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“Remy?”

Remington Aldrich glared at the phone. He should’ve known better than to answer it. “Jordan McClurgh. I never thought I’d hear your voice again.”

“It’s been a long time, Remy.”

Fifteen years to be exact. Since the day Jordan had promised the one woman Remy loved to another man. “Not long enough.”

“I respected your decision to leave the family, Remy. I wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t important. I need you to come home.”

“Not bloody likely.”

“It’s Angela.”

Just hearing her name tore fresh pain through him. He could still see the sunlight dancing in her strawberry blond hair. The way her aqua eyes sparkled with merriment. He could still smell her in the air around him. There wasn’t a night in all of the past fifteen years he didn’t dream about her. “What about her.” Why did he even care? When Jordan had declared Angela and Rich Johnson were to be joined, did she fight it? When Remy had come to her by the moonlight and pleaded with her to run away with him, did she agree to go? No. She’d let him go without a word.

“She’s missing.”

Remy froze solid. “What do you mean missing?”

“I mean she’s disappeared. I’m afraid something’s happened to her.”

“Maybe she ran away from her husband,” he chuckled bitterly. “What’s Johnson doing?” He couldn’t help but sneer the name of the man who spent the last fifteen years loving Angela.

“It has been a long time. Johnson’s been dead for close to ten years. There was a hunting accident and he was killed.”

Angela had been alone for ten years? “Yeah, well, the family can deal with it.”

“It’s not that easy. There’s been some trouble.”

“What sort of trouble?” Why was he even asking? It didn’t concern him any longer. He wasn’t a member of the family anymore. He was a loner and he liked it that way.

“About six weeks ago a group showed up on the other side of the mountain. We thought they were just visiting. Over the years we’ve had a lot of campers, hikers, hunters and the sort wandering around. These people are different.”

“You’re the great leader, Jordan. You can make them go away.”

“Not this time. There are too many for an accident to tragically befall them.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Remy resumed his pacing.

“Come home and help us find Angela.”

He shouldn’t. It wasn’t home any longer. He was an outcast—by choice sure, but still an outcast. “I’ll be there tomorrow,” came out before he could stop it.

“Great. Thanks, Remy.”

“Whatever.” He shut off the phone and dropped it back into the charger. He padded into his bedroom, grabbed a couple of changes of clothes and tossed them into a leather duffle. If he left by six he’d be back in Ozarks by noon tomorrow. He dropped on the king-sized mattress and lay back. Lacing his fingers, he placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

Her heart was racing, her eyes wide with panic, fear practically squeezing the life from her body. She huddled in the back of a cage, sweat beading her brow. The smell of terror filled the room. She began to pace while testing the air searching for them. What was going to happen to her now? She’d been poked, prodded and violated by examination. A cry built in her chest and she threw back her head to release it.

“Angela!” Remy sat up on the bed, his body sheened with perspiration. So much for leaving at six. He had to leave right now. She needed him.