“Cell reception here is coming in and out.” Cady’s words proved almost prophetic. Whatever she said next, I didn’t hear it.

“Go,” I said. “Find Bella.”

“Kira.” There was another long pause on the other end of the line. “I’m not sure there will be anything left to find.”

“You think she’s dead?” I felt like I had a piece of bone caught in my throat. This was what I got for letting myself be taken off the case, for taking a step back and even entertaining the notion that reading missing persons reports and asking questions qualified as doing something. “You think she’s been murdered?”

Silver rolled over, pressing her body against mine and stretching out along the length of my legs. To my surprise, Saskia didn’t just tolerate it, she lay down on my other side.

“We’re not giving up.” Cady hesitated, just for a moment. “In the meantime, if you see Gabriel, give him a wide berth.”

If I’d been walking, that instruction would have stopped me dead in my tracks. “What?” I said. “Why?”

Had the sheriff said something to her? Why would Cady—who had better sense than anyone I knew—listen?

“Gabriel’s volatile, Kira. If the circumstances were different, I would be fighting for him every bit as much as my father is, but he’s not my kid. You are, and you have a lot going on right now. Whatever Gabriel’s been through, whatever anger he’s carrying—it’s not good for you.”

Hearing her say those words should have made me angry. Instead, it hurt.

“I’m not fragile,” I said. “I’m not going to break.”

Cady’s reply was lost under a web of static, and then the line went dead. Free arched an eyebrow at me in question.

“She wants me to stay away from Gabriel,” I said flatly.

I could see the wheels in Free’s head turning. If she told me that Cady was right, if she acted like I was broken—I wouldn’t be able to take it.

Instead, Free twisted and pounded a fist on the window separating us from the truck’s cab. Jude opened it.

“What can I do for you?” he asked pleasantly. “Gabriel and I are bonding.”

Free just smiled beatifically. “How would you gentlemen feel about a little road trip?”

Chapter 35