WITHOUT A TRACE
As a skip tracer in training, Joslyn Dimalanta knows she has the skills to track down her missing friend. As long as her friendâs startlingly handsome brother, Clay Ashton, doesnât distract her. But then his sisterâs house detonatesâalmost killing Clay and Joslyn. Now they realize the harsh reality: they must either find the person after Clayâs sister, or face deadly consequences. And the closer they get to exposing the source of the crimes, the more explosive surprises they discover. With every obstacle they overcome, Joslyn finds herself relying on Clay more and more. Still, the peril they face scares her less than the idea of trusting Clay with her wounded heart.
âI know youâre in there, Joslyn,â the man said through the door.
âWe have Clay. Give yourself up and we wonât hurt him.â
She only had to stall them until the police arrived. But what if they killed Clay before that happened?
Then Clayâs voice sounded from behind the back door. âSheâs not in there. I came alone.â They must have dragged him to the backyard, where there were fewer people to see.
âI know youâre lying,â the man said calmly to Clay.
Then Clayâs voice shot out in a cry of pain.
Joslyn forced herself to breathe, to relax. She had to stay calm, stay focused.
âJoslyn, come out or weâll send Clay here to his stepdaddy in little pieces.â
Moving quietly and staying low, Joslyn crept from behind the table until she was behind the sink. She slowly rose until she could see outside the window that hung right over the sink.
The man shouted, âJoslyn, you come out right now, or I swear Iâllââ
Suddenly Clay snapped his head backward and clocked his captor full in the face. The man grunted, and Clay pulled free.
A gun went off.
ONE
The man had danger written all over him.
Or maybe that was just Joslynâs perception because of the grim cast to his mouth and the way his powerful body moved with the athletic grace of a man confident in his physical strength. His blue-gray eyes found hers across the hot sidewalk in front of Fiona Crowleyâs Phoenix home, and her vision wavered as if he were a mirage.
The sun glinted off of the straight, blond-streaked, brown hair that fell over his forehead, and it triggered a memory for her. Fiona had the same hair color, and in pictures sheâd shown Joslyn of her brother, theyâd looked very much alike.
Joslyn looked more closely at the man as he closed the car door and approached her where she stood at the edge of Fionaâs front yard. He had golden-brown stubble that softened his square jaw, but there was no doubt that the shape of his face was the same as Fionaâs, although wider and more sharply cut.
âAre you...Clay?â Joslyn guessed as he stopped in front of her.
His low brow wrinkled. âWho are you?â His voice was deep but not gravelly, with a smoothness that made her think of honey.
The Arizona sun had been unbearably hot since six this morning, but it suddenly became a furnace. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of her neck, and she wiped at it. âIâm Joslyn Dimalanta. I was good friends with Fiona when she lived in Los Angelesâwe were classmates in the same masterâs degree program. Youâre her brother, right? You look exactly like her.â
âHalf brother.â There was a tinge of bitterness in his tone. âWhat are you doing here?â
âIâm here looking for Fiona.â She straightened her shoulders. âI got a postcard from herââ
âWhen?â Clayâs eyes suddenly became more intense, and he took a half step toward her.
He wasnât a large man, but something about the strength simmering beneath his wide shoulders gave Joslyn a flash of memory of her abusive ex-boyfriend, and her heartbeat went into red alert for a second. It must have showed on her face, because he looked conscientious and quickly stepped back.
She took a long breath before answering him. âFiona sent it three weeks ago, but I only got it a few days ago. It was sent to my old address in LA.â
âThree weeks? I got a phone call from her three weeks ago.â
âWhat did she say? Is she all right?â
âShe said, âClay, help me,â and then she hung up.â A muscle flexed in his jaw.