“We don’t want your father to have a chance to destroy any evidence.”
She purses her lips. “So you’re planning on…what, exactly?”
“Someonemayenter the estate to look for evidence.” I say that part just for Patrick. “Confront him, if necessary. Arrest him, if possible. Stop him from hurting anybody else.”
Elise lifts her head and her eyes meet mine. “When?”
“Today. As soon as possible.”
The way she’s looking at me sends heat all through my spine. It feels infinitely better than the pain of hitting the sidewalk. Elise leans in before I can so much as raise my eyebrows, and then her lips are on mine. I swear, she tastes like buttercream frosting. It’s not a short kiss. Her hand comes up to brush over my cheek.
Scott clears his throat. Elise pulls back an inch.
“Is it the battle plans?” I say against her lips. “Are you into those?”
Dark eyes look into mine for another set of heartbeats. “Yes.”
It sounds true. And…there’s a note that’s off. Like something hidden behind a flimsy lock. If I could take her somewhere alone and convince her to tell me what it is, I’d do it.
“We need your opinion, too. You’ve spent the most time at the estate.”
Elise straightens up and looks over the sheet of paper again. Mason comes back into the room and stands on the other side of the coffee table, his arms crossed over his chest and a set to his mouth that communicates just how much he hates when his wife isn’t happy.
“I’d say…” Elise taps a corner of the house. “There’s a staff entrance here with a nonfunctional camera. All the other doors will capture footage of you. You’ll have to go to the next house over and cross through the yard.”
“That’s good to know,” says Scott, sharing a look with Mason.
“And you’ll want to wait until after ten o’clock. If he’s kept up his usual routine, he takes a sleeping pill around nine. It’ll make it easier to move through the house without him hearing.”
“Excellent.” Mason sounds more ready to go after Bettencourt now that Charlotte’s upset. “We’ll leave here at nine. I want to be sure this asshole never steps foot outside prison for the rest of his life.”
“I’m going with you,” I announce.
“Like hell you are,” Mason shoots back.
“I’m not staying here while you face off with Bettencourt. If you want to feel better about it, tell Jameson to come, too. Where is he, anyway?”
Scott frowns, like he’s just realized Jameson should also be sitting in onthismeeting. “He stopped by the building earlier. Hasn’t been back.”
“He’s not answering my texts.” Mason says this like he’s one-quarter annoyed and three-quarters worried. “And I’ve called twice.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for him.” Elise runs her fingers through my hair. “I need to step out for a little while.”
“To go where?” My heart sinks at the thought of her leaving. We’re all finally together in Mason’s apartment. All except Jameson, anyway.
“I have a few loose ends to tie up at the bakery.” Elise doesn’t break to look away for an instant. Her eyes look huge and innocent and a bit sad. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
She leans in for another kiss. This one’s slower. This one feels like goodbye. When she pulls back, my throat has closed up tight. There’s something not right in her voice. In her touch. It’s like she thinks this is the last time she’ll see me.
Elise Bettencourt might be the first woman I’ve ever asked to stay anywhere. “Deal with the bakery later.”
“I won’t be long.” Elise squeezes my hand, then releases it carefully, letting go only at the last second. “Bye, guys.”
All of us watch her leave.
I count to twenty, hoping she’ll change her mind and come back.
At thirty, I stop counting, and find Mason watching the empty doorway, suspicion in his eyes.