“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” West spat, clearly worked up.
Blinking several times to force away the unshed tears, I swiveled on the couch, the leather groaning beneath me, to face the four men.
Oliver held up his hands in surrender. “I agree it’s bullshit, but we need evidence, something to link those missing womento the ones here. Until we can do that, they’re separate incidents. The FBI is handling the Anchorage cases as top priority with everything that happened on the boat, but they areonlyinvestigating those cases as potential human trafficking.”
“Then what are your thoughts on the unsolved cases here?” I asked.
Everyone turned to me, concern and worry clear on their faces as I stood, setting the mug down and hugging the blanket wrapped around my shoulders. “Where are the missing women? Where is Caroline? Nothing about this made sense before. Now this, human trafficking, does.”
West shifted around the couch to stand beside me, pulling me against his chest in a comforting hold.
“We don’t know,” Hudson answered after a few seconds of awkward silence. “What we thought Ethan found along the trail belonging to the deceased female hiker was a dead end. On that case, at least, but possibly something else unrelated.” He and Oliver shared a strange look that had me stiffening.Fuck, what else is going on in this town?“Ethan is back out there searching for anything that could be helpful.”
I studied his face as he spoke, the concern for my friend’s husband mounting. Dark circles had formed beneath both eyes. His face, normally slightly tan, was now pale, the whites of his eyes bloodshot.
“When was the last time you slept?” I asked, hitching my chin at Hudson so he knew I was talking to him.
The corners of his lips curled in a forced smile, but it came off more like a grimace. “I don’t know, maybe before that bastard broke into my home and threatened my family?”
I gaped at him. “You can’t be serious.”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “A few hours here and there are enough until we catch this fucker.”
My loose hair shifted over my shoulders as I shook my head. Stepping out of West’s arms, I walked right up to Hudson. “No.” His brows flew up his forehead, his gaze sliding over my head to Langston and West. “Don’t look at them. Look at me. You need proper sleep to be at your best, and right now, Hudson, that’s exactly what we need.” I turned to Oliver. “No offense.”
He scoffed. “None taken. I’m a deputy sheriff of a small town where poaching was our biggest problem before all this. Hudson is the big-shot detective who’s closed tons of murder and serial cases back in LA.”
“What are you getting at, Juno?” Langston asked. His familiar scent wrapped around me as he curled an arm around my waist.
I twisted to point at him and then to West. “I’m volunteering one of you to go to Hudson’s place with him and watch over his family while he gets some much-needed sleep.” They all started to protest, but I sliced a hand through the air. “That’s it, right? That’s why you’re not sleeping, because then your family will be vulnerable.”
“Juno, I?—”
I cut West off with a hard look.
“You don’t think I’ve noticed that one of you is always awake?” He and Langston both quickly avoided eye contact, proving I was right. “Hudson doesn’t have that. So one of you will go with him to watch over the house while he sleeps.”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” Hudson grumbled, sounding very pouty.
“No, you need a friend who will watch over your family like you would so you can get the sleep you desperately need.”
“Juno,” Langston sighed.
Stepping out of his hold, I crossed both arms over my chest and gave him my best “don’t fuck with me” expression.
“Okay.” He clapped his hands together. “You heard her. West, let’s draw straws to see who gets to play guard dog while the princess here sleeps.”
Hudson flipped him the bird and rolled his eyes. “I’d threaten to kick your ass for that, but I’m too fucking tired.”
Langston’s brows pulled in as he studied Hudson before nodding. “No straws. I’m coming with you.”
While he and Hudson figured all that out, Oliver came over to me, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thank you for that. I don’t think anyone else has noticed how exhausted he is besides me and Calista.” He reached out and grabbed my hand, holding it up to inspect my knuckles. “I heard you popped that douchecanoe ex of yours.” A small smile formed on his lips. “How did it feel?”
“Fantastic,” I replied, a wide smile pulling at my cheeks.
“Good. And it looks like your fist form was perfect, nothing broken and no heavy bruising.”
“I had an excellent teacher.” He shook his head and dropped my hand, but I grabbed his before he stepped away. “I’m serious, Oliver. Thank you. I felt strong in that moment. I knew what I could do, and I did it. I haven’t felt that powerful in a long, long time.”
