“When was the last time you ran six miles, old man?” The uneven terrain and sharp rocks poking through the compacted dirt threatened to trip them up. Callen’s heavy panting faded into the surrounding darkness. He could only see the next few steps in front of him, steady on course. He hiked this trailmultiple times a week, but the elevation changes were beating on every cell he owned. Or was that the desperation squeezing his chest?
“Is this the fastest you can run?” His dad kept a few paces behind, unknowingly pushing Callen that much harder. “Expected better of a man almost half my age.”
A growl resonated from Callen’s chest. He pumped his legs, the distance between him and his father growing with each step until Kolob Arch came into view. There weren’t any details or colors to pick out against the star-scattered sky, wispy with white clouds. Sweat beaded at his temple as he slowed just before the hill of boulders leading to the arch. The winter temperatures did nothing to bring down his body temperature. There was only one path to neutralize the anxiety crushing through him. She was here. She had to be here. “Where are you, Maeve?”
Movement registered from his left, a split second before a wall of lean muscle slammed into him. The ground rushed up to meet him, and Callen landed on his right side, skidding into a boulder. A fist rocketed into his temple. Once. Twice. Cieron pulled a sidearm from his back waistband, ready to finish what he’d started at the river. “You just couldn’t let me have her, could you?”
The cold barrel burned against his temple. Callen’s vision wavered, his head pounded, but he managed to get his leg around his brother’s chest. “You never deserved her.”
A rock slammed into the side of Cieron’s head.
The gun discharged mere inches from Callen’s right ear. A high-pitched ringing screamed through his head before pain exploded in its place.
His brother twisted toward the source of the rock. And took aim.
It took a moment for Callen to blink away the dizziness accompanied by adrenaline burning through his veins.
“It’s not him you want, Cieron.” That voice. Her voice. It’d lost some of its strength, but Maeve stood there, one hand limp at her side while the other was clamped against her shirt. Blood-drenched and beautiful. She backed up a couple of steps, as though she had all the time in the world, but Callen recognized the sluggishness in her step. Her body was failing her. Threatening to take her from him all over again. “Come and get me.”
Callen put everything he had into pinning his brother to the dirt with that one leg, but his brother was faster. Cieron scrambled out of reach, but Callen wouldn’t let him put another hand on Maeve. “You won’t get another chance, Cieron. Finish this.”
Callen lunged. Kicking off a boulder to his right, he attacked knee-first. Straight into his brother’s chest. The impact knocked Cieron back, and his brother hit the ground. Cieron raised his gun. And pulled the trigger.
The bullet ripped past Callen’s ear. Stinging pain chased back the dizziness from the slug to his head. Callen kicked out, his shin connecting with his brother’s chest again, and another bullet shot through the night. But his luck wouldn’t last. Grabbing Cieron’s wrist, he squeezed the tendons in the bastard’s hand, forcing him to drop the gun. Metal thudded against the ground.
The distraction cost him.
Cieron struck. His foot collided with Callen’s face, and the whole world lit up. Stumbling back, he barely had the sense to stay conscious as his brother closed the distance between them. Callen brought one foot up. Bones collapsed beneath his heel as he kicked Cieron to the ground. Pain messed with his head but provided clarity at the same time. Kept him in the moment.Standing over his brother, Callen took in the blood streaked across Cieron’s face. “Why?”
Why kill Lauren? Why cost Maeve her job? Why abduct Iliana Meyer? Why try to kill Callen? Just…why?
“Because I saw her first.” A slick smile pulled at one side of Cieron’s mouth as he climbed to his feet. His brother stumbled back a step, then righted himself. Spreading his arms wide, Cieron laughed. “But you’re the oldest. You always got what you wanted. Isn’t that right? You got our parents’ praise growing up. You got Lauren’s loyalty until the end, when she was going to warn you about me. You got Maeve’s devotion even after you destroyed her life. They looked at you like you hung the moon, but I see the truth. You’re nothing without them, and I… I just wanted one thing for myself. I wanted Maeve, but you couldn’t even let me have that.”
“I never wanted this.” Footsteps registered in Callen’s good ear, coming up the trail. Tommy Russell sounded as though he were going to drop dead, and Maeve… She was hurt, barely able to stand.
Cieron’s smile drained. “Yeah, well. For once, I’m going to make sure you don’t get what you want this time.” His brother spun on his heel, stretching for Maeve.
And Callen didn’t hesitate.
Grabbing for the gun between them, he raised it and took aim.
Pulling the trigger.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
She couldn’t feel her toes.
Actually, she couldn’t feel much of anything with the steady drip in her arm. That was probably the least important thing about waking in the middle of a hospital bed again, but it seemed important.
“You’re looking better.” Movement slithered into her peripheral vision from beside the bed. It took only a couple of seconds for Callen’s features to clear the haze clouding her sense of reality. Those dark eyes settled on her, as though memorizing her all over again. The ends of his hair clung to his nape and curled slightly. He’d showered and changed. Fresh bruises darkened along one side of his face, not yet turning green and yellow. He’d taken quite the beating out there on the trail, but he was still standing.
She couldn’t claim the same. “They really should market blood transfusions in the beauty industry. Does wonders for the skin.”
His laugh deepened as he ducked his head, but she caught the traces of concern before he could hide them. Of stress and loss. Cieron had killed their sister to keep his secret, and that had to hurt. She’d never had siblings, but there was a new space in her chest she wasn’t sure could ever be filled. Cieron had taken on the role of a goofy big brother in her life for years, and now? She didn’t know what to think, didn’t know how long it would take before the truth settled, but she would help any way she could. She’d do anything for the Russells.
“What’s the damage this time?” Maeve peeled the sheets away from her gown—a different one from her last visit—and made out a white layer of gauze stretched over her stomach secured with tape. She was alive. That fact hadn’t hit until now. She was alive, they’d recovered Lauren’s remains and her killer had been brought to justice. It was everything she’d worked for and more.
“Well, your insurance threatened to stop coverage if you leave the hospital without being officially discharged again, but other than that, it’s looking good.” He scanned her midsection like he was trying to assure himself she was really here. “You tore through two sutures. One of them was responsible for all the bleeding, but overall, doctors are confident you’re going to make it.”
