“That isn’t what happened,” Kellan insisted, trying to gather his patience. “And if she was crying and heartbroken over us, why would she be with another man?”
“Well, of course he was going to console her,” Kinley shot back.
Kell was amazed Dominic didn’t take his wife over his knee now. But since he didn’t seem inclined to, it was time to point certain truths out to Kinley and watch her carefully. Every witness had tells. As cool as Kinley was behaving, she would still react to his questions. “You allowed her to drive off without her phone. What if her flight gets canceled?”
Nothing. Not a drop of emotion crossed those pretty features. “She’ll be fine. She has my car.”
“I’ll go to the airport right now and find her,” Tate offered.
“Sit down, Tate.” Eric understood that Tate sometimes needed a handler. Or maybe a leash…
So, based on Kinley’s reply, Kell guessed that Belle hadn’t gone to the airport. He changed tactics. “Do you know how dangerous the highway could be in the middle of the night? If she’s driving any distance, she could break down. Without a phone, she’d have no way to contact you or roadside assistance.”
A flicker of worry crossed Kinley’s delicate face, underscored by the way she shifted in her seat before she shook her head. “The car is in perfect condition.”
“But tires go flat, don’t they? Belle doesn’t know how to change one.”
“She doesn’t,” Tate put in with a nod. “She called me a few months ago when her beater got a flat.”
“It’s a new car, so the tires are new, too,” Kinley defended.
“That doesn’t help if she accidentally runs over glass or nails. She could be all alone, stranded on a highway right now, and you’d never know.”
Kinley fidgeted, looking to a corner of the room, not meeting anyone’s gaze.
“And there are a lot of drunks on the road at three in the morning. What if something happened to her? How long would it take for us to know?”
Kinley bit her lip, then sighed. “She’s fine, okay. She’s already where she needs to be, so you can stop worrying. We bought her another phone and I’ve already talked to her. Don’t expect me to give you the number. She doesn’t want to talk to you. And she wasn’t alone because she had Sir.”
Kellan had his doubts about Sir. “Tell me about this guy. Where did she meet him?”
“I introduced them. All he wants is her happiness. When he kissed her and she put her arms around him, I left them alone. I knew they’d be fine together.” Her eyes slid off and to the right again.
Maybe Kinley wasn’t coughing up the whole truth, he decided, but she wasn’t totally lying, either. Had she packed a blow-up doll in Belle’s bags as a joke? Or maybe they’d taken to naming their vibrators, but then why say they were kissing and hugging? Kell wasn’t sure about that, but he doubted highly that Belle had run off with some guy she’d just met. She hadn’t saved herself all these years only to give her innocence to the first prick Kinley introduced her to.
Unless she was so hurt and angry that she decided to do away with her hymen to spite them. That didn’t sound like the Belle he knew. But he also hadn’t imagined she would skip this morning’s meeting without a word. She was definitely hurt and making decisions that could affect all their futures.
All the more reason to find her.
But Kinley hadn’t cracked so far.
Tate leaned closer to Kinley, his whole face pleading. “Please just tell us where she is. I can’t stand that she’s out there hurting and thinking we don’t care.”
Kinley’s face softened from rage to regret. “Belle asked me not to. I’m sorry, but I won’t betray her confidence. And Dom Dom here can spank me all day long.” She hooked out a thumb in Dominic’s direction. “I’m not talking.”
Dominic stood and held a hand out to his wife. “I’ll add that to the list, too. After this child is born, you should know there’s one hell of a hurricane waiting to hit your backside, love.”
She put her hand in her husband’s. “I accept that. I’ll do anything to protect Belle.”
With a sigh, Dominic tucked Kinley against him and turned to Kellan. “I’m afraid she’s done. She and Belle are like sisters. I can’t say I don’t understand. I wouldn’t break a brother’s trust myself. The truth is, Belle isn’t your submissive since she hasn’t accepted your collar.” He shrugged. “If there’s anything I or the company can do to help you, I’ll arrange that, but I won’t expect Kinley to divide her loyalties anymore.”
“We’ll hire you.” Eric stood, looking incredibly resolved.
Kellan shook his head at his friend. They had a resource they hadn’t yet used because he’d hoped said resource was no longer behaving like a damn stalker. “Hold up on that request. I think we should talk to Tate first. He knows about Belle in a way we don’t.”
Tate flushed.
Bingo. Even a lawyer had tells.