“I know.” She hopped on the seat, and the gun jumped. “But we’ll find another place. A safe place forjust us. Okay?”
His chin dropped, and his entire body felt like he was eighty years old. “Yeah. Okay.”
Chapter Fourteen
The call came in during their third hour of scouring maps of different lakes in Washington state. A robbery and hostage situation at a convenience store at Walimi Lake. Hunter broke every speeding law on record to get there in time, his heart racing and his gut churning. They pulled up, right between two worn brown county patrol cars.
The store looked like a log cabin with a green metal roof. A wide porch extended around the front and the lake sparkled out back. Two newspaper dispensers stood by the door, which was shut with the blinds closed. Trees rose high all around them, but the birds had been silenced by the disturbance. In the distance, a boat roared across the water.
“Status?” Raider asked, jumping out of the SUV, flashing his HDD badge immediately.
A gnarled sheriff with shrewd blue eyes looked over from his car. “Got the call you’d be here. Inside are just the two fugitives right now. Louise Stockley and that kid,Jackson Holt.”
Hunter straightened to look at the sheriff. “Hostages?”
“Let go,” the sheriff confirmed. “Besides the owner, Al Burtley, there was a family of four who stopped by for supplies and two teenagers who were here for lattes. They all said the kid told them to go and scuffled with the woman so they could. They ran down the road and called us. We had them taken to the hospital, per procedure. Except for Al. He wouldn’t leave.”
Hunter’s chest heated. “Wasanybody hurt?”
“No,” the sheriff said, his gray hair pulled back at the nape.
The backdoor to his car opened, and a grizzly man the size of a bear stood up. He had short white hair, a long white beard, and faded green eyes that matched his T-shirt. “I’m Al.”
Hunter swung around the SUV with Faye on his tail. “What happened in there?”
Al shook his large head. “The kid had a handgun, and the woman a shotgun. She pointed it at me, and the kid shoved her into a wall, yelling for all of us to run. We did while he held her. Then, once we were out, somebody locked the door.”
Shit. Hunter looked toward the quiet store. His brother had no intention of coming out. Not one. He looked down at Faye, not surprised by the sheen of tears in her eyes.
She sniffed. “I understand. Remember I love you.” She hugged him tight, feeling small and vulnerable against him.
A lump centered in his throat as she released him.
Raider grabbed him for a hard hug. “I loveyou, brother.”
Hunter nodded, holding his brother for a moment. He stepped back. “Take care of each other, if…”
They both nodded.
The sheriff grabbed his arm. “Wait a minute. You can’t—”
Raider held up the badge again. “This is a federal matter, sheriff. Let him go.” His voice was low and rough, the emotionin it obvious.
The sheriff released Hunter.
He turned and strode for the door, not looking back. He couldn’t look back. His footsteps were heavy on the porch, and it took him a minute to realize Raider was at his side. He frowned. “Get the hell back,” he whispered.
Raider looked him right in the eye, his eyes blacker than normal. “Brothers forever. It’s that simple.”
God, it really was. Hunter nodded, letting himself trust. “All right.” Raider wouldn’t hurt Jackson. Hunter knocked hard. “Jackson? It’s Hunter.”
“Go away, Hunter,” Jackson called. “Get out of here.”
He was alive. The kid was still alive. Relief threatened to drop Hunter until the adrenaline from the danger they all faced flashed through him. He swallowed. “Not gonna happen, kid. I’m coming in. That’s what family does. Either unlock the door, or I’m kicking it down.”
Ashotgun cocked.
“No, Louise,” Jackson yelled. “Don’t.”
