Baz moved closer, standing across the island. “JJ, somethin’ else happened after we left.”
Her eyes were wide with concern when she looked up at him.
“There was an explosion. Your house … it’s gone.”
“Oh, my God. Brantley and Reese? Are they…?”
“They’re fine,” he added quickly. “Trey was there, too, but no one was in the house when it happened.”
He decided not to tell her how Travis had been lured over. She didn’t need to carry the weight of that just yet.
“Brantley’s dealin’ with things on that end. And we can stay here as long as we need to,” he reassured her. “There are plenty of guest rooms. If you’d like to be alone, I can go over to the main house, stay there.”
JJ shook her head. “No. I don’t … I don’t want to be alone.”
“Then I’ll stay here. But I’ll give you space.”
She nodded, picking up her coffee mug. “Why would Dante come to me last night? I haven’t talked to him in months.”
Baz figured that was the million-dollar question. And unfortunately, he didn’t have an answer.
*
Brantley did his best to answer SheriffEndsley’s questions while he watched Reese get checked out by the paramedic. The only thing he could think about was seeing Reese completely still after the blast, his limbs askew, body lifeless.
Fear had made his blood run cold, the thought of losing Reese… Brantley honestly wasn’t sure he’d ever felt anything that terrifying. Including the day he thought he would die beneath the rubble of that building.
The moment he’d realized what had happened, Brantley hadn’t given a second thought to himself or any possible injuries Travis or Trey might’ve sustained. His entire world had shifted into a pinpoint focus on Reese. Even with his brain temporarily scrambled from the blast, he’d known he had to get to Reese, had to help. Thankfully, the damage to them had been minimal. Especially considering what it could’ve been if they’d been closer to the house. Or worse, inside.
“You said JJ had a visitor last night,” Sheriff Endsley prompted, interrupting Brantley’s thoughts.
Brantley nodded, adjusted his focus once more. “Yeah.”
“Who?”
“I’ll tell you, but for right now, this stays between you and me, Sheriff. Understood?”
He could tell the older man wasn’t keen on taking orders in his own jurisdiction, but the truth was, because he was on a special task force for the governor of Texas, Brantley’s authority won out over any and all. For a few more days, anyway. And since this particular case involved the governor’s son, he would be taking it, regardless of any pushback he might receive.
“Fine,” Endsley grumbled.
“Dante Greenwood,” he said, ensuring he kept his voice low and his mouth obstructed on the off chance someone was recording them. He’d seen half a dozen phone cameras out already, and a news van had arrived a short time ago.
Sheriff Endsley’s face tightened, his expression turning hard. “Are you sayin’—”
“Right now, I’m not sayin’ anything,” he interrupted. “What I need from you and your team is for you to work this crime scene.”
The sheriff’s gaze swung to what was left of JJ’s house. “Not much to work with.” He looked back at Brantley. “In case you hadn’t noticed.”
“Trust me, I noticed,” he growled hotly. “Had it not been for Travis showin’ up, I wouldn’t be here talkin’ to you now, Sheriff. I woulda been inside. With Reeseandmy brother.”
Sheriff Endsley’s eyes flashed with sympathy. “Understood.”
“Before the explosion, we hadn’t gathered much of anything. We were reviewin’ the scene.”
“And where was JJ durin’ all of this?”
Brantley knew he had to tread lightly here. “She was distraught, so I had one of my team take her somewhere safe.”
