Chapter 2
Kellan pulled on his sneakers.
“I’ll come with you,” Eli said as he walked through from his hotel room.
They could have stayed with Duncan. But the two of them liked their space. It didn’t make Laken happy, though. For some reason she wanted them all under the same roof. Which meant that Duncan was very unhappy. Since his emotions now seemed to be tied to his wife’s.
But they wouldn’t be here for long. They just wanted to check up on Shaw and then they would likely head back to Houston tomorrow or the day after.
“You want to come for a run? You never run.”
“Yeah, well, I need to work off some steam,” Eli said as he finished pulling on his sneakers.
“Steam? At ten at night?”
Eli shrugged.
“This got anything to do with that woman you told off earlier?”
“She shouldn’t have pulled off the road like that and she had no idea that we’d stopped and turned around. We could have been kidnappers, rapists, murderers.”
Kellan nodded. He understood better than anyone where Eli was coming from. When you were an FBI field agent you saw some of the worst of humanity.
He spent most of his life waiting for people to fuck up and show their true colors.
The only people he trusted were his brothers. Eli, in particular.
Sometimes he thought that Eli was the only reason he kept on going.
His gaze was caught by something on the television and he quickly read the subtitles.
“Is that about Governor Bridges’ death?” Eli said, coming up beside him to watch as the footage moved to the bridge the governor had jumped off. His body had turned up down river.
“Yeah.”
“They’re still saying it was suicide?” Eli asked.
“He just doesn’t seem the type to take his own life,” Kellan murmured, staring at the photo of the governor.
His blotchy complexion, the broken capillaries on his skin, and his bulging eyes all indicated that he wasn’t the healthiest individual.
“Looks to me like he was more likely to have had a heart attack and fallen into the river,” Kellan added.
“Witnesses said he jumped,” Eli told him.
Hmm. Maybe. Kellan wasn’t so sure.
“Don’t you think it’s weird that first Governor Raynor died of a heart attack and then the lieutenant governor committed suicide. Within what? A year of each other?” Kellan said.
“Well, yeah. But it’s politics, right? Stranger things have happened.”
That was true.
Suddenly, the news report showed older video footage of Bridges with a far younger woman.
“Wait . . . is that the same girl that was taking a photo in front of the Haven sign earlier?” Eli asked.
“It definitely looks like her,” Kellan replied. Although the girl on the television looked more polished and . . . removed.
Her face was expressionless. As though she was moving through the motions. She barely looked around her. And she seemed to keep a distance between herself and her father.
“Doesn’t look like there’s much father-daughter love there,” Kellan said.
“You think so?” Eli asked. “I mean, it’s hard to tell off a short bit of footage.”
“What do you think she was doing on the outskirts of Haven?” Kellan asked. “Why would she come here?”
“Maybe she’s passing through. Who knows?”
Kellan wanted to know. And he didn’t like the surge of curiosity he felt. He didn’t want to think about that girl or what she was doing or why she didn’t want to be around her father.
Had he hurt her?
None of your business. She’s not your problem.
“Let’s go,” Kellan said. “This has nothing to do with us.”
But the problem was that Kellan liked nothing more than to solve a mystery and he knew this would eat away at him.
They headed out of the hotel and started running through the streets of Haven. There were more people here because of the rodeo the next town over.
He didn’t like that.
Of course he didn’t like when it was quiet either.
“Stop scowling so much, everyone is going to think you’re in a bad mood,” Eli told him.
“I’m always in a bad mood. And I don’t care what they think.”
Eli sighed as they headed down a side street. He had to get away from all of these people. They were doing his head in.
“Kellan, not this way,” Eli said, slowing down.
Kellan glanced around and blanched, seeing where he was. Shit. He hadn’t meant to come down this road.
To that fucking house.
He took a deep breath. He hated that fucking place. Last thing he wanted was to go near it. Turning, he headed back toward the town. This time, he paid more attention to his surroundings.
Not paying attention was a dumb, rookie move that could get him killed.
Worse. It might get his brother killed.
And anyone who claimed that Haven was a safe place where nothing bad ever happened . . . they were deluding themselves.
Plenty of shit went down in this small town.
He took a different route back to the hotel, cutting through a small park with a few pieces of playground equipment and a toilet. He came to a stop as he saw a familiar cherry red car in the parking lot.
“That’s her car,” Eli said, coming to a stop next to him.
Kellan nodded.
Eli glanced around. “Why would she be here? It’s nearly eleven at night.” Eli started striding toward the car and Kellan grabbed hold of his arm.
Eli stilled, looking over at him in question.
“Not our problem,” Kellan told him.
It was bizarre but he had the thought that if Eli went over there that this moment would signal a change in their lives. And he didn’t think he was ready for that.
Actually, he knew he wasn’t.
“She’s in a public park at night,” Eli pointed out. “That’s not fucking safe.”
“Still nothing to do with us.”
“What if she’s doing something illegal?” Eli said.
Kellan shot him a look. “Call the cops.”
Eli put his hands on his hips. “We are the cops.”
“We’re FBI agents. Someone parking their car in a public area at night doesn’t mean they’re doing something illegal. We have no right to go over there and demand to know what she’s doing.”
“Are you forgetting where we are? Women aren’t allowed to put themselves in danger in Haven. And if we see a woman doing that then we are obligated to do something about it.”
“We don’t live here. She’s not ours to take care of. And if you think she’s really in trouble, call Jake.”
Eli stared at him for a long moment. Kellan thought he was actually going to listen to him. Then he shook his head and strode toward the car.
For fuck’s sake.
Kellan could leave. Just walk away. But he’d never leave Eli.
Just because the girl seemed harmless didn’t mean that she wasn’t up to something. So he’d back Eli up. And make sure she didn’t try to put anything over on him.
Eli walked slowly up to the car. Thankfully, there was plenty of lighting in this park. Was she inside? Had she parked and gone for a walk?
But why?
What was she doing in Haven?
Kellan shook those questions out of his head. Not his problem.
Eli peered into the backseat of the car and an earth-chilling scream filled the air.
Fuck! What happened?
Kellan raced over to the small car, peering into the window on the other side of the car. But he couldn’t see much except that someone was moving around.
“The doors are locked!” Eli yelled. “Do you think she’s being attacked?”
“Help! Help me!” she screamed.
Fuck.
“I’m going to break a window!” Eli said.
Kellan gaped at him. Break the window? What was wrong with him?
“Stop,” Kellan snapped as Eli picked up a large rock.
“What? Something is wrong with her!” Eli said, sounding desperate.
“FBI!” Kellan yelled. “Come out with your hands in front of you where I can see them.”
He could feel Eli glaring at him as he drew out his gun. Yeah, he ran with his gun strapped to his back under his T-shirt.
Leaving it at home would be stupid considering the amount of criminals they’d apprehended. And the people they’d pissed off along the way.
The door opened and surprise filled him as he saw her step out, her hands in front of her. She was shaking, her head moving around frantically as she tried to take everything in.
Behind her something rustled and he moved his gun back to the open door.
“Don’t shoot him!” she cried. “Please!”
“Come out!” he barked. “Now.”
“He doesn’t understand you,” she said as she stepped back toward the open door.
“Why? Does he not speak English? It doesn’t matter, he needs to get out here,” Eli said.
“Of course he doesn’t speak English.” She reached back through the open door.
“Don’t move,” Eli and Kellan ordered at the same time.
She gazed between them in shock. “But he’s scared. He won’t come out without my help. And why do you want him to come out?”
“Because he was hurting you,” Eli said. “You were screaming for help. Why would you defend him?”
They’d seen this a lot. Where people defended their abusers. Kellan hated it. Hadn’t he heard it about his own father? How some of his father’s friends used to justify the way that he’d smack them around. How he’d talk to them.
Oh, he’s just upset over the loss of Marie.
He’s entitled to a few drinks if it helps.
It’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be.
At least Kellan had gotten his father to aim most of his anger toward him and not his brothers.
She stared between the two of them, then shook her head. “Are the two of you really FBI agents?”
Eli drew his ID from his back pocket and showed it to her. She peered down at it. “Yes, I’m FBI Agent Eli Jones.”
“Wow.”
“Who is in there?” Kellan demanded. He was tired of her prevaricating. When they wanted something from her, then she should immediately give that to them.
There shouldn’t be all this back and forth.
Kellan Jones was a man who expected to be obeyed.
In everything.
What does it matter if she obeys you or not? She’s not yours to command.
Shit.
He needed to get far away from her. He didn’t like how she was affecting him.
“My dog,” she huffed.
“What?” Eli asked. “Was he attacking you?”
Kellan ran his gaze over her, glad for the fact that Haven council kept their public areas well-lit.
“No, he wasn’t attacking me,” she said with exasperation.
“Then why did you yell out?” Eli asked.
“Because I opened my eyes and saw a man peering in the window of my car in the middle of the night. That’s why I screamed for help.”
Kellan could hear the unspoken ‘idiot’ in her voice.
Eli huffed. “That’s why you screamed? Because I was checking up on you?”
“Um, how did I know what you were doing or who you were? All I saw was someone staring at me. You scared the hell out of me! What did you think you were doing?”
She put her hands on her hips as she glared up at them both.
The urge to put her over his knee and give her a good hard spanking struck him.
Shit.
When had he last had that urge? So long ago he could barely remember. He was a member of their local BDSM club, but he usually left the discipline up to Eli. If he even bothered to play, which he hadn’t in a long time.
But now . . . yeah, maybe he was starting to see the appeal in spanking a naughty brat.
“What are you doing?” Eli asked. “Why are you parked here? It isn’t safe to be in a public park on your own at night.”
“I just stopped here for a few minutes. I’ll be leaving soon.” She gave them both a cool look.
She was lying.
She was good at it. But Kellan was better. He’d taken a course on reading body language and he was certain of it.
“Don’t lie,” he ordered in a low voice.
The girl flinched and gave him a wary look.
Yes. You should be wary.
“You said you opened your eyes,” Kellan pointed out. “Which meant you were asleep or trying to get asleep.”
Her eyes widened and he knew he was right.
“What the fuck?” Eli said, making her jump. A whine came from in the car.
Shit. Did she really have an animal in there?
Kellan actually liked dogs. One of the few things he did like. Dogs never betrayed you. They could actually be extremely loyal.
He saw a dog poke his head out and the girl reached over to pat him softly.
He wasn’t as small as Kellan had been expecting. How had they missed seeing him before? Had they been so focused on the girl that they’d failed to see a large dog sitting in her car?
“What kind of dog is that?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know what sort of dog you own?” Eli asked.
“Well, I don’t exactly own him.” She shuffled her weight from foot to foot.
He stared at her in interest. She didn’t own him?
“Did you steal him?” Kellan asked in a casual voice. As though it meant very little to him.
It shouldn’t mean anything to him at all.
Well, other than the fact that she was a thief and he should report her to the sheriff.
“No! Of course I didn’t steal him. I’m not a thief. I came across him soon after you guys left me. I don’t know if he’s lost or been abandoned. I thought I’d try to figure that out tomorrow.” She rubbed her head tiredly.
“You just picked up a stray dog off the road?” Kellan asked incredulously.
To his surprise, anger surged inside him.
What was going on? He didn’t feel emotions like this. He glanced over at his brother who was giving him an interested look.
Shit.