Faye tried to keep her mouth closed as she looked up at Raider, who nodded. What in the world? Raider was paired with a formidable-looking guy who kept a kitten in his pocket? Was her brother finally loosening up a little? “This is interesting,” she murmured.
“Isn’t it, though,” Hunter drawled from the porch, slipping his gun back into place. Now, there was a southern accent. It licked right down Faye’s spine to pool in her abdomen. She barely covered a shiver.
“Ah,” Wolfe said, his gaze narrowing on her.“Now I get it.”
* * * *
Hunter kept his gaze on the soldier with the kitten in his pocket even as Raider approached. While the guy seemed harmless—aside from his size—he’d already scoped out the entire area, river to forest, without moving his body an inch. His hands were loose, but one rested near an obvious bulge beneath his jacket. He moved like he’d been well trained, and if Hunter didn’t miss his guess, he’d been on a team. Maybe not a SEAL, but definitely some sort of special ops team. He justhad that look.
Raider reached him, climbed two stairs, and they hugged.
Something loosened inside Hunter’s chest. Something that had been tightening inside him since Faye had shown up at his place. “I’ve missed you, brother,” he said.
Raider released him, his dark gaze serious. “I’ve missed you, too. Now that I have a steady gig outside of DC, and now that you’re here for good, we’re gonna be better about seeing each other.”
Hunter nodded, his gaze sliding back to the threat. “Is your buddy nuts?”
Raider ducked his head to the side. “Jury is out on that one.” He turned and watched Wolfe try to charm Faye while unobtrusively angling his body between her and the forest—the only direction from which a threat could come. “But he’s solid, and he has my back, which means he has yours, too.”
That was good enough for Hunter. And it was nice to meet some of the folks in Raider’s life now. “Wolfe? Why don’t you come on in? We have some leftover sandwiches ifyou’re hungry.”
Wolfe waited until Faye had walked in front of him before nodding. “I could always eat.”
Yeah. The guy had to weigh about two-sixty, and all of it looked like muscle.
“I don’t have any cat food,” Hunter said.
Wolfe shrugged. “That’s what my otherpocket is for.”
Of course it was. Hunter waited until Faye reached him, and then he gently pulled her in front of him toward the door. This Wolfe guy was a few cans shortof a six-pack.
The moment everyone had entered the living room, a sense of claustrophobia threatened to take control of his lungs. He lived in the middle of nowhere for a reason, and it had been a long time since he’d had so many people in his haven.
Faye eyed him for about two seconds and then announced she was going out to the porch.
Sometimes he hated how well she knew him. It had been five years since they’d touched, and she instantly was trying to help him, even though she’d been the one to leave. Oh, he understood why. Didn’t make it any easier to live with. “I’m fine,” he said, takinga deep breath.
Raider stepped toward the kitchen, unslung the pack around his shoulders, and set out a stack of paper. “We can go outside if you want.”
“No.” Hunter would have to deal with people at some point. Might as well be the people he cared about. “What do you have there?”
Raider spread the papers out while Wolfe made himself at home and started rooting through the refrigerator. The kitten’s head was up and swinging from side to side as he looked inside as well. Wolfe brought out a tomato, and the kittenswatted at it.
Hunter angled closer to the table when he recognized a picture of Jackson Holt. His half-brother. “What haveyou found out?”
“I checked all witness reports as well as surveillance cameras, and so far, the kid hasn’t committed a crime. Well, he’s not on tape, anyway.” Raider smoothed a hand over his clean-shaven jaw. “Two witnesses, at least, confirm there wasn’t a kid when Louise perpetrated the crimes.”
Hunter tucked his thumbs in his jean pockets. “If we can get to him in time, we might have a chance.” He looked over his shoulder, where Faye was leaning against the doorjamb of the open sliding glass door. “What are your thoughts? I know you haven’t been a shrink in a long time, but…”
She sighed. “Jackson’s pathology is easy. He grew up without a mother, with an abusive father, and his teacher fulfills a maternal need he probably doesn’t know he has.”
Wolfe turned around. “She’s sleeping with him.”
Faye nodded. “Yeah. I’m sure it’s confusing as heck. He’s sixteen and attracted to her, and she’s fulfilling several needs. I have no doubt he’d kill for her if asked.” She pursed her lips. “Although it’s telling that he hasn’t been at any of thecrime scenes.”
“How so?” Hunter asked.
Faye looked down at the scattered papers. “Either she’s protecting him, which is likely, or she doesn’t trust him.”
