Stone Cold Obsidian - Lisa Oliver Page 0,1

ten months or even more, I can’t remember exactly. There was talk that there were issues with Austin inheriting or some such shit, and I know he’d called off his marriage to some daughter of a politician he’d been friendly with. But that was just office gossip. Austin definitely never said anything to anyone about anything at the time.”

“He was probably dealing with lawyers and shit at the time. You can’t blame a guy for disappearing for a bit when a parent dies.” Dian’s chair creaked as he leaned back.

“And that’s why the brass didn’t question him about it then. I mean, he’s been in his job forever, he gets results. But with this new disappearance…”

“How long has he been missing this time?”

“Admittedly, it’s only been a week, but what’s got the brass worried is that his phones, his badge, company credit card and keys have all been left in his office. His company car is still in its parking spot in the basement garage. A couple of our guards went around to his home, but there’s no sign of life there either. The guards reported there were indications Austin was sharing his house with someone, but no one knows who, and there’s definitely no one living in the house now.”

“Sounds like he’s found someone special in his life and didn’t want to go through the hassle of giving notice.”

Eagle chuckled. “I did mention that to Burton, but he made a good point. One, this is Austin we’re talking about.”

Burton was Dian’s and Eagle’s supervisor and while Dian thought Burton made a good point, he didn’t fully agree. There had to be a good reason for someone like Austin to disappear. “Hey, Austin might not be my type, and he’s got a face only a mother could love, but he’s got as much right to take a mate as any of us.” He’s only been gone a week.

“Again, highly plausible, but this is Austin we’re talking about. Austin, who’d sell his grandmother if it made him a profit. Austin, whose only other concerns are his social position, his insistence on his teams following their orders regardless of how stupid they were, and ensuring the higher ups left him alone to do whatever he did. Plus which, why would he leave without so much as a by your leave, when there was talk he could be up for a governor nomination within the next three months? You don’t kiss that much ass and then just walk away.”

“Unless someone shit on you.” Dian’s eyes narrowed. He understood how Eagle’s mind worked – they’d been partners for over ten years and many people thought their partnership extended beyond working hours. It didn’t. They’d never gone that route with each other. The tall, slender man who shifted into a giant version of his namesake was too pretty for Dian, with his long blond and brown hair, brilliant blue eyes and tight body. He was also a player, and while Dian accepted his partner’s form of stress relief, he wasn’t one for fucking everyone who winked in his direction. “You’re thinking what? He was bribed to leave? Someone’s got something dirty on him and blackmailing him? He’s been taken?”

“I don’t know.” Eagle was also bluntly honest which was why their partnership worked. “But, as you can imagine, the boffins behind the computers have been doing their thing and there’s an unexpected lead that’s come up, related to the last time Austin disappeared. Camden Stone.”

“Bullshit, he’s not a lead.” Dian sat forward and leaned his elbows on the desk. “Camden’s been gone from here damn near twelve years. After the shit that went down with his last assignment, he swore blind he would never, ever have anything to do with Austin again. He blamed Austin; seriously thought about taking him out, but he preferred to get restitution for his dead team instead. There’s no way in hell that Camden would have anything to do with Austin.”

“That rhino never lets go of anyone, you know that.” Eagle shook his head. “His phone records back that up. Calls to Camden, roughly once or twice a year, probably trying to get our unfriendly honey badger to do more work for him.”

“Griffin was having the same problem.” Griffin was Dian’s younger brother and had worked for Austin for eight years before finding his mate and hanging up his gun. “Mind you, he hasn’t mentioned hearing from him for a while.”

“Yeah, well, Camden would’ve refused Austin too. We all know that.