Brayden’s next question was interrupted when the doors flew open and a panicked, wide-eyed, nearly in tears Vanessa flew to him. “H-he was here. He was here, Brayden.”

Brunes stood. “What kind of trouble do you bring here, Justicar?”

Brayden shot him a hard look to shut him up. “What are you talking about? What happened?” he asked Vanessa.

She sucked in an unsteady breath, but still didn’t have her ragged breathing under control. “The mating wrap. It was here. On the car.”

Brayden blinked. “Mating wrap?”

Her wet eyes darted around and she started speaking animatedly with her hands waving all around. “Yes, the mating wrap. The binding between two mates. The symbol of our bonds. My hair and his. Hello, does any of this mean anything to you? It’s here at the car!”

“Just a moment,” Brayden shot to Brunes, then grabbed Vanessa and took her outside. He walked up to the car, unlocked it and scanned inside. “What are you talking about?”

She didn’t answer. Jerking his head over his shoulder, he found her frozen in place, a look of utter disbelief on her face. “It was right there. On the door handle. It was right here!” she screamed.”

“Vanessa—”

“Don’t!” she said in a hard voice then leaned down to peer under the car. She searched all around it, then gazed off into the grass. “It was wrapped around,” she said softly as if speaking to herself. “Maybe it blew off. Maybe it...”

Brayden’s heart squeezed tight and he pulled her into his arms to ease it. “Tell me what you saw.”

She told him again and he stared at the passenger door handle. “Hold on.” Leaning down, he studied the door handle. Pulling it out and searching.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

“Looking for any strands of hair that might have gotten stuck.” After a second, he stood and looked at her. Not a single piece of hair was there.

Stray tears fell down her face. Her hands wound together then wrapped around her body. “You don’t believe me. You don’t believe me.”

He scanned the thick expanse of forest surrounding the house. “I believe you, Vanessa.”

He could hear the breath she sucked in. “You do?”

So much hope hung in her words it clenched like a fist tight around his chest. “Yeah, baby, of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?” True enough. He did believe her.

A sob left her then she flung herself into his arms. He braced barely a second before he caught her.

Someone cleared his throat and Brayden looked over his shoulder. The butler stood there, his gaze on the ground. “King Brunes has a busy schedule. If you wish to finish your interview it must be now, sir.”

Brayden opened the passenger door then pushed Vanessa into the seat. He buckled her in, then reached across her to turn on the car’s A/C. “Stay here. I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”

Her eyes opened wide and scared. “Don’t leave me. He’s out there right now.”

He leaned in close to her and cupped her cheek. “He won’t do anything with me around, and I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll be just a minute. Lock the doors after me.” Then he pressed a quick kiss across her lips and shut the door.

He found Brunes in his office. “Everything all right?” Brunes asked in a voice that clearly said he didn’t care.

Brayden marched right up to him and got in his face. For the first time, Brunes’ temper flashed in his eyes. “You had something to do with her death, I know it. Maybe you even straight-up beat her and threw her off the boat like a piece of trash. Either way, I’m gonna find out. Then I’m taking you down.”

“Be careful whom you threaten, Justicar.”

“I’m also going to find out if you had anything to do with Justicar Daniel’s death. Be sure, if I do, you’re going down for that, too. You got me?”

Brunes’ cheek clenched, then he smiled. “The case is closed, Justicar. Let it go. Everyone else has.”

“Not everyone,” he said.

A flicker of emotion, anger, flashed in Brunes’ eyes. “Sarina never did adjust to her mother’s death. She’s got a bit of a soft side.”

“Maybe, because you killed her mother.”

Brunes’ smiled broader. “It’ll take more than your puny questions to break through me, Justicar. I have nothing to hide. Good luck with your investigation. I have a feeling you’ll be needing it.”

Brayden swung on his heel and headed toward the door. At the last second, he turned around. “Do you know what my track record is for catching murderers?”

Brunes lifted a bored eyebrow.

“One hundred per cent. Just think on that, why don't you?”

He slammed the door behind him.

“Sit down and drink this.” Brayden shoved a cold can of Coke under her nose until she took it.

She popped the tab with a fizzy hiss and sipped the sweet syrupy drink. Her eyes searched his office. “Why are we here? Shouldn’t we be doing something about Joseph?” God, he knows where I am.

“We can’t do anything about Joseph except keep you away from him. I’m going to call your father and see if he’ll void the contract. If not...then we’ll move on from there.”

She set the cold can on the desk and dug her palms into her eyes. “And why are we here?” she asked again. She didn’t want to talk about Joseph now. Every time they did, the road led to a dead end with no possible out except to go back from where she came. And she couldn’t do that.

“King Brunes said Daniel was killed. I have to look into it.”

Her eyes shot to his. “The Justicar we just met with?”

He nodded, his expression grim. “Seems he got his skull bashed in by car tires—twice. Stay here; I’ll be right back.”

He left and closed the office door after him. She fidgeted in her seat, then finally turned the chair so she could keep an eye on the door. She didn’t like having it at her back...anyone could come in behind her.

She couldn’t help but notice his office. It looked as immaculately clean as his home did. The desk was black and shiny, his walls a shiny bright white that gleaned back the reflection of the fluorescent light overhead. It all felt very hospital-like.

A shadow appeared in the doorway. Some instinct inside made her freeze, as if by not moving, the shadow wouldn’t be able to see her and would go away. The thick-paned glass showed no features, only the figure of a man. The hairs at the back of her neck stood on end and her stomach muscles bunched hard like she was about to take a hit. She dared not even take a breath.

It could be him.

The figure turned to face the door and she sucked in a breath. She already knew what would happen next. The door would open and Joseph’s stocky face would be there with his angry dark eyes and hard fists. The head of the figure moved as if searching inside the office or reading the label on the door which read: Justicar Brayden Erickson. The figure might have stood there for only a few seconds, but it felt as though time had stilled. She wanted to leap from her seat and switch the light off, but then whoever it was would know someone was in there for sure. She wanted to turn the small lock on the handle, but she couldn’t move. She sat rooted in place in fear.

Then the figure turned and kept walking down the hall. Only then did she release the breath she’d been holding.

The door swung open and she screamed. Brayden eyed her curiously; he had a thick manila envelope in his hands. He checked her from head to toe, then closed the door behind him.

“What’s wrong?”

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. “Nothing. Just freaking myself out, I think.”

His gaze fell down, left her eyes. “You can stop gripping the chair like you’re trying to strangle it now.”

Startled, she looked down to find what he saw. She had a death grip on the arms of the chair. Slowly, she uncurled her fingers, but then they felt empty so she grabbed her can of soda two-handed and drank it. The taste fell flat and lifeless on her tongue.