Castle's Fortress. Rhonda Lee Carver

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      Later, in the cafe, Fall sipped her cafe-mocha while waiting for Jake and wondered what she’d expected. After all this time, Jake seemed cold, perhaps indifferent. Twenty years was a long time to show up unannounced. It wasn’t as though they’d kept in touch or taken the time to drop a line now and again. They’d severed ties as kids.

      She’d driven to New York mostly out of impulse. On the long, quiet trip, she’d almost convinced herself twice to turn around and forget the ludicrous thought of seeing Jake. Determination had kept her straight on her path and brought her to him with her mind set. She would never forgive herself if she went back home without talking to him first.

      She glanced at the polished metal clock above the door. Anticipation made her stomach roll and her palms moist. She slid her hands down her slacks, and looked up in time to see Jake step from the elevator. He crossed the lobby, tugging at his neckline with a bothered expression.

      So, this was Jake Castle all grown up.

      She watched him approach and several descriptions came to mind. Handsome. Sophisticated. Powerful. Dedicated.

      She’d seen his father once, when he’d come to pick Jake up to take him away with him to live in Chicago. Senior Castle had reminded her of a movie star. He’d climbed out of his red convertible and the mid-afternoon sun had glinted off his coal black hair. He’d looked elegant and debonair in his pinstriped suit and pricey shoes. The scent of money lingered in the air long after he and Jake had pulled out of the driveway.

      Jake resembled his father, at least what she could remember. Her distorted memories were those of a young girl who’d thought everything outside her own drab existence rated extraordinary.

      Jake stood well over six feet and had the broad shoulders of a linebacker. He moved with confidence and purpose, paying no interest to those around him. Several women turned to get a longer look at him as he passed. Fall saw the appreciation in their eyes and their flushed cheeks, and her heartbeat quickened. She wondered if that strange feeling in her chest was jealousy.

      A part of her was curious if the boy she’d had a crush on still existed somewhere underneath the expensive suit and alpha male bearing. Probably not. It saddened her to think her sweet, mischievous friend no longer remained–not even a little bit.

      As if he read her thoughts, his eyes came up and fixed on her. His attention heated her skin across the short distance. She could get lost if she stared too long.

      Reality pulled her back. Fall blinked and averted her gaze.

      “I got out of the office by the skin of my teeth.” He pulled out the metal chair across from her and sat. He dug inside his pocket for his cell and turned it off. “They can do without me for awhile.”

      At least he cared enough to give her some time beyond business. The thought brightened her mood...some. Fall slid the tip of her tongue along the curve of her bottom lip. She noticed his gaze lower to her mouth, watching her movement, and her core muscles quivered.

      No man had ever had the capability to turn her to goo with a mere look. Jake had always been different. As kids, he’d always accepted her when all the other kids made fun of her. He’d felt sorry for her and at the time, she hadn’t minded.

      “Care for another?” He nodded at her empty mug as he waved to the server, holding up two fingers until the waitress waved in acknowledgement.

      Fall took Jake’s hurried glance at his watch as her cue to get the ball rolling. Talking about why she came was harder than she’d thought. She placed her hands in her lap to hide the tremor. “It must be a shock to see me, Jake. It’s been a long time, but you and I, well, we–”

      “Here you go, Mr. Castle.”

      Fall glanced up at the pretty blonde who had innocently interrupted her chain of words as she set the coffee down. Maybe they should have met somewhere private. Fall was losing her nerve by the minute.

      “One straight black and mocha for the Miss. Can I get you anything else? We just pulled the blueberry muffins out of the oven.” The twenty-something woman made no effort to hide her attraction to Jake. Grinning from ear to ear, she showed off her pearly whites against bronzed skin, while subtly thrusting her size C’s forward. The woman certainly knew how to use her womanly attributes.

      Fall resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably in the chair, feeling like a third wheel.

      “No thanks, Angela. We’re good for now.”

      First name basis? Were they friends? Fall wished she didn’t have a pinch in her gut. Jake didn’t show any sign in his expression that he knew the waitress intimately, but Fall didn’t doubt he could pull off a good poker face when needed.

      It was none of her business, though. She pulled her thoughts back on track. At least the disruption gave her enough time to remind herself this was the world Jake lived in. He moved in circles she had no knowledge of and never would–a world so unlike her own back in Marietta. From what she’d heard through the rumor mill, Jake didn’t attach himself to just one woman. So maybe what she’d told Ms. Holbrew earlier wasn’t far from the truth. A man of his caliber probably did have women lined up.

      “You were saying?”

      Clearing her throat, she knew she just needed to spit it out. “I need your help, Jake.”

      He leaned forward in his chair. One corner of his mouth lazily fell and his eyes tapered at the corners. “My help? Do you need money? You said your sister is missing. I could hire a PI to look into the case. I have a guy that is trustworthy and capable. I could make a call.” He started to reach for his phone.

      “No, Jake.” She should have expected him to assume this had something to do with money. Capital was of no consequence to Jake, made obvious by the fancy suit and watch. A part of her cringed that he’d supposed she’d come for financial gain. “It’s not that simple.”

      Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she paced her breathing. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it would burst. “Renee has been missing for a month now. She’d been working the night shift as a bartender at Max’s. She closed up one evening and walked out to the parking lot with a friend, Jonelle, who also works there. Jo didn’t see anything unusual.” She’d repeated the words so many times over the last few weeks in search for Renee that now they fell from her lips like a part in a play. “When Renee didn’t show up for her next shift, the owner called me. Her car was in the lot, but she wasn’t around. No one has seen her since.”

      “How does this relate to me, Fall? Or Crystal?” He glanced at his watch again.

      She wondered if it was a habit to check his watch when he wished to move on. He definitely rushed her, whether he meant to or not. It unsettled her. And it angered her.

      “Renee disappeared in the middle of the night, just like Crystal. There one minute, gone the next. No witnesses. No evidence. Simply vanished.” She brought her fingers to her mouth, hoping СКАЧАТЬ