Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

K ira stepped off the curb, her mind preoccupied with the case and the new information she had uncovered about Silvia Henry. The sun beat down on her face, and she squinted against the glare, her hand raised to shield her eyes.

She was halfway across the street when the screeching of tires jolted her back to the present. Her head snapped up, her eyes widening in horror as she saw a car barreling toward her, its engine revving with a sickening roar.

Time seemed to slow down, each heartbeat stretching into an eternity as Kira tried to move, tried to get out of the way. But her legs felt like lead, her body frozen in place as the car drew closer and closer.

Just as she was bracing herself for impact, a strong hand gripped her arm, yanking her back onto the sidewalk with a force that sent her stumbling. She gasped, her heart pounding in her throat as she turned to face her savior.

He was tall and broad-shouldered with dark hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to bore into her soul. For a moment, Kira could only stare at him, her mind reeling with shock and confusion.

“Thank you,” she managed to say, her voice shaking slightly. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.”

But the man merely nodded, his expression unreadable as he turned and walked away without a word. Kira frowned, a niggling sense of familiarity tugging at the back of her mind. She could have sworn she had seen him somewhere, but her thoughts were too jumbled, her nerves too frayed to place him.

She was still trying to catch her breath when her phone buzzed with an incoming call, her hands trembling slightly as she fumbled for it. She glanced at the screen, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Rex’s name flashing across the display.

“Kira? Are you all right?” His voice was tight with concern, his words clipped and urgent.

“I’m fine,” she said, trying to keep her tone steady. “Just a little shaken up. Some idiot tried to run me over just now.”

She heard Rex’s sharp intake of breath and could practically feel the tension radiating through the phone. “What? Are you hurt? Where are you? We’ll come to you right now.”

Kira shook her head, even though he couldn’t see her. “No, no, I’m okay. Someone pulled me out of the way just in time. I’m just a little rattled, that’s all.”

There was a pause, and then Nash’s voice came on the line, his tone gentle and soothing. “Kira, are you sure you’re all right? We can be there in ten minutes, just say the word.”

Kira felt a rush of warmth and affection flood through her chest. She knew they were worried about her, knew they cared. But she also knew she needed to be strong, needed to focus on the case at hand.

“I’m sure,” she said, her voice firmer now. “But listen, I did some digging on Silvia Henry. Turns out she moved to another country a year ago, so that lead is a dead end.”

She could practically hear the gears turning in Rex’s head and picture the furrow between his brows as he processed this new information. “Damn. All right, what about Jonson Gates? Any luck there?”

Kira sighed, frustration and exhaustion warring in her chest. “No, not yet. I’m having trouble tracking him down, which makes me think he might be a good possibility. But I’m still looking into other agencies, just to be thorough.”

Nash’s voice cut in, his tone reassuring and confident. “Don’t bother with the other agencies, Kira. I’ve already looked into them, and Gerri has been nothing but generous. She’s always sending clients their way when she doesn’t feel they’re right for her agency, and they’re all extremely grateful to her. I don’t think any of them would have motive to sabotage her business.”

Kira felt a surge of relief wash over her, grateful for Nash’s diligence and thoroughness. “Okay, good to know. So I guess that leaves Jonson Gates as our main suspect.”

“For now,” Rex agreed, his voice grim. “But don’t worry, Kira. We’ll find him. And when we do, we’ll make sure he pays for what he’s done.”

Kira nodded, a fierce determination burning in her gut. She knew that Rex and Nash would stop at nothing to solve this case, to bring Gerri’s saboteur to justice. And with them by her side, she felt like anything was possible.

“Good,” she said, taking a deep breath to steady herself. “I’m going to keep digging, see if I can find any leads on Gates. I’ll keep you both posted.”

“Sounds good,” Nash said, his voice warm and reassuring. “And Kira? Please be careful. I know you can take care of yourself, but...we worry about you. You’re important to us.”

Kira felt a lump rise in her throat, touched by the sincerity in his words. “I will,” she promised, her voice soft. “And thank you. For everything.”

She hung up the phone, her mind already racing with possibilities and theories.

Kira had just settled into her car after another dead-end visit to another suspect who no longer cared about Gerri Wilder or her agency. Kira’s mind still reeled from the close call and the frustrating lack of leads, when her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen, a small smile tugging at her lips when she saw Gerri’s name flashing across the display.

“Gerri, hi,” she said, putting the phone on speaker as she pulled out into traffic. “I was just about to call you.”

“Kira, darling!” Gerri’s voice was as bubbly and effervescent as ever with just a hint of mischief lurking beneath the surface. “I heard about your little adventure this morning. Are you okay?”

Kira blinked, surprised. “How did you... Never mind. I’m fine, Gerri. Just a little shaken up.”

Gerri clucked her tongue, her tone turning stern. “You need to be more careful, young lady. I can’t have my favorite private investigator getting flattened like a pancake on the job.”

Kira laughed, shaking her head. “I’ll do my best. But listen, Gerri, I need to ask you something. Do you know of anyone else who might have a grudge against you or your agency? Anyone who might want to see you fail?”

There was a pause, and then Gerri let out a throaty chuckle. “Oh, honey. When you’ve been in this business as long as I have, you’re bound to make a few enemies along the way. But most of them are harmless, just jealous rivals.”

Kira frowned, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel. “What about Jonson Gates? Does that name ring any bells?”

Gerri hummed thoughtfully, and Kira could practically see her tapping a perfectly manicured finger against her chin. “Jonson Gates...Jonson Gates...oh! Yes, I remember him. He used to work for me, years ago. But he was a real piece of work, let me tell you. Always cutting corners, trying to make a quick buck at the expense of the clients. I had to let him go, and he didn’t take it well.”

Kira sat up straighter in her seat, her heart pounding with excitement. “Do you think he could be behind the sabotage? Trying to get revenge for being fired?”

Gerri sighed, her voice turning serious for a moment. “It’s possible. He always did have a vindictive streak. I don’t think he’d be smart enough to hack my system and do all the techy stuff that’s been done. He was pretty useless with that. I think a potential client I turned down is more likely. But Kira, darling, I don’t want you putting yourself in danger trying to track him down. Let Rex and Nash handle the heavy lifting, all right?”

Kira bristled slightly, her independent streak rearing its head. “Gerri, I can take care of myself. And besides, Rex and Nash have their own jobs to do. I can’t just sit back and let them do all the work.”

Gerri clucked her tongue again, her tone turning sly. “Speaking of Rex and Nash...how are things going with you three? Any juicy developments I should know about?”

Kira felt her cheeks warm, and she was grateful Gerri couldn’t see her blushing. “Gerri! We’re supposed to be talking about the case, not my love life.”

Gerri cackled, clearly enjoying Kira’s discomfort. “Oh, please. The case will still be there in five minutes. But I want to know all the details about you and those two gorgeous wolves. Have they swept you off your feet yet? Made you howl at the moon?”

Kira groaned, burying her face in her free hand. “As I said before, I am not having this conversation with you.”

“Fine, fine,” Gerri said, her tone turning mischievous. “But mark my words, Kira Cress. You’re going to fall and you’re going to fall hard. Those two are going to pounce any minute now. And when they do...well, let’s just say you’re in for the ride of your life.”

Kira made a strangled noise, halfway between a laugh and a whimper. “Good-bye, Gerri,” she said firmly, reaching for the end call button.

“Wait, wait!” Gerri cried, her voice turning serious again. “In all seriousness, Kira...be careful. Watch your back, all right?”

Kira softened, touched by the genuine concern in Gerri’s voice. “I will,” she promised. “And thank you, Gerri. For everything.”

She hung up the phone, her mind spinning with this new information. Jonson Gates...a disgruntled ex-employee with a vindictive streak. It wasn’t much to go on, but it was more than she’d had before.

She thought back to the man who had saved her life that morning, the dark-haired stranger with the piercing blue eyes. There was something about him...something that tugged at the edges of her memory. But try as she might, she couldn’t place him.