Hide & Seek - Nicole Edwards Page 0,41

what one would expect to see in an office building. A high-end office, maybe, but an office, nonetheless. The walls were a softly muted gray tone, the tile on the floors white with gray veins running through them, a few random paintings decorating the walls, upgraded light fixtures above. No halogen or ceiling tiles in this place, no, sir.

There were white wood doors everywhere, most of them closed, a few open with people working inside. No one he recognized but why would he?

The woman stopped, motioned for him to go through one of those open doors.

Brantley held back the I’m impressed whistle when he stepped into the masculine space that was Travis Walker’s office. It reminded him of the conversation areas in the main part of the hotel with the sleek, modern elements. If someone would’ve asked him who this office belonged to, Travis would’ve been the last name on his list.

“You made it,” Travis said, looking up from his computer. “Shut the door, would you?”

There was an edge to Travis’s voice, one he’d gotten used to hearing in the voicemails he’d been leaving as of late. As though with every passing day, Travis’s rubber band was stretching, growing tauter and thinner by the second.

He closed the door, then stepped deeper into the space, watching Travis closely.

“I thought Gage worked with you,” he said simply to make conversation.

“He does.” Travis waved a hand. “Off doin’ somethin’ else. Have a seat.”

With the only other option standing, Brantley took a load off, planting himself in the comfortable leather bucket chair across from Travis, waiting for his cousin to finish typing. A few minutes passed and then Travis closed his laptop, took a deep breath, and became the cool, calm man Brantley knew him to be.

“I suppose you didn’t bring me in to give me shit about takin’ the jet.”

“Not at all. I’m glad to know the boy wasn’t lost,” Travis said, referring to the kid in Houston.

“Not lost. Ran away, more like. And I’ll say I can’t blame him. Parents were somethin’ else.”

“I heard Reese adopted a dog. Tesha, I believe?”

Being that Kennedy was Travis’s sister-in-law and their entire branch of the Walker tree had dinner every Sunday, it made sense he’d been brought up to speed. That or Travis had every residence and business in Coyote Ridge bugged so he could keep up to speed on what was going on. To be honest, he wouldn’t put it past the guy.

“He did.”

“How’s that workin’ for you?”

Brantley considered it, remembered how the dog had basically taken over their bed since the day she came home.

“I like her,” he admitted. Truth was, he was getting used to having her around.

Before Travis could make another inquiry, Brantley got right to the point. “Why am I here, Travis?”

Once again, that cool facade slipped. “I … I need to apologize.”

“For?”

“My behavior last time I saw you.”

Brantley knew he was referring to the threat to lure JJ away from the task force.

“I can’t begin to imagine the stress you’re under, Travis. I don’t have kids, so I can’t put myself in your shoes. But I can imagine, so I get it.” He held Travis’s gaze. “But one thing you should know about me: I don’t take kindly to threats. Not ever.”

He could see the steel in Travis’s eyes, knew the man wanted to argue, to establish his dominance in this realm. Problem was, Brantley wasn’t one to be pushed around. He’d worked too hard to get to where he was in life, and it damn sure hadn’t been by backing down.

Travis nodded curtly. “Understood.” Those steel-blue eyes notorious to the Walker family implored him. “I know I’m obsessed with findin’ her, but I’ve got my reasons.”

Brantley figured he knew some of them, but he suspected Travis needed to get some of this off his chest. As it was, he looked as though he’d been bottling it up for a decade.

“Such as?”

“Well, for starters, I won’t feel that any of my children, or even my wife, are safe as long as that bitch is out there.”

And they wouldn’t be. It was obvious Juliet Prince had a few screws loose and she’d set her sights on Travis as being the one who tore apart her world. It had been in this very hotel when her husband had found the woman he decided to trade her in for. In the process, the husband had fought for full custody of their daughter and won, leaving Juliet flailing after losing everything she had,