After the Storm(157)

            Sam frowned as if just remembering that the wives were on the compound alone. High security or not, he wouldn’t have liked the idea, and judging by the looks on Donovan’s brothers’ faces, they’d come to that same realization.

            “I’ll call Steele, Cole and P.J. Ask them to go out and stay with the wives inside the compound,” Sam said. “If Dolphin, Baker and Renshaw are close, they can come as well, but I know Cole and P.J. can be there in half an hour tops.”

            “Good call,” Garrett said in a grim voice. “I don’t like leaving them alone, but I don’t want them mixed up in this clusterfuck. Bad enough Mom and Dad will have to be in the middle of it all.”

            “As soon as we get them moved into the compound, we can all breathe easier,” Ethan remarked.

            The others nodded their agreement.

            “You may as well let Rusty tag along,” Nathan said in amusement. “She has a personal stake in this and she’ll find a way in whether we let her or not. She’s not going to stay put with the wives under lock and key.”

            Donovan chuckled. “Yeah, I’ll let her come too. She likes Eve and Travis. And they like her. Today is going to be stressful enough. Rusty can provide a distraction for them if nothing else.”

            Joe snorted. “As if you’ll have a choice.”

            “Let’s get moving,” Nathan said in his command voice.

            Donovan was proud of the long way Nathan had come. He’d matured faster than he should have had to. When he was still in the army, in a lot of ways he and Joe had both been cocky kids. But then Nathan had been captured and listed as MIA, while Joe had taken a bullet that had shattered his leg.

            It had been at the end of their tour, just before they were going to hang it up and go to work with their brothers at KGI. There had been times when Donovan had wondered if they’d ever get Nathan back. Truly back.

            But here he was. Him and Joe both. Assuming command of their own team, and a damn good one from the looks of things. Rio and Steele were hard acts to follow, but Nathan and Joe would soon give both team leaders a run for their money.

            “Doesn’t anyone ever answer their goddamn phones?”

            Donovan whirled around to see Sean Cameron stride into the restaurant where they’d arranged to meet Walt Breckenridge. The look on Sean’s face made Donovan’s blood run cold. His brothers came to attention, every single one of them tense and ready to explode into action.

            “We’ve got big problems,” Sean said tersely. “Did you take care of Breckenridge? Is he out of the picture?”

            “No,” Donovan said carefully, dread hitting him squarely in the gut. “Not at all. What’s the problem?”

            “Eve’s the problem,” Sean bit out. “She pulled a gun on Rusty when Rusty got to your house. She forced her to drive her from the compound to the hardware store, where she made Rusty empty the safe and cash register. She then tied Rusty up and left her behind the counter and took off in Rusty’s Jeep. Oh, and she left Travis and Cammie at your place.”





CHAPTER 36




TRAVIS read the letter Eve had left on the dresser in utter disbelief. His hands shook violently and he thanked God Cammie was still asleep. What were they going to do? Eve had left them. He didn’t believe for a minute that she’d callously deserted them. Nor did he believe the lies she’d written, that they were better off with Donovan and that she didn’t want him to worry about her.

            It was a good-bye. The finality—and sadness—to the words on the note instilled aching grief in his heart. He was afraid for her. What if his father found her? What if he’d already found her? The thought sent a chill bone-deep through his body.