“She just turned four. She’s only starting to learn her numbers. They both had a bit of a setback, you know, with...what happened to their folks.”
“They’ve got you now, so they’ll be fine,” Bran said.
Ty seemed pleased by the words. “Yeah, they will. They had a day off from school today, some teachers’ function, but they’re back in class tomorrow.”
The children were darling. And Ty clearly loved them. Jessie had always wanted a family, but the timing never seemed right. Or more likely, it was the person who wasn’t right. She wanted kids with a husband who loved her, a man who would love their children as much as she did. Watching Ty with his kids tugged at her heart.
Ty grabbed the handle of Jessie’s carry-on. “Come on. Let’s get you two settled.”
Ty led them through a big, comfortable family room with a manteled fireplace and overstuffed brown furniture, obviously the center of the household, past a dining room furnished with a mahogany table and eight elegant chairs, and a living room decorated with gold velvet furniture and French antiques.
“Two bedrooms downstairs and a bathroom,” Ty said. “Me and the kids are upstairs. This wing’s all yours.”
“Great. This is perfect,” Bran said.
Ty’s gaze went from Bran to Jessie and back. Maybe it was how close he was standing, or a look that had passed between them. “She’ll be safe with me,” Ty said to him.
Bran nodded. “I know.”
He was leaving her with his friend, going after Tank by himself. They had argued about it on the drive down, but once Bran had talked to Ty and felt sure she’d be safe, there was no convincing him to take her along.
“I can’t deal with this guy and worry about you at the same time. Tank’s a killer. I need to find him and figure a way to take him down. I can’t do that if you’re with me.”
Since she was pretty sure he was right and she’d be putting him in even graver danger, she had conceded. Not that he’d ever intended to give her a choice.
Ty left the two of them to get settled in, Jessie in one bedroom, Bran in the other. She glanced at the queen-size four-poster bed beneath a snowy eyelet comforter and mound of matching white pillows and thought how much she would miss Bran’s warm body curled around her that night.
She unpacked her toiletries in the adjoining bathroom and walked back into the bedroom just as Brandon opened the door. He looked different, harder, colder, a man on a mission. He hadn’t shaved in a couple of days, which made him look even tougher. Dressed in jeans and combat boots, he wore a faded, slightly tattered olive-drab jacket with military patches on the shoulders.
“Time to go,” he said. “I don’t know how long it will take me to find this guy, but I’ll text and let you know what’s going on. If trouble comes, do what Ty tells you. He knows what he’s doing.”
She swallowed and nodded, suddenly afraid for him. “I will, I promise.” She looked up at him. “Please be careful.”
Eyes as blue as the Colorado sky locked on her face. Bran hauled her into his arms and kissed her, quick and hard. “I’ll be back,” he said a little gruffly, and her gaze followed him all the way out of the room.
He’s a soldier, she reminded herself. Just like Danny. Just like Dad. She had never even dated a military man. She didn’t want to fall for one, didn’t want that kind of life.
Still, she couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to him. As she walked out of the room, Jessie said a silent prayer that he would be safe.
TWENTY
It took Bran the rest of the day to track the A-BOYZ motorcycle club to the town of Aurora on the outskirts of Denver. The first call he’d made had been to Hawk Maddox at The Max. Hawk was one of the best bounty hunters in the country, one of the most connected guys he knew.
Hawk had made some calls and phoned him back. Tank’s full name was Wayne Conrad Coffman. He was ex-army, born in Denver, joined the military right out of high school, dishonorably discharged, gone from the city for years, only recently returned.
By early evening, Bran had the info he needed. He didn’t have Tank, but Hawk’s informant had given him a place to start looking.