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“Anything else?” Evan asked

Rafe had always trusted and respected Evan And besides, at this point, with Gen’s safety in question, her father had a right to know As si Melinda the night before

“I take it you’ve yet to tell ently said, but an accusation nonetheless Evan kneay too ht, the day after the wedding, when the two of thears, Rafe had told the prince the truth: that he was in love with his bride, but he’d yet to tell Gen “And never ood news is that if she’s upset, it’s possible she did turn off her phone, that she decided she needs s out”

“God, I do hope so”

“We’ll wait until ,” Evan said “If she hasn’t contacted you by then, her mother and I will be on our way to Hartmore”

After ringing off with Evan, Rafe hardly knehat to do with hirab another lantern and scour the pitch-dark countryside shouting her na by then He stood at thelooking out on the darkness, watching the raindrops slide down the panes He prayed that, wherever she was, she was safe and dry, with food in her belly

There was a tap at the door

Gen? He spun around at the sound

But it was only Brooke “I need a minute Please”

He went to the desk, dropped into his chair and demanded flatly, “What?”

She shut the door and ca him with the desk between them She looked awful, hollow-eyed Troubled

He had no sympathy for her She should be troubled

“I just got a call from Melinda”

He swore An ugly word “I don’t want to hear about Melinda”

Brooke didn’t crumble She wrapped her arht “Melinda told ht I had no idea I swear it, Rafe Just now, she said you two had been together, years ago, before she left for Paris”

He stared at the paperweight in the corner of the desk It would be so satisfying to grab it and hurl it at the far wall To resist that tehs “Let ood damn about Melinda And what is the point of this, I’d like to know? Gen is ht now”