13
The front door opened, and Kinsley spun, searching the opening for Dev, wanting to be sure he was safe and unharmed. He quickly stepped in, not before letting in a heavy whiff of the wildfire smoke before he closed the door behind him with a solid thud.
“Are you okay?” she asked, taking in every inch of his body. “Is everything okay?”
He clenched his jaw as he crossed the room. “We have a situation. I’m going to wake Colin up, and I’ll explain it to both of you at the same time.”
She opened her mouth to beg him to tell her first, but he marched past her, taking long, sure strides to the hallway leading to his and Colin’s shared room and leaving her alone to think.
Situation?What kind of a situation had occurred that he had to wake up his brother to tell him about it? Couldn’t be good. Couldn’t be good at all.
She resumed pacing, back and forth as fast as she could move, her heart beating erratically. She wanted to talk to Jada, but Kinsley had already gone into their shared bedroom to tell her Dev had to go out to see Micha, and she was sound asleep. Kinsley didn’t have the heart to wake her unless she needed to.
Footsteps sounded on the wood floor in the hallway. A sleepy-eyed, but already alert Colin entered the room before Dev. Colin was fully dressed in camouflage cargo pants and a black T-shirt. She had no idea if he had to get dressed or if he was sleeping in his clothes, but if he had to dress, he’d been quick about it.
Dev gestured at the plump sofa. “Go ahead and sit.”
She hurried over and dropped down on the cushy couch, her focus not leaving his face. “Okay. Please tell us what’s going on.”
Colin perched on the arm at the far end of the sofa. “Yeah, bro. What’s got you so hot under the collar?”
Dev planted his hands on his hips. “We have a drone flying overhead. It’s likely our shooter trying to get a glimpse of Kinsley so he can make another attempt on her life.”
Kinsley gaped at him. “But how could that be? There’s no way he could’ve found me, is there?”
“That’s what I’m struggling with.” Dev gnawed on the inside of his cheek. “I know we weren’t followed here, but he might’ve somehow connected me with you and then connected me here.”
“He could’ve asked around about who was under fire at the shooting scene in town,” Colin said. “Your name or even Jada’s could’ve come up.”
Dev rubbed a hand over his face. “And if he did, that’s pretty brazen, which I don’t like. It could be a hint into his character, and he’s an even more aggressive adversary than we thought.”
Colin planted his feet. “Either way, I’m sure you want to find him.”
“I do, and that’s why I woke you. I want you to stay here with Kinsley. Micha has the door. I’ll go looking for the drone operator.”
“No!” Kinsley bolted upright in her seat, perching on the edge of the plump cushion as she stared at him. “It’s not safe for you to go alone.”
“Actually, it’s safer for me to go without the others,” he said. “One guy moving swiftly through the darkness won’t make as much noise as two or more. Easier to keep from raising the guy’s suspicions.”
“But…” Visions of Dev in danger in the dark with an adversary waiting for him took over her thoughts. Her mouth went dry, and she shook her head to clear out the terrifying scenes. “I don’t like it.”
He gave her what she thought was meant to be a calming smile. “I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, but it’s what we need to do. I’ll be careful, and hopefully, the next time you hear from me, I’ll have detained the drone operator. AKA our shooter.”
She wanted to argue, but she couldn’t. He not only had her safety to think of, but his sister’s as well, and she had no right to tell him not to try to defend his sister. His birth family.
Besides, no matter what she said, he’d made his mind up and was planning to go. She knew him—knew him very well—and there was no way she could change his mind. He was going to head into the darkness to find and apprehend the man who’d been trying to end her life, even if it meant sacrificing his own.
Something rustled in the underbrush ahead. Was it human?Thehuman Dev sought? Or was it an animal?
Dev, weapon in hand, slipped silently forward. He pressed his comms unit earpiece in tighter to secure his lifeline to Micha and Colin. He needed to know if their operator approached the cabin or if the drone stopped hovering, zipped away, or landed.
He scanned through the thick air that left his throat sore and had to work hard not to clear it and alert anyone to his presence. The scrub was thick with ferns and hostas growing large on the untamed property. It would be a beautiful scene with the moon shining down, highlighting the hostas’ large leaves and the feathery ferns. Not tonight. Not with the fire in the near distance and when he was likely hunting their shooter.
The leaves rustled.
Dev shot his focus to the area. A small animal scampered through the thick foliage, moving fast. He strained his eyes to get a better look. No human could move that quickly on their hands and knees. Had to be animal, but he couldn’t make out the type.
He released a slow, silent breath to calm his nerves. He didn’t want to be riled when it came time to confront the operator. No matter that he hadn’t yet located the person he was seeking. With the drone still hovering over the compound, he was still optimistic he would find the guy.
