

“Everything okay?” Grey asked. She’d been standing in the foyer for several moments, her expression distant, her thoughts obviously a million miles away. He wanted her back with him, totally focused on the here and now.

“Yes. Fine.” She threw him a cool smile. “Just a bit weary, I guess.”

Irelyn Raine had endless energy. Her stamina and endurance could put any champion athlete to shame. He knew she was still exhausted and hurting from the last few days, but he recognized the words for what they were. An evasion.

“The meaningless responses stop now, Irelyn. We’ve known each other too long to treat each other like polite strangers.”

The distant expression disappeared and the look she gave him now could melt a furnace. That made him smile. This was the Irelyn he wanted to see. Fuming temper and all.

“Fine,” she snapped. “I thought we’d give ourselves a few moments of peace before the fireworks begin.”

“I’ve had enough of peace these last couple of years. We’ve been acting as if we don’t want to offend one another. That shit stops. You’ve got things to say, and baby, I do, too.”

“I’ll go put on my boxing gloves and meet you in the gym. Is that what you want?”

“No, it’s not. Stop turning everything into a battle. I just want the words from you, Irelyn. To know where you are in your head. What’s going on in that beautiful, intelligent brain?”

“You’re right. I’m looking for a fight.”

“I’ll oblige you in that, too, later on. For right now, I need words.”

“Meet you in the den in fifteen?”

He felt a loosening in his muscles. “Deal.”

She walked toward the stairway, her small bag in one hand. He waited until she was halfway up the stairs before he called out, “Oh, and Irelyn. Your bags go in the master bedroom, not the guest room. Understand?”

She looked over her shoulder, an unusual uncertainty on her face. “Where are your bags going?”

“Right beside yours.”

Light entered her features, and her eyes heated with a sultriness that lifted his heart and made his body go hard in an instant. She repeated the words he’d said to her the other night, “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Grey.”

The moment she disappeared, Grey set to work. The next few hours wouldn’t be enjoyable for either of them, but once they got everything out in the open, he hoped like hell their troubles would be behind them.

He told himself to ignore his all-too-accurate gut that told him no way in hell were they in the clear.