She knew it was only because Cord allowed it that she was able to draw him back. Seething, he turned his barely contained fury on Beau’s father.

Mr. Cambridge’s frame shook as the color in his face surpassed red and morphed into purple. ‘You don’t know who you’re dealing with or the people I know. My lawyer will be contacting your boss and the mayor. You’ll be out of a job before you can leave this neighborhood.’

Cord’s head fell back in unamused laughter before his neck snapped up, and he stepped closer to Beau’s father, lowering his voice to just above a whisper. ‘You don’t know who I know, either, man. Should we place bets on whose threat’s going to hold more water? Because if you’re smart, you’ll bet on me.’

And with that her partner stormed out. Unlike Mrs. Cambridge a few moments earlier, Cord made certain he slammed the door hard enough to rattle the windows, and Alyssa had to fight back a cringe, hoping they didn’t shatter. Not once in five years had she ever witnessed him lose his composure, not even when he interviewed hardened criminals. In fact, he was often the calming force that kept her from exploding.

Before following him out, she removed a business card and placed it on the small table near the door. ‘You’ll call if you think of anything you might’ve forgotten to mention,’ she said, making it a demand instead of a request. Back outside she made her way to the curb where Cord stood facing away from the house, the muscles in his back vibrating.

She pushed the key fob to unlock the car, and without turning around, Cord yanked open the passenger door and slid inside. After she buckled herself in, Alyssa turned the ignition, peeked at her partner’s profile, then slowly pulled away from the curb. ‘Want to tell me where all that came from?’

She glanced over in time to see his fingers squeezing his thighs as he breathed slowly in and out through gritted teeth. The ticcing in his jaw grew more pronounced as her question lingered in the air, the weight of it heavy in the space between them. Just when she was sure he wasn’t going to respond, he finally spoke.

Chapter Nine

Monday, May 20

Heavy footsteps above their heads drew the girls’ attention, and they all looked up, necks craning. And as if some evil fairy had sprinkled silent dust over them, they fell eerily quiet, the sounds of their breathing hushed, barely audible wisps of air.

A key jiggled in a lock just before the door opened and a bright overhead light flipped on, burning Rachel’s retinas as she reached up to shield her eyes from the brutal glare. Still, she focused on two stocky men as they made their way down the stairs, stepping into the center of the room outside the metal enclosure. No words passed between them as they slowly shifted their gazes from left to right, their intense concentration seeming to undress and inspect each of the girls in turn, and Rachel chomped down on her cheek to keep her teeth from chattering against each other. The urge to close her eyes battled against her will to watch their every movement.