Chapter 13
thirteen
. . .
REAGAN
THREE WEEKS LATER
My sister was still missing.
A month had passed without her.
And we were no closer to finding out what happened to her.
Sheriff Lawless had been in touch a few times, mostly to check in and pass on what little new information they’d gathered.
In addition to sweeping her motel room for prints and particulates, the department had also canvassed the area, asking anyone who lived or worked nearby if they remembered seeing her that evening, if she’d been with anyone, or if they’d noticed anything out of the ordinary happening.
Naturally, no one had anything to report.
Lainey had seemingly vanished into thin air, which didn’t bode well for her safe return. Deep in my bones, I knew she was alive, so I forced myself to cling to that small comfort, protecting the little ember of hope that still smoldered in my chest.
Still, I couldn’t sit around all the way across the country, doing nothing while she was out there somewhere.
Before I’d even gotten on the plane home from Idaho, I’d made the decision to move to Dusk Valley, at least for the summer.
I could operate my business from anywhere, and I had nothing keeping me in Tennessee.
Lainey and I owned our home outright—the same house our parents had purchased shortly after we were born that reverted to our names when they passed. Troy was an attorney, and though he admirably pleaded his case for me to stay, I knew I needed to be in Dusk Valley.
I had no idea how long I’d be gone, but I cancelled all photography jobs we’d scheduled this summer and secured a three-month lease in Dusk Valley.
I also offered the same here. My renters were a travel nurse and her husband, who worked from home.
I’d had Troy run background checks on them.
Both had clean records, excellent credit, and provided glowing personal references.
By all accounts, they were upstanding citizens who kept to themselves.
Did I need to move to Dusk Valley? Of course not. But I wanted to be there, in Lane’s face, reminding him Lainey was still missing. And maybe I was delusional enough to think I could help in some way.
Though he was no closer to locating Lainey than when I’d left three weeks before, Lane had been helpful in finding me a long-term rental. Most rentals in the area were short-term, and with the summer tourist season rapidly approaching, I’d had difficulty finding anything myself.
I hadn’t seen pictures of the place, but the sheriff assured me it was safe and well-maintained. The price was right, so that was good enough for me.
My doorbell rang as I was packing the last of my clothes.
I was unsurprised to find my ex on the other side.
To be honest, my and Troy’s relationship had been ill-fated from the start.
We’d met shortly after Lainey and I graduated college.
He’d come into the restaurant where we’d been waiting tables, working crazy hours to save enough to get our photography business off the ground.
In his bespoke suit, with that expensive haircut and warm brown eyes, I’d been immediately drawn to him.
To his stability. How he seemed to see me for me.
Not Reagan, the twin. Not Reagan, the reformed party girl.
Not Reagan, the woman who remained trapped in the backseat of a car with her parents dead in the front.
Simply…Reagan, the woman.
Our romance had been a whirlwind, and I’d been so caught up in the glamor of it all—me, fresh out of college pinching pennies, catching the eye of this well-established, successful attorney—that I ignored the red flags for far too long.
Troy had been instrumental in bringing me back to myself, and for that, I would always be grateful for him. But this version of me had simply outgrown him.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t taking our separation as gracefully as I’d hoped—as evidenced by him showing up at my house unannounced, once again attempting to get me to stay.
“Damn, it looks empty in here,” he said when I let him in.
“That’s what happens when you move,” I replied, not bothering to hide my annoyance.
“You don’t have to, though.”
Rolling my eyes, I didn’t respond. We’d had this same argument numerous times over the last few weeks.
“Please, Reag. Don’t do this.”
“Don’t call me that,” I gritted out.
I fucking hated when he called me that, like I was some filthy dish rag to be discarded the second it outlived its usefulness.
Troy raised his hands. “Sorry. But can’t you see how insane this is? What are you going to be able to accomplish that those Podunk cops can’t?”
“You wouldn’t understand,” I said, angrily shoving sweaters into the suitcase flopped open on my bed, no longer caring about organization.
“You’re right,” he admitted. “I don’t get it. This isn’t the first time Lainey has taken off without telling you where she is. Why is this any different?”
Whirling on him, I allowed my fury to rise to the surface, exploding on him.
“She’s been gone for a month, Troy!” I screamed. “I know you’re not exactly my sister’s biggest fan, but even you can understand that’s not normal. If she could, she would’ve come back by now. She would’ve at least called.”
Unshed tears choked out the final word, but I wouldn’t allow myself to cry. Not now, and especially not in front of him.
“Whatever,” he said on a sigh.
“Get out.”
“Reagan…” My name was a plea.
I shook my head vehemently. “No. Leave. Now.”
I was through talking, done giving him the time of day. The time to cut all ties, to remove him from my life once and for all had long since passed.
“Reagan, please.”
Not bothering with words, I merely pointed toward the door.
For too long, he didn’t move, only stared at me, as though wordlessly willing me to change my mind.
I wouldn’t.
Eventually, he got the point and disappeared, but not without a final parting shot.
“You’ll be back.”
I wasn’t sure if he meant to Tennessee or to him.
Likely both.
Only when his ridiculous sports car fired up and peeled away did I allow myself to break.
Not for Troy, but because I missed Lainey so deeply. Half of my heart, my soul had gone with her. Without her, I’d never be whole again.
Plus, Troy was wrong.
I might never come back.
All the reasons I had to stay here had disappeared right along with my sister.
The circumstances were unimaginable, but maybe this was my chance at the fresh start I’d secretly been craving for years. My opportunity to leave behind the ghosts of my parents, which still lingered in the halls of this home Lainey and I had once shared with them.
Besides, Lainey was in Dusk Valley. I might not have known where, but my gut told me whoever had her hadn’t taken her far.
And wherever Lainey was? That was where I needed to be.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t also a bit excited to be living in the same town as Finn, even if my conscience whispered I was a horrible person for thinking such a thing given my sister’s disappearance.
I’d been with a fair number of men in my life, but Finn Lawless was the first one to ever elicit such a strong physical reaction from me.
My body remembered the way he’d held me, how he’d played and toyed and teased, driving my pleasure higher and higher until it had all come crashing down around me.
Like a flesh memory, flashes of that night had assaulted the forefront of my brain the moment he’d taken my hand in the sheriff’s department—and they had yet to leave me alone.
Maybe that was all the draw to him meant. My traitorous body remembering how fucking euphoric he’d made me feel.
I tried to get myself to believe that, but it didn’t ring true. While he’d whispered filthy words against my flesh and fucked me in ways I never imagined I’d experience in real life, he genuinely seemed to care about me.
That made him dangerous.
A physical connection was one thing, but an emotional one?
Given the hellscape my mind had become, one false move would send me headlong into a breakdown—not something I could afford right now.
As badly as I could use the distraction, and as much as I wouldn’t mind tangling with him in the sheets again, I vowed then and there to let go of any delusions I had about Finn Lawless.
He was better off without me and my mess.
The following morning, I rose well before the sun to get on the road.
According to my GPS, it would take me about thirty hours to drive to Dusk Valley from eastern Tennessee, and I pushed myself hard the entire time.
Back-to-back sixteen-hour days in the car with nothing to keep me company but my own intrusive thoughts gave me severe cabin fever, and I was bursting at the seams by the time I reached the Dusk Valley town limits.
So much had changed in the month since I’d last been here. Not the town itself, which was as idyllic as ever, but me. The ache in my chest of missing my sister was a constant companion I was afraid would never leave me.
A month ago, winter still had the town in its grip, though loosely.
Everything had been drab and grey. Now, though, everything was bright and crisply verdant.
Each old-fashioned lamppost that lined downtown’s main street was decorated with a hanging basket of flowers that spilled over its edges in bright pinks, purples, and an array of other summery shades.
The buildings and storefronts were well-kept, businesses differentiated by colorful striped awnings, hanging signs that swung in the gentle breeze, and plate glass windows emblazoned with large, creamy white logos.
Though there were numerous shops, everything from the cafe, Mozzy’s Pizza, and the diner to a salon, hardware store, and pharmacy.
The air outside was warm—though not as warm as what I’d left behind in Tennessee. More refreshing than the oppressive humidity of the south, the kind of warmth you could enjoy without suffocating.