On his way back down the hallway toward the kitchen, he quickly glanced into each of the other two bedrooms before checking the spare bathroom, and ending up in the living room. Once he stepped fully into the living room, he realized why the house was quiet. She was not only not in the bedroom, she wasn’t in the house at all. He strode toward the television and pulled off the note taped to the screen.
“Don’t be mad. I got a call from my boss and had to report for an emergency. I should be home by tomorrow morning, or maybe a little later, but definitely by tomorrow night. I think. Maybe. There’s food in the fridge. Help yourself.
PS: Havoc and Barron are going to come keep you company.
PSS: Are you getting your fill of me yet? Too bad! You can’t leave.
See you soon.
Remember I said to not be mad.
Me.”
“Damn it!” Lucien yelled, then about the time he was looking for a phone to try to contact anybody with, there was a knock at the door. He stalked to the door and snatched it open.
“What?!” he half-shouted.
“You found her note?” Emmalyn asked.
“You knew about this?!” Lucien demanded.
“Well, I knew she was planning to leave a note, I’m not really sure about what it says,” Emmalyn said.
Lucien thrust it out toward her.
Emmalyn took the note, skimmed it quickly, then handed it back to him. She smiled brightly at him. “Yeah, that’s not the whole story.”
“What?”
“I was hoping she’d put more in her note, but figured maybe she didn’t.”
“Will you get to the point?!”
“Her boss called.”
“I know that. Says it right there,” he said, pointing at the note in his other hand.
“He said they had a report of some pretty prolific poachers and asked if she could go do a little recon and check it out.”
“Nooooo,” Lucien rumbled.
Emmalyn nodded. “Yeah. I’m thinking based on what she said to me and Analise that they might be the same people that did,” she waved her hand up and down Lucien’s body, “this to you. And she kinda knew that, so intentionally didn’t tell you.”
A slow steady hiss began to escape him.
“When did she leave?” he asked, his voice low and deadly.
“About an hour and a half after you left with Brandt. Analise and I thought it was best that you know.”
Lucien glanced behind her, then focused on her again. “Where’s Analise?”
“She’s breaking the news to Havoc.”
“And you?”
“I decided to come tell you personally, rather than letting the guys do that, because they weren’t with her when she got the call. We were, and we know what we heard.”
“And you waited until you saw me come home to tell me?!”
