“I think we—”
A knock on the back door interrupted Reese.Brantley turned to see Archer standing on the back deck.
“It’s unlocked.”
The glass door slid open, and the big man sauntered in.His gaze caught on Tesha when she got up from her bed, and as soon as he noticed her, Archer’s face lit up like a kid in a candy store.
Yeah, they needed to get this guy a dog.
“What’s up?”Brantley asked Archer as he squatted down to pet Tesha.
“Wanted to give y’all an update.I compiled the notes from the team last night.”
“When did you have time to do that?Rumor is you were at Moonshiners gettin’ shit-faced,” Brantley teased.
He smiled, standing tall.“I’ll admit, I was feelin’ no pain, but I know when to stop.”
Brantley reached for his coffee cup.“What information can’t wait until we get to the barn?”
“Ignore him,” Reese said.“He’s grumpy this mornin’.You want some coffee?I’m makin’ omelets.”
As though cued, Archer’s stomach rumbled, causing Tesha’s ears to perk up and Brantley to laugh.
“Well, I guess that’s settled then.”Brantley pointed at the stool beside him.
“I’m not sure you heard,” Archer began as he pulled out the stool, “but Becs and Evan ran into Allison Bogart yesterday.Here in town.”
No, they hadn’t heard that.“What did she have to say?”
“Nothing.She high-tailed it.”
“Sounds about right.”Smoke and mirrors, just as he’d said.
“Did you get the DNA results back yet?”Archer glanced between him and Reese.
Reese answered with a shake of his head.“Z said it’d take twenty-four hours.”
“At best,” Brantley tacked on.
“He’s disappointed,” Reese told Archer.
“Of course you are.”Archer glanced over at him.“You’re lookin’ for a family member.One you thought you lost.There’s not a tremendous amount of hope yet, but there’s somethin’, so it’s only logical that it would get to you.We’re gonna keep pushin’ until we know for sure.”
Although he didn’t want the pep talk, Brantley appreciated it all the same.Archer was right.There was still plenty left to do.More than enough rocks to look under.
Hell, yesterday morning, he thought they were deluding themselves, thinking Kylie was alive.Based on what they’d uncovered in a short amount of time, Brantley couldn’t help but think she was.She was alive, and Martin Calloway was keeping her locked away.Whether for punishment because of what happened to Juliet Prince, or because he was merely a sick SOB who got off on hurting people.Either way, the bastard was going down for this.
“I assume you and Atticus have an action plan,” he said, sipping his coffee.
“Thanks,” Archer told Reese when he passed over a mug.“We do.”
“Good.You can—” This time the ringing of his cell phone interrupted, causing Brantley to look at the device sitting on the counter.“It’s JJ.”
He answered the call, putting it on speaker.
“Mornin’,” he greeted.
“We’re comin’ home!”JJ squealed.
