“You still there?” I ask.
“Did my partner ask you to do this? This is a setup, right?”
I rub my temples because there’s no way this can be good. “No, this isn’t a setup. My girlfriend is Delaney Manzia.”
“Fuck.” He sighs. “Look, I can’t say much, but I can tell you that Rocky Manzia is a major component of an investigation that has been ongoing for a couple of years.”
Years? That really isn’t good.
“And if somehow he got his daughter to hook up with the brother of the lead investigator, Logan, you need to get out of there.”
“Lead investigator?”
“Yeah, for two years. How did you meet this woman?”
My mind goes back to that night. She doesn’t know what he does, I don’t think. “It wasn’t a setup.”
“How can you be sure?”
She came up to me at the bar that night. Could she have known who I was? No, there was no way. Only Brad knew I was coming to San Diego.
“Because we met at a bar while I was on leave earlier this year. Brad invited me to spend the week at his place in California. This girl and I had a one-night stand that turned into a week. We clicked so well that we decided to try dating long-distance. I’m really serious about her. I plan to propose to her tonight.”
“Oh, fuck no. If you two get engaged, that brings my entire investigation into question. I’m so close on this guy. There’s no way this is a coincidence. Trust me, you need to get out of there.”
I’ve never heard panic in my brother’s voice before. And I know he’s not one to bullshit me. “How bad is this guy?”
“Logan, don’t even think about going up against him. He’s bad. If he wants you to, you will disappear. As in, the bones will never be found. Please tell me you’ll leave there today and head back to Virginia.”
“I’m supposed to stay till New Year’s. If I leave today, it will be suspicious.”
“Can you tell her you are really sick and then claim you are staying in your hotel room?”
I don’t respond right away because shit, he’s not going to like this.
“Logan?”
“I’m staying at their house.”
A horn honks, and I jump. I glance out the window to see Delaney’s dad pulled up next to me. His passenger window is down. I roll down my window.
“Something wrong?” he asks.
“No.”
The man glares at me. “Talking to your wife?”
“I don’t have a wife.”
He continues to stare.
“If I had a wife, do you think I’d be able to come here on my leave?”
He shrugs. “Delaney’s not moving to Virginia with you.”
I open my mouth to protest.
He holds up his hand. “But I can offer work in my company if you move to California.”
