“Waitin’ on y’all,” Brantley said with a smirk. “Come on.”
Trey pulled his keys from his pocket and headed for his truck. He didn’t have to tell Magnus to move his ass. The man was in the passenger seat before Trey managed to get his damn door open.
“I hope to fuck they’re right,” Magnus grumbled. “I don’t know if my heart can handle much more of this.”
Not for the first time, Trey wondered whether there was more between Magnus and Ava than the man was letting on. He believed Magnus when he said they hadn’t fooled around, but he knew there was more to caring for someone than the mere physical aspect. And based on the fear he’d seen in Magnus these past few days, he got the feeling Magnus cared for Ava. Not necessarily in a platonic manner, either.
A few minutes later, Trey pulled up behind Brantley’s truck, parking on the grass edge of the street in front of Gloria Steiner’s house. There was no option of pulling into the driveway because three patrol cars and an ambulance were blocking their way.
“Oh, Jesus,” Magnus rasped, yanking on the door handle.
Before he got the engine shut off, Magnus was out of the truck and racing to the front porch. Trey got out, heard Brantley call after him. He could’ve told his brother not to bother. Magnus wasn’t hearing anything. He had a one-track mind, and right now, the only thing he cared about was finding out whether Ava was in the house. Trey knew because he’d spent every waking hour with Magnus for the past few days. And the sleeping ones, too.
Trey fell into step with Brantley, approaching the house slowly.
“Is she in there?” Brantley asked the deputy.
The man didn’t respond immediately.
“I’m the one who called,” Brantley clarified, pulling out his credentials. “We’re with Sniper 1 Security. We’re the ones who’ve been searchin’ for her.”
Magnus was pacing back and forth, his gaze darting to the deputy then to the door, likely trying to determine the odds of getting past him.
“She’s in there,” the deputy finally said. “But she’s in bad shape. The paramedics are with her now.”
“Oh, fuck,” Magnus said, his relief potent.
Trey felt it, too. That sense of calm that descends when the chaos suddenly stops churning because you’ve found the person you’ve been looking for … found them alive. His chest expanded as though he was taking his first full breath in days.
“Can I see her?” Magnus asked, although there wasn’t much question in his tone.
The deputy’s eyes danced between Brantley and Magnus, back and forth until, finally, he gave Magnus the go-ahead.
“Would you mind if we speak to Gloria?” Reese prompted, joining them with Tesha at his side.
Trey tried to care what the old lady had to say, but he didn’t. Right now, the only thing he wanted was to go to Magnus. At the same time, he wasn’t keen on the idea of watching the reunion between Ava and Magnus. Sure, he was grateful she was alive, but he hadn’t considered what it might mean when they found her.
“Would you ask Gloria if she’d mind talkin’ to us?” Brantley requested. “We just have a few questions.”
The man’s dark eyebrows drew down in a harsh V as though he hadn’t realized the severity of the situation.
“Go on in.” He stepped back out of the way. “She’s in the livin’ room. Keep in mind, she’s not happy we’re here.”
Trey wasn’t sure he was ready for what was on the other side of that door, but when Reese moved forward, so did he.
*
BRANTLEY WATCHED HIS BROTHER GO INSIDE.HEcould see the tense line of his broad shoulders and knew he was hanging by a precarious thread, which was why he’d made the request.Andwhy he’d decided they would post someone at Ava’s side at least until her bastard of a husband was taken into custody.
Reese repeated his request to speak to Gloria, and this time the deputy granted them permission, although he warned she was not in trouble at this time.
“We only want to thank her,” Reese explained. “And try to understand what happened.”
“The sheriff’s already talked to her,” the deputy countered as they passed.
“We know. Oh, and we’ve got a couple more comin’,” Brantley informed him. “Charlotte Miller and Jay Hernandez. I’ve asked Charlie to accompany Ava to the hospital. You mind lettin’ her in when she gets here?”
The deputy nodded, turned back to his post guarding the door.
