Alibi (Brantley Walker Off the Books #5) - Nicole Edwards Page 0,55

ask Travis if he had a minute, but Brantley didn’t care whether he did or not. As far as he was concerned, Travis was going to make time to talk, because this particular topic couldn’t be put off.

Instantly he felt shitty for not giving Travis advance notice of his arrival. The pure hope that radiated from the man made his stomach hurt.

“No news yet,” he prefaced. “I just came to talk about somethin’ I heard this mornin’.”

Travis’s face fell as he leaned back in his chair and regarded Brantley with what looked a lot like disappointment.

When his cousin didn’t suggest he sit, Brantley did so anyway.

“Rumor has it you’re talkin’ to Max Adorite.”

Travis’s expression remained passive. “Max and I are friends. Why?”

Brantley chose his words carefully. “You and I both know what Max does for a livin’.”

There was no comment.

“And I figure it’s safe to assume one of his specialties might come in handy at a time like this.”

Still nothing.

“Travis…” Brantley exhaled. “I’ll be straight with you. I know you’d like to see that bitch in the ground—”

“That’s where she belongs,” Travis snapped, leaning forward and slamming his palms on the desk.

“I don’t disagree with you.” He kept his eyes locked with Travis’s. “Keep in mind, there are a lot of eyes on this right now. Not only local law enforcement but also the feds. Not to mention the media.”

“What do you want from me, Brantley?” Travis’s eyes narrowed. “It’s been forty-two days since my wife was murdered. Forty-two days that you and your team have been searchin’ for the woman responsible. That’s forty-two days longer than I care for.”

Brantley knew there was nothing he could say to that. It was true. They’d been working day and night—for far longer than forty-two days—utilizing all the tools they had to find the woman. As much as he would’ve preferred Juliet Prince be an idiot, she was proving to have some skills. At the very least, a very strong survival instinct.

“It’s time we finish this,” Travis continued. “Once and for all.”

It was obvious Travis wasn’t referring to having the woman arrested and spending God only knows how long waiting for her to be found guilty by a jury of her peers. And because it was hanging in the tension-filled air, Brantley decided to broach it as straightforward as he knew how.

“I get it,” he said softly. “I really do. No, I haven’t lost a spouse, but I have lost people I was close to. The rage, once it kicks in, it burns hot. And trust me when I tell you, I’d be thinkin’ the same thing if I lost Reese.”

Travis’s eyes narrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly. As though he’d been gearing up to argue but changed his mind.

“I haven’t been with him for seven years or even seven months, but I love him. Hell, I’d give my life for his. So we’re on the same page there. What we’re not on the same page with is how you go about this.”

To his surprise, Travis didn’t speak.

“You mentioned needin’ an alibi before. You and I both know you weren’t blowin’ smoke up my ass. What I need is for you to remember you have a husband and five kids at home, Travis. Five. They’re already sufferin’ enough. Don’t make it worse.”

“Then I suggest you find her.”

“I intend to,” he bit out, getting to his feet. “And when I do, you’ll be able to tell your children she got what she deserved. Just stay out of it. Take care of the ones who need you most right now. Let us deal with this.”

Brantley didn’t wait for a retort, knowing he wouldn’t like whatever Travis had to say. He’d said his piece.

Now it was time he did something to prove to Travis he could be trusted to take care of shit.

*

After Brantley left, Travis could hear conversations taking place in the hall outside his office. He wasn’t sure if it was his cousin chatting with others or if it was merely business taking place. It didn’t matter to him either way, so he didn’t bother to get up to see if they needed his help. Rather, he remained in his chair, staring out the window overlooking the outdoor space still glittering with ice as he tried to figure out what he’d ever found appealing about this place.

Alluring Indulgence Resort had been his baby. He could still remember back in the planning phase, before the enormous structure ever got off the ground. He remembered conversations with the