Cord’s head bobbed in agreement. ‘I’d still place my bet on Ruby any day of the week and twice on Saturdays. You know, I’m not entirely unconvinced she wasn’t a pitbull in her past life.’

‘I’d pay good money to see her reaction to that comment.’

Eyes widening comically, her partner shook his head back and forth, his hair falling into his eyes as he did. ‘I’d kick it into gear and leave the country before she could find me.’

Alyssa chuckled. ‘All the gold and silver in the world couldn’t take you far enough away to hide you from Ruby’s wrath.’

Cord’s eyes widened, and his fork clattered to the plate. ‘Gold,’ he whispered.

Baffled by his reaction, Alyssa stopped smiling. And then she jerked upright, her spine stiffening as what she said clicked. ‘The symbol branded into Meghan Jessup’s hip – it’s the hermetic symbol for gold! The same gear that’s on the Rosenfelt Holdings logo!’ The second she said it, she knew they were finally closing in on more answers than questions.

Cord wiped one hand down his face as he slumped back against his chair. ‘Holy…’ And then he slammed his fist against the table, rattling the plates, the napkin holder, the salt and pepper shakers, and their half-empty cups of coffee. ‘Damn it! It’s been right there in front of us this entire time. Jesus! How could we miss that?’

A shadow fell across the window, and they both twisted in their seats in time to witness Rosenfelt’s sleek Gulfstream – clearly the priciest one here – hit the tarmac with barely a bounce, showcasing the pilot’s expertise. Due to Hal’s research, she now knew this private luxury liner held up to fourteen passengers, had a private executive suite, a bedroom, and an extensive bar. And whenever Rosenfelt entertained guests, everyone from bartenders to toddlers was required to sign a nondisclosure agreement that would result in a massive lawsuit if said agreement was breached. In Alyssa’s professional opinion, that amount of secrecy was usually only warranted when shady dealings were taking place.

Say, for instance, dabbling in the sex trafficking trade, a lucrative business for the heartless.

Alyssa took a final swallow of lukewarm coffee before heading outside to wait for one of the world’s wealthiest men to disembark. At almost nine in the morning, the temperature had already soared into the low eighties, and there wasn’t a single cloud in the blue sky or even a hint of a breeze to break up the heat, so when five, ten, then fifteen minutes elapsed with the plane not moving, and no one exiting the aircraft, waiting in the hot sun ate away at Alyssa’s patience.

‘What in the hell is he doing in there?’

‘I don’t know, but you need to hold onto your temper. Otherwise, we risk him clamming up immediately when he sees us.’ The tightening in Cord’s jaw belied his own impatience, and she wondered if he was thinking of his sister, Shelley. If she was, it stood to reason there was a good chance so was he.