Insatiable (Steel Brothers Saga #12) - Helen Hardt Page 0,69
stake here, Marj. I have a family, and so does Bryce. We get it.”
“Just don’t be a hothead.”
Stupid words. Words had no effect on whether my oldest brother went into “Red Joe” mode. But he did love his wife and son. I knew that as well as I knew anything. Bryce loved his son as well.
And he loved me.
“Just be safe,” I said. “Both of you.”
Chapter Forty-Nine
Bryce
“I suppose she has a point,” I said. “Booker could be deceiving us.”
“It’s possible. But is it enough to make you not go?”
I shook my head. “Hell, no. We need answers, and I aim to get them. Today.”
“One way or the other. If it is a trick, we know he’ll be armed in at least three places, which is why I’m armed in two. You?”
“Right there with you.” I patted my shoulder holster and pointed to my ankle. “How much longer?”
“About ten miles. Mills says they’ve got him in an old ranch house just outside the Belldore property.”
“I sure as hell don’t want to be blinded again, even if it is temporary.”
“Fuck. Me neither. That’s why we’re going in with guns drawn.”
I nodded. Sounded damned good to me.
“What the hell do you mean he got away?” Joe grabbed Trevor Mills by the collar of his shirt.
I held my gun steadily on his partner, Johnny Johnson.
“Let go of me,” Mills said. “Right fucking now.”
“For what I’m paying you clowns, you’d better find the bastard.” Joe let him go.
I forced back a sigh of relief. Joe was on edge, and Joe on edge could easily turn into Joe in a rage.
“We had him locked in a bedroom with bars on the windows,” Johnson said.
“Is he goddamned Houdini?” Joe said sarcastically.
“No. He must have picked the lock.”
“With what?”
“I have no idea. I frisked him good. There was nothing on him. We took his shoes, too, so wherever he is, he’s in his stocking feet.”
“Did you strip search him?” I asked.
“Uh…hell, no,” Mills said.
I swallowed. “This guy is dangerous and unpredictable. Hiding a bobby pin or anything else up his ass would be nothing to him.”
“You two should have foreseen that,” Joe said. “Why didn’t you tie him up?”
“Because we’re PIs, not lunatics. It’s bad enough we took him against his will.”
“The mercenary PIs with a conscience.” Joe rolled his eyes. “You two take the cake.”
“He couldn’t have gotten far,” I said to Joe. “Let’s go after him.”
“I wish we had two trucks,” Joe said. “We could cover more ground. What if we miss him?”
“He didn’t have access to a vehicle, did he?” I said to Mills.
“No. Our vehicles are accounted for.”
“Then he’s on foot, and he hasn’t been gone long,” I said. “We’ll take the truck and drive all around here. Good thing you’ve got four-wheel drive.”
Joe grunted.
I replaced my pistol in my holster. “We could use some help,” I said to the PIs.
“Can’t do it,” Mills said. “We’ve got another job.”
“That pays as well as I do?” Joe said.
“It’s all green to us.”
No. No one paid as well as the Steels. This didn’t make any sense, unless—
“You motherfuckers,” I said through clenched teeth.
Joe eyed me.
“They let him go, Joe. They fucking let him go.”
“Hey, we didn’t—”
I drove into Mills this time, slamming him against the wall. “Mercenaries. What did he offer you?”
“Nothing. He doesn’t have—”
“Bullshit. He might not have Steel money, but he’s rich. He was my father’s protégé. His real father was loaded too. What the fuck did he offer you?”
“You’ve got—”
“You gave him a car, didn’t you?” I tightened my hold. “Didn’t you?”
Joe had drawn his gun on Johnson by this time. “You’d better start spilling, or I’m going to start shooting. And I never miss.”
Chapter Fifty
Marjorie
“He said he and Bryce had something to attend to, and he’d be here as soon as he could.”
Melanie rocked baby Brad, trying to nurse him. “He’s starting to get it. He’s latching on, but it sure hurts.”
She smiled, though. Clearly she didn’t care about the slight pain. Who would? The baby was so beautiful, and he’d gained another ounce.
I didn’t want to worry Melanie, but something didn’t feel right. Bryce and Joe were walking into something that wasn’t going to end well. I felt it deep in my bones. I looked sideways at Jade. She and I had discussed what they might be up to during our drive to the hospital. I didn’t want her talking.
She didn’t.
As much as I loved seeing the baby and Mel, I was antsy to get moving. I wanted to get Jade