Dade. Delores Fossen

knew all of this by heart because she’d read the reports too many times to count. “Then blame the FBI. Blame Charles’s team of lawyers who challenged the warrant in the first place. But know this—if I get the chance to put Charles away, I’m taking it. Not for you. Not for your late sister-in-law. But for my son. When are you going to believe me?”

      The fit of temper and energy went as fast as it came, and Kayla felt beyond drained. Maybe that’s why she hadn’t heard Mason come back into the house. And he wasn’t the only one to reappear. Grayson was at the top of the stairs, a suitcase in each hand, and all of them were staring at her again.

      “Maybe we’ll believe you when there’s proof that you’re innocent.” That came from Mason—the dark and dangerous Ryland. The one who made her more nervous than even Dade. “Your phone wasn’t in the car. I searched every inch of it.”

      Kayla wearily shook her head. “Then I must have lost it or left it at the condo where I was staying.”

      “Convenient,” Mason mumbled.

      “No, it’s not,” she argued, knowing it wouldn’t do any good. “I wish I could produce the phone so you’d know I had no part in this.”

      “Call her cell,” Grayson said, making his way down the stairs. “The number is there on the dead gunman’s phone.”

      Kayla huffed and was about to tell any Ryland who would listen that calling her on the missing phone would be useless. She didn’t have it with her in the house, and she honestly had no idea where it was. But she decided just to let them have their way.

      Mason lifted the gunman’s phone so he could see the numbers through the plastic bag, and he used his own cell to make the call.

      Kayla’s heart nearly stopped.

      Because the moment that Mason finished pressing in the numbers, the sound shot through the foyer.

      While the rest of them watched and while Kayla held her breath, Mason followed the sound.

      He didn’t have to go far.

      Just a few feet away from her.

      There, under the foyer table, at the edge of the pool of blood, her missing cell phone was ringing.