Free The Stranger by Anna del Mar

going to convince me that my family was a danger to me. No freaking way.
    “I can guarantee that this is not about me,” I said. “For sure. You’ve got to believe me.”
    “Maybe it was a crime of opportunity,” Jeremy said.
    “Stealing a purse in the street is a crime of opportunity,” Seth said. “Puncturing someone’s brake lines? That’s premeditated murder.” He considered me closely. “It took you what? Three hours to drive up here from Anchorage? So, the lines were cut after you left the rental lot. Otherwise, you would’ve lost your brakes sooner. When was the last time you stopped and lost sight of the car?”
    I had to think about that. “I used the restroom at a rest stop before I turned off the interstate.”
    “Then that’s where it happened,” Seth said. “That’s where the investigation begins.”
    “Wait,” I said. “What investigation?”
    “The police are investigating,” Seth said, “and I’ve asked our security people to take a look as well.”
    “You have security people?” God almighty. “Of course you would. No, hey, no.” I lifted a hand in the air. “Don’t even try to explain. Your family’s mega business, right? Never mind. This is all ridiculous. Sorry, guys, but this has to be some sort of a mix-up. Maybe someone confused my car for someone else’s?”
    “It’s a possibility,” Jeremy said. “Gangs? Mistaken identity? Drug trafficker spat?”
    “Like it or not, the police want to talk to you,” Seth said.
    “Fine, I’ll talk to the police,” I said. “But I’m telling you right now that this is much to-do about nothing. Right now, I’m going to go find my sister, before my stepmother goes nuclear. I have twenty-nine missed calls and seventy-two texts from her just in the last hour.”
    “Jesus,” Jeremy said. “Seth did say your family was a little off.”
    I shot Seth a cutting glance. “Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black.”
    Jeremy laughed. “Feisty.”
    Seth rolled his eyes. “No kidding.”
    “Hey,” I said. “I’m sitting right here.”
    “You call it like you see it, every time,” Seth said. “Annoying, maybe, but nothing too terribly wrong with that. Don’t look at me like that. I just gave you a compliment.”
    “Has anyone told you that you suck at giving compliments?”
    Jeremy grinned. “That’s so true.”
    “Who the hell made you judge and executioner?” Seth took a deep breath and aimed his yellow glower in my direction. “Where’s this sister of yours, anyway?”
    I flipped my hair and stuck out my chin. “What is it to you?”
    His ears flushed so red I feared the top of his head might blow up. “Just tell me, please?”
    “Maybe we can help,” Jeremy suggested.
    Well, I supposed that at this stage in the game, a little help couldn’t hurt.
    “Let’s see.” I scrolled through my messages and found the information I’d copied from Tammy’s computer. “I went to the police first, but they said that Tammy didn’t meet their criteria as a missing person. So, I went to this guy’s address in Anchorage next, but the neighbors told me he was at his family’s cabin somewhere up here. His name is...Nikolai Golov.”
    “Golov?” Seth’s eyebrows knotted over his nose. “We know the Golovs quite well.”
    “Really?” Awesome news.
    “I went to school with Nikolai,” Jeremy said. “He’s worked for us out on the Dalton. He’s a jack-of-all-trades, decent sort of fellow. Didn’t make him for an internet stalker.”
    “Do you know where his family lives?”
    “The roads are a mess,” Jeremy said, “but I’ll be happy to drive you out there.”
    “No need,” Seth cut in. “I’ll take her.”
    Jeremy’s eyes widened in surprise. “Are you sure?”
    “Sure as shit,” Seth said. “Don’t you have some construction projects to manage or something?”
    “Don’t you have to negotiate a contract with the governor and a board meeting coming up?” Jeremy countered. “I thought you