Eventually Cal just shrugged.“Lucky you.”
“Yeah, lucky me,” Nate muttered.“Now, do we want to do the whole family dinner thing, or you just want to head up and deal with them one on one?”
“Where’s Sam?”
Nate glanced at the clock on the wall.She should have been back by now, but he wasn’t going to let Cal in on any worry he might have over that.
“If it’s a dinner thing, and she’s not held up, she’ll come too.”
“Come on, Nate,” Cal said with a dramatic groan for effect.“The newly married couple doesn’t want us cramping their style.There’s no new threat.There’s no new anything.Let’s let this lie and let them do whatever terrible things married people do.”
“We both know where letting things lie leads.I imagine they can keep their hands off each other for a meal, considering they’ve been shacking up together for nearly a year.”
Nate had been around his brother enough of late to immediately recognize the way Cal’s gaze went sharp, and he knew—justknew—when Cal opened his mouth, something snarky about him and Sam was going to come out.
He could let him.He could pretend it didn’t bug him.He could do a lot of things.
But damn it, he was tired.Tired of beating his head against the brick wall of Cal Bennet.“Don’t poke at me and Sam.Just pick the way you want to tell them, or I’ll go up and tell them right now myself.”
Cal’s expression firmed, but he didnotsay anything about Sam.“It’s probably nothing.”
“Maybe.Maybe it is.Maybe we’re wasting our time on a prank.Onnothing.I’d rather do that than have something happen.What about you?”
Before Cal could answer, Nate heard the bell on the door.“I’ve got to take care of that.Call Aly—if you don’t, I will.”Then he left his brother with an order that Nate had no idea whether or not he’d follow.
Cal wasn’t one for patience, but Nate’s was wearing thin.
Andthatwas something.
He had work, and Sam wasn’t here even though she should be and…
Well, everything had been a little too easy lately.A little too nice.The threat felt… well, like the only thingreal.Because it was bad, and bad felt… far more tangible.
Which was probably messed up, but Nate knew the good wouldn’t last.Couldn’t.Didn’t mean he had to discount anythinggood, just that he could hardly let his guard down to be sideswiped by whatever was hiding behind that threat.
Bad didn’t stay dormant forever, that was for sure.No matter what he did.
Nate strode back into the main part of the building, then came up short.He hadn’t really thought about who he might find in the office, but Jake Hayes was pretty low on his list—and felt like more of all thatbad.
For a moment, they both stood there, like some kind of Wild West face-off.It was that image, and hearing his brother come up from behind him, that had Nate moving.
“What can I help you with, detective?”Nate asked equitably.
Okay, probably not equitably at all, but hetriedfor something less than antagonistic.Really.
Jake’s gaze moved from Nate to Cal, then back again.“Looking for Sam.”
If it was meant to bother him, it did, but he’d be damned if he’d show it.“She’s not here.”
Another silence descended so Nate moved for his desk.Cal stood back by the exit, arms folded across his chest, leaning negligibly against the wall, but Nate knew his brother.He was carefully filing everything about Detective Jake Hayes away.
Why?Nate didn’t have a clue, and he didn’t want to.
He wantednothingto do with Hayes.
“I can tell her you stopped by, or you can leave her a note if you want.”Nate gestured at the whirlwind disaster of Sam’s desk.
Still, Hayes said nothing.Just stood there, like he knew if he was still and silent for long enough, Nate’s hold on his temper would explode—and Jake would win.
