After pulling into a parking spot that was two down from the other SUVs, Kendra killed the engine and opened the back hatch. “Let’s head inside.”
With Smoky trotting at her heels, Kendra strode toward the door. Dom fell in a step behind her, casting a glance around the area to make sure the GMC Sierra truck wasn’t nearby.
The warmth of the restaurant surrounded them, along with the welcoming scent of freshly brewed coffee. Kendra wove through the restaurant to a large round table set for five. Three people were already there, although they all stood as he and Kendra approached.
One guy had Kendra’s dark hair. He stood beside a petite woman who Dom assumed was his wife, Raine. The other guy had blond hair, not unlike his own.
“Hey.” Kendra’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “This is Dominic Lakeland. Dom, this is my brother Justin, his wife, Raine, and my brother-in-law Griff.”
“Nice to meet you.” Dom offered his hand. All three shook it, then dropped back into their seats. Smoky crawled beneath the table to join a beautiful yellow lab. If Dom hadn’t noticed the thumping tail, he’d never have known there was a dog lying under there.
“I’m not sure it’s really nice to meet you,” Justin drawled. “Seems to me you dragged our baby sister into the line of fire.”
“Knock it off, Justin. This isn’t Dom’s fault.” Kendra narrowed her eyes. “We were working on trying to figure out what happened to our parents when the gunman found him. He’s an innocent victim too.”
“Kendra is right.” Raine’s mouth curved into a rueful smile. “Dominic didn’t ask to be placed in WITSEC. That was his father’s doing.”
Dom didn’t blame Justin for feeling protective of his sister. He held Justin’s gaze. “I tried to convince Kendra to head back to the ranch. Unfortunately, it’s too late now. Levy will likely try to eliminate her, too, the way he has gotten rid of the hospice nurse, Helen Gingrass.”
“We don’t know for sure Levy is responsible,” Raine protested.
“Who else has the resources to track our disposable phones?” Dom stopped speaking as their server approached.
“Coffee?” She held up the pot. When he nodded, she poured some for him and Kendra. “Are you ready to place your order?”
“I’ll stick with coffee,” Dom said. He glanced at the others. “You should eat, though.”
“We will.” Justin rattled off his order. Raine and Griff followed suit. Kendra shook her head.
“Coffee is fine for me.” She managed a smile. “Thanks.”
When they were alone again, Dom leaned forward. “I’m good with technology. I was able to hide our ISP address so we could use our laptop. Yet somehow, we kept getting found.”
Griff nodded. “I can see why you suspect Levy. It’s possible he’s involved. But why would he come after you now?”
“Because Stuart Ramsey confessed to murdering my father.” Dom shrugged. “That seems to have been the inciting incident. Prior to that, I didn’t have any clue that my father was in witness protection.”
“That makes sense,” Raine agreed. “You instigated the call to the marshal’s office.”
“I did.” Dom frowned as he thought back. “Although I ditched my personal phone before we even got to the hotel. I used a disposable phone to call Levy. I’m not entirely sure how he figured out which disposable phones we were using. We paid for them in cash.”
“Speaking of which, I have new devices for you.” Justin rummaged in a backpack that looked identical to the one Kendra carried. “Here. These are from a previous operation. Also purchased with cash.”
“Thanks.” He took one phone, sliding the other toward Kendra. “Now we just need to figure out how to set a trap for Levy.”
Raine arched a brow and glanced at Griff. Nobody spoke for a long moment. Finally, Justin said, “He has a point. We should try to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Levy is guilty.”
“Or innocent,” Raine said on a sigh.
Dom sat back in his seat, feeling satisfied that they’d agreed to his plan.
How they operationalized his idea, he thought grimly, was up to them.
Kendra wished Justin would tone down the big brother act. Although she had to admit, Dom handled it well. Still, it was annoying to be treated like fragile glass.
“We should set up another safe house,” Griff suggested. “We’ll give Levy the location and be waiting for him when he shows.”
“And if he’s not involved?” Raine asked. “We can’t just shoot first and explain our suspicions later.”
