Chapter Thirty-Six

"Noah was right." Evan palmed Marlie's breasts as she rode him slowly, so teasingly, he knew he'd never get enough of being inside her. "We did need to get a room."

She giggled. "You're probably right," she whispered in a low, husky voice that made him even harder, something he hadn't thought physically possible. She leaned over and dropped hot kisses on his neck. He released her beautiful breasts, sliding his hands to her backside and guiding her up and down faster.

In less than twenty-four hours after professing his love in the most unromantic of places—a public parking lot—she and Noah had moved in with him and Blue. Along with officially adopting Crystal on the way home, he'd skillfully convinced Marlie's landlord to let her out of the house lease.

While they were busy "getting a room," Blue and Crystal were snuggling in the living room on a brand-new jumbo-size doggie bed.

Marlie closed her eyes and moaned. The moment she'd crossed his threshold, he vowed never to let her leave again, except maybe to go to work. All was finally right with his world.

Pressure built at the base of his cock. He wouldn't— couldn't —last much longer. He slipped his hand between their joined bodies and found that special, sensitive bud with his thumb and started rubbing, slowly at first, then increasing the pressure.

She moaned again, the sexiest music to his ears. To keep from coming, he gritted his teeth. "Scream if you want to, baby." He certainly planned to.

An hour ago, they'd dropped Noah at Caleb's new foster family's house to play some ball. Aside from the dogs, they were completely alone, something that wouldn't happen too often anymore, so he wanted to make the most of it with a little afternoon delight.

Marlie gasped, throwing her head back and gripping his forearms. "Evan!" Her body tightened around him, squeezing until he couldn't hold on any longer.

The pressure at the base of his dick shot to his balls, and he shouted her name, coming hard.

Marlie lowered her body until they were chest-to-chest. He nuzzled her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. This was the way it should be, buried deep inside the woman he loved. Unable to stop himself, he chuckled.

She pulled away, narrowing her eyes. "What are you laughing about?"

"How happy I am," he answered honestly. In fact, last night, after getting Marlie and Noah settled in, he'd been so happy he'd called Deck and Brett to give them the news. They'd laughed their asses off, chiding him that he was the last of them to get hooked up but was surpassing them by a mile with an instant family. "Are you happy?"

"Yes." The smile she gave him made his chest fill with enough warmth to heat the house for the entire winter. "Didn't I just scream out my happiness?"

"Funny. So did I. We should scream more often. Every day, maybe."

She punched his shoulder. "Not likely with Noah running around. Did you notice his voice is starting to change? Soon you're going to have to have ‘that chat' with him."

"What chat?" This time, the look she gave him was clearly a duh look, as she pointed to where their bodies were still intimately joined. "Oh. That chat."

She rolled her eyes. "For such a highly trained investigator, I shouldn't have to spell it out for you."

"Maybe I'll just tell him to wait until he's eighteen. Or better yet, until he's about to get married."

She parked her hands on her hips. "Did you wait until you were eighteen to have sex?"

Actually, he'd been sixteen, but she didn't need to know that. "Uh, nope."

"Didn't think so, and good luck telling him to wait until he's married."

To her point, that brought up another question. One he couldn't wait to ask, yet was scared shitless it was way too soon and she'd turn him down. Then again…

Gently, he lifted her off him so he could lean over to the bedside table and open the drawer. As he turned back, he hid the small red velvet box from her view—the one he'd picked up last night when he'd gone out for much-needed groceries.

In his head and in his heart, he knew it was the right time. There might never be a better one. "We both learned the hard way how short life can be. I know we haven't known each other that long, but I don't want to waste another minute of my life without you." He held out the box, flipping open the lid. "Will you marry me?"

She gasped, then covered her mouth with her hands. There was no disguising the shock as she stared at him. Saying nothing.

Ah, hell . He'd been wrong. It was too soon. Stupid schmuck that he was. They'd only just moved in together. He should have waited. He should have—

"Yes," she said from behind her hands, then clasped his face and kissed him so thoroughly, he not only didn't doubt her answer, but his cock started doing the happy dance all over again. " Yes! I'll marry you."

He'd thought his heart couldn't swell with any more happiness. He'd been wrong. He plucked the ring from the box and slid it on her left ring finger. "I can think of another way to seal the deal, Mrs. Soon-to-be-McGarry."

He pushed her back to the bed, intending to make the most of what remained of their time alone. He'd been about to press his lips to hers and slide back into her warm, wet body, when his cell phone blared from the side table.

"Hold that thought." He snatched up the phone, intending to silence it, but stopped. MC3 . The FBI's Major Case Contact Center. He took the call. "McGarry." He listened to the dispatcher, hearing the words but not quite believing what she was saying. When she was done, he could barely draw a breath. "Text me the address."

Before he'd even ended the call, the text came in. He stared at the screen, still disbelieving.

"Evan?" Marlie touched his arm. "You're scaring me."

Still, he couldn't answer, couldn't speak.

She shook him gently. "Is it Noah? Did something happen?"

Finally, the worry in her tone got through to him. "It's not about Noah."

"Then what is it? Your face is as white as a sheet."

"That was the FBI hotline. A woman just called, said she'd seen the news story on TV about the camp. She said she was one of the girls in the photos."

"Which one?"

His throat was so constricted, his voice came out choked. "Gracie."

After driving for nearly four hours, Evan parked at the curb in front of a small white ranch house in Grand Junction, the same address the MC3 dispatcher had given him. He shut off the engine but couldn't move. All he could do was stare at the house, with its small garden and brick walkway. The driveway was empty, which made sense, given Lisa Johnson had no driver's license.

Yesterday, after getting over the shock, he'd gone into the office and run the background check himself. Not only did Lisa Johnson not have a DL, which was unusual, but the woman barely existed on paper or anywhere else.

Without a DL, there was no photo of her in the system, nor was there one available anywhere online. In fact, there was nothing about her online. In this day and age that was a sign of someone who didn't want to be found. So why had she called in at all?

"Are you sure you don't want to call her first?" Marlie asked.

He'd wanted her with him. She was his rock, his base of sanity to which he could cling if things went to shit.

"I'm sure." He needed to see for himself.

Before heading to Grand Junction, they'd dropped Noah and Crystal at his parents' house for the day. They'd already told Noah, and his folks had been thrilled about his engagement. While Marlie kept them busy chatting about wedding plans, he'd secretly gone upstairs and into an old trunk filled with Gracie's clothes. Given that it had been locked up tightly for years, he prayed the hoodie now sitting on the center console still had lingering scent particles for Blue to pick up on.

He twisted the hoodie in his fist, a spurt of resentment rolling through him. If this woman was really Grace, why hadn't she contacted her own family before now? How could she have done this to them, and why?

"Evan, don't." Marlie covered his fisted hand with hers. Her touch alone was a soothing balm to emotions he barely had a grip on. "If it is her, give her a chance to explain. Whatever happened to her, there's no doubting she's been through a lot."

"I know." He unclenched his fist. The children they'd rescued from the camp bore witness to the kind of brainwashing Elsa and Neil could do.

Behind him, Blue stuck his head between the headrests and nuzzled Evan's cheek. He scratched his dog's neck, drawing strength and support from him, too. "Let's do this."

Outside, he leashed Blue up, then gave him the hoodie to sniff. "Find her."

His heart galloped as Blue pulled him up the brick walkway directly to the front door of the house. His dog sniffed the crack between the door and the doorjamb, much as he'd done when he'd discovered Noah locked in Manello's basement. Blue sat, the telltale sign he'd hit on the scent Evan had given him.

Dear God. Was his sister really on the other side of that door?

He raised his hand to push the doorbell but yanked it back. Maybe he should have called first. Maybe—

"No matter what happens," Marlie said, "you've got this." The same words he'd used on her after Deck had announced Tori was pregnant.

"Yeah." No matter what happens . He pushed the doorbell, and a gong sounded. Out of tactical habit, he peered to each side of the door, checking the windows. Sure enough, a curtain moved. Seconds later, he heard a deadbolt being thrown open. As the door cracked open, he held his breath.

The woman was tall, maybe five-nine, with long, wavy dark brown hair and clear gray eyes. Eyes so like his own. "Can I help you?"

The aging software he'd used to produce a photo of what his sister would look like today was spot-on. When he didn't answer, she took a step back, about to slam the door in their faces.

"Evan." Marlie nudged him. "Say something."

Right . She had no idea who they were, and his being tongue-tied, staring creepily wasn't helping. He held up his creds. "I'm with the FBI," he managed. "You called us to say—"

The woman's eyes flew open, and she gasped. "Evan?"

"Yeah, Gracie," he croaked, still not believing it was really, actually, and finally her standing before him. "It's me."

The door opened fully, and she flung herself into his arms so hard he stumbled backward. Blue snorted, jumping out of the way.

Unable to utter another coherent sentence, he clung to his sister, wrapping his arms tightly around her shoulders.

Just when he'd made the decision to stop searching for her, stop looking for her in every news report about a missing girl or woman's body being found, and stop praying that one day she would simply walk through his parents' door and say the words she always used just to piss off their father— like it or not, I'm home .

Yet, here she was. For real.

He squeezed his eyes shut, returning Gracie's embrace while she cried in his arms. There were so many questions to be asked and answered. For now, they could wait.

Over the top of her head, he glimpsed the tears streaming down Marlie's face. Having picked up on the excited vibe, Blue cavorted around their legs. Marlie's face blurred, and he had to blink faster to keep her in focus. Eventually, he gave in and let the tears go.

Recounting factual things was an absolute must in his job, right down to the very last detail, because details mattered. But if anyone had asked, he honestly couldn't say how long they stood that way.

Finally, Gracie pulled away, smiling through her tears. She sniffled, wiping the wetness from her cheeks, then took his hands in hers. "Come in. I have so much to tell you."