Bronson’s skepticism. But then, everything irritated me right now.
“It wasn’t like that. She’d have at least said goodbye. She was scared. I could tell. Always looking over her shoulder and never wanting to be seen in public. She wore dark sunglasses or a hat all the time. When we did go out, we had to sit in the darkest corner of the bar or restaurant, and she was always on edge. Like a deer constantly on the lookout for a pack of wolves.”
“Like I said, jealous husband,” Bronson insisted smugly, crossing his arms over his ample chest. “Why do you want to find someone you know so little about? Especially when that person doesn’t appear to want to be found.”
I debated on how much to say, realizing the truth made me sound like a flake. But what the fuck did I care what they thought? Their opinion of me didn’t matter, nor would it affect the job they did. My only choice was to lay my cards on the table and spill my guts.
“She’s…she’s the love of my life.” There, I said it. I spat it out and defied my own denials that I was only infatuated with her. “I’m driving myself insane. I can’t stop thinking about her. I need to find her, make sure she’s okay, and talk to her, even if it’s only one last time.”
They both stared at me to the point their silence made me squirm.
Bronson’s phone rang, and he glanced at the display. “I have to take this. Drew, you’re lead on Kaden’s case. I’m here if you need me.” On that note, he exited the office and walked out of earshot.
Drew watched him go and turned back to me. “Sorry, he’s not known for his tact, but he’s a brilliant investigator. I hope he didn’t put you off too much.”
I shrugged. “Nah, that’s fine. No offense taken.” Okay, maybe some offense, but I was a big boy. I could take it.
“What’s your situation with the team, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Drew’s change of subject caught me off guard. “I…I don’t know. My agent and I are meeting with them later this afternoon. I’m going to beg if I have to. Without hockey, I have nothing. Unlike you, I never prepared myself for a career outside of hockey. I guess that’s shortsighted considering the average professional hockey career lasts five years.” I wasn’t sure why I was baring my soul to Drew when he was close to a stranger.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Most guys have no idea what their post-hockey lives look like.” His expression was sympathetic, so I lumbered on, needing someone to talk to who wasn’t currently part of my team and still pissed at me.
“I’m only twenty-three, and my future’s already in limbo. After my suspension, I ran away to a remote cabin in the woods like a fucking coward, unable to face my teammates as they struggled in the playoffs down three key players. Then they lose in the first round, and I bear the brunt of the blame.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed. We all screw up. It’s how you handle the aftermath that’s crucial.”
“Yeah, I’m taking responsibility and promising to keep my nose clean.”
“Good luck. Sockeyes management will treat you fairly, especially if they see how much you regret your mistakes.” Drew glanced back down at his tablet, appearing to read through his notes. “Do you have a picture of Lanie?”
“Yeah, just one. She hated having her picture taken, but I did sneak one out-of-focus selfie of her and me. She made me promise to delete it, which I did, but later I retrieved it from the deleted folder.” I opened my phone and showed him my wallpaper. “This is her.”
Drew studied it. He glanced up, and his gaze softened. He managed a smile. “She’s beautiful. And her expression is kind.”
“She’s kind and beautiful and classy. She’s funny, too, and entertaining.” I stopped myself before I gushed even more about this woman.
“The image is blurry and dark. That might make it hard to find her.”
“It’s all I have.” I spread my hands out in front of me, palms up, and sighed deeply. I was giving Drew a nearly impossible task with very little to go on.
“Can you send me the image?”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.”
“I have to ask you this. What if Lanie doesn’t want to be found? By you or anyone else? Have you considered that?”
I mulled over his words and sighed, meeting his gaze with