Deception (Carrington Hill Investigations Book 1) Read Free Page B

cried at their funeral, and she’d never thought that she’d experience the same type of pain again…until now. Always holding people at arm’s length was the way she coped until she’d met Catherine and Sara. They’d pushed their way into her life and had come to be her new family, the most important people she had left. Lexi hid her face in her palms, releasing the emotions pent up inside, vowing that this would be the only time she’d be vulnerable until the case was solved.  
    When her tears ran dry, she felt broken inside. She pushed herself up on unsteady legs. Whoever had done this to her friend deserved the punishment she was ready to deliver. She just had to find a way to get the director to agree to let them work the case; if he didn’t, she would do it unofficially on her own time. This was now Lexi’s case, and she wasn’t about to back down. This would be the reason why she got out of bed every morning; this would be the reason why she breathed each day. They all deserved answers, and even if it killed her, she planned on figuring out where the hell her best friend was and why the hell it had happened.
    She made quick work in the shower and was packing her car thirty minutes later. The Director would be gone from the office this late at night. There was no sense talking to him until morning. Her wet hair hung down her back, soaking her shirt as she hugged Sara goodbye, promising to meet at her father’s office in the morning. Lexi was good at planning, and that’s what she needed to do. She needed to do something, anything to make her feel in control of the craziness that surrounded her.
    She hit the Bluetooth on her phone and dialed the only other person in the world she trusted. It only rang once.
    “Carrington Residence.” The familiar voice brought a renewed smile to her lips.
    “Hey , old man.”
    “Ms. Alexandria, is that you?”
    “Now, Jonathan, does anyone but me call you old man?
    He cleared his throat. “No one but you would dare, Alexandria.”
    Her heart lifted . “What did I tell you about calling me that? The name’s Lexi, or has it been so long you’ve forgotten?”
    “It has indeed been a long time since you’ve been home . You can’t blame an old man for forgetting.”
    Lexi pulled out onto the highway , headed back to the same apartment she’d left. “You’re anything but old, Jonathan. I’ll be driving in on Wednesday night and will be there around ten. I need you to call Marco and get him to round up his team.” Marco Hill was the best shot they had at finding Catherine, well… other than the FBI. It wouldn’t hurt to bring in her partner in her private investigator business, who just happened to be ex-mercenary. He was the obvious choice, the best choice, her choice. If anyone could get her answers, it was him. He didn’t care about red tape and knew more of the seedy people in town. He could get her what she was looking for before the FBI was even on the right trail.
    “Shortcake, what have you gotten yourself into?” His tone indicat ed his curiosity and disapproval at the same time, something only he could pull off. His term of endearment was something that he only used when he was worried.
    “I’ll explain when I get there.”
    “Alexandria.” His stern voice brought back memories of her childhood. He sounded as disapproving as a father whose daughter has been caught with a hand in the cookie jar or had brought home a bad grade from school. She was now old enough to consider it endearing, even if it was aggravating at the same time.
    “I’ll see you on Wednesday, and I’m only staying the night, so there isn’t a need to inform the rest of the staff. I’ll be out of your hair by Thursday morning.”
    After a pregnant pause, his voice softened. “This is your home, Lexi. I have never understood why you turned your back on it.”
    Her heart lurched as she swallowed around her constricting throat , which was always the same response she had