45. Arden
45
ARDEN
As darkness set in, the boys got to work in the kitchen, cleaning all the dishes Nora and Rhodes had dirtied. It had always been that way with the Colsons. Whoever cooked never cleaned, and everyone pitched in to do their part.
Nora patted Linc’s hand as she moved around the small space, tidying what didn’t need to be tidied because she was never one to sit still. “You feeling better?”
“How could I not be after a meal like that one?” he asked, smiling at her with such warmth.
Nora beamed at him. “Nothing like a good meal to cure what ails you.”
“Would’ve cured you better if you had some of my poppy tea with it,” Lolli harumphed.
“What did I tell you about making that?” Trace asked, annoyance in his tone as he strode into the room.
“Daddy!” Keely yelled, leaping to her feet and charging at Trace.
He caught her on the fly, his face lighting in the way it only did for his daughter. “How’s my Keely girl? ”
“Good, but I missed ya. Luca and I did a puzzle and then went and helped feed Stardust and Whiskey. Supergran made Mr. Linc a diamond dick stick, and Grams didn’t like it. Can Luca and I have a sleepover? He has to go back to Seattle tomorrow, and I’m gonna miss him.”
Trace balanced her on his hip, his jaw going tight. “You’ve certainly had quite the afternoon.”
Kye held up both hands. “I’m not responsible for the diamond dick stick, just so you know. That was all Rho.”
Rhodes glared at him. “Traitor.”
Trace pinned her with a stare that was a mixture of sheriff and big brother all wrapped into one. “Thanks for that.”
She sent an exaggerated grimace in his direction. “It just popped out.”
Lolli let out a huff. “There is nothing wrong with discussing the human anatomy. Or expressing through the medium of thousands of glittering gemstones. And maybe you’d be a little less grumpy if you used your dick stick a little more.”
“Lolli!” half the room shouted.
“Jesus,” Trace muttered. “I give up.”
Sutton chuckled. “We’d be happy to have Keely for a slumber party. The bunk beds are all set up in Luca’s room.”
“Pleeeeeease, Daddy?” Keely begged.
Trace studied her for a moment and then caved. “All right.”
“Yay!” Keely cheered before wiggling free and running back to Luca.
“I guess she didn’t miss me that much,” Trace muttered.
Sutton patted him on the shoulder before moving to gather the kids’ things. “Get used to it. It happens more and more these days.”
I looked at Trace, trying to read behind the easy mask he always wore. “Anything?”
There was a quick flash in those green eyes. “Let’s talk about it in a minute.”
My stomach twisted as Linc reached for my hand. They had something. Something Trace didn’t want to talk about with the kids present. My gaze moved to Anson, who’d come in behind Trace and gone straight to Rhodes.
Rhodes had wrapped herself around him in a tight hug, knowing he needed her. Because it wasn’t easy for Anson to slip back into those profiler shoes. Even though he did it for the people he cared about, there was always a cost.
“That’s our cue,” Nora said, gesturing for the crew to leave. And she was the only one who could’ve gotten them to do it.
Kye pinned Trace with a hard stare. “We want an update, too.”
“I know. And I’ll give you one tomorrow,” Trace promised.
Kye didn’t look like he was going to move, but Fallon tugged on his sleeve. “Come on. I’ll treat you to a shake if you’re a good boy and do as you’re asked.”
Kye’s gaze cut to her. “Double chocolate with Oreos?”
“As if there’s any other kind,” Fallon huffed.
“Okay,” he grumbled but then pinned Trace with a stare. “Tomorrow.”
Trace nodded. The rest of the crew said their goodbyes, and it wasn’t long before it was only Linc, Trace, Anson, and me. Even Rhodes had told Anson she’d wait in the car.
My small house suddenly seemed too quiet. It had felt too crowded all afternoon, and now it was far too empty.
“Gonna talk you through everything we know,” Trace said, scrubbing a hand over his face. He looked exhausted.
Linc’s fingers tightened around mine, assuring me he was right there.
“We found tire treads that fit an ATV on the trails just north of your campsite,” Trace began. “And we found a sniper’s nest. Where they lay in wait for their shot.”
Linc’s hand tightened more around mine, but I didn’t think he was aware of it this time. “Did you get DNA? Prints?” he asked.
Trace shook his head. “Nothing yet. We found some fibers. Colors match hunting fatigues.”
“Nest, camo, specialty vehicle. That takes planning,” Linc surmised .
“It does.” Trace turned to me. “Who knew you were going camping?”
My eyes flared as I put the pieces together. “Just you and Cope. I mean, I’m sure he told Sutton, but?—”
“I already asked them. They didn’t tell anyone. I know I didn’t, which means one thing.”
“Someone’s watching,” I whispered.
Linc didn’t settle for simply holding my hand anymore; he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his uninjured side. But it didn’t matter how warm he was, I was still freezing. Ice slid through my veins as I pictured someone with binoculars watching me through the lenses.
“Even if they were watching you from some vantage point here, they wouldn’t have been able to keep up on foot. They would’ve had to know where you were going,” Anson said, his voice devoid of all emotion. “Is this camping spot one you go to often?”
I nodded numbly. “It’s my favorite one.”
“Who knows that?” Trace pressed.
My head swam as I tried to think of everyone I’d shared that information with. “I—I don’t know. Anyone I talked to about camping. It’s a public spot, so I might’ve recommended it to a friend or even a stranger. I’m sure I’ve talked about going there. I just…I don’t know to who.”
Trace reached out and patted my knee. “It’s okay. We’re just trying to narrow the field. We’ll figure it out. I’ve got deputies combing the surrounding property, trying to see if we can find a trail.”
“But until then, we have to assume they’re still watching,” I whispered.
A muscle fluttered in Trace’s jaw. “We do.”
“But if they were watching, why not take the shot before? Why wait until we were in the middle of nowhere?”
“The distance was likely too great,” Anson supplied. “Long-range sniper shots like that take a lot of skill.”
“That should narrow down your suspects, shouldn’t it?” Linc asked. Only it didn’t come out like a question, it was more of a demand.
“We’re working that angle,” Anson assured him. “My contacts at the bureau are putting a list together.”
Trace cleared his throat. “The U.S. Marshals also wanted me to pass something along.”
My gaze turned wary as I took in my brother. “What?”
“They want you to know that they’d be happy to put you back into WITSEC.”
“No.”
“It doesn’t have to be for?—”
“No,” I said, putting all the finality I could into the word. “I’m not running. Not anymore.”
“Arden,” Linc said, pain lacing his tone.
I jerked and turned to him. “I’m not doing it.”
“It would mean you’d be safe,” he said, his voice dipping low.
Everything in me twisted. “Safe and alone. I’m done with that. I’m not letting this asshole and whoever is pulling the strings keep me from living my life. Not anymore.”
Linc studied me for a long moment. “Okay.”
I blinked at him a few times. “Okay?”
He nodded. “I’m not going to try to force you to give up your life. You’ve worked too hard to rebuild it. But I am going to be by your side every step of the way, making sure you’re safe.”
The panic was back. “Linc?—”
“By. Your. Side,” he repeated.
My heart hammered against my ribs, but I forced out one single word. “Okay.”
Trace sighed. “I’ve got a deputy stationed outside. And we’ll be making the rounds throughout the night. We’ll do everything we can from a local perspective.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Trace squeezed my knee. “I’d do anything for my little sister. Even when she’s being stubborn and annoying as hell.”
One corner of my mouth kicked up as I tried to smile. “I’d be falling down on my job as your little sister if I wasn’t being both of those things.”
Linc let out a soft chuckle. “I know that’s true.”
“Well, you’d better get some rest because I know it’s gotta take a lot of energy to be that annoying,” Trace said, pushing to his feet.
I walked him and Anson to the door, but before Trace could leave, I gave him a quick hug. “Thank you. For everything.”
He stared down at me. “Just please be careful. Nothing reckless because you’re feeling hemmed in, okay?”
He knew me too well.
“I promise.”
“Thank you.”
“Drive safe.”
“Will do.”
I watched as he disappeared into the night, staring after him until there was nothing to see. Finally, I forced myself to shut the door. Letting out a long breath, I moved back to the living room.
Linc was already on his feet and holding out a hand to me. “You’ve had a long couple of days. You need a good night’s sleep.”
I did. But I doubted I’d find it tonight. Still, I followed Linc into my bedroom and got ready for bed. I’d lay there all night, staring at the ceiling, if I knew it meant Linc got the rest he needed to heal.
But when we turned out the light and Brutus settled into his dog bed, his soft snores filling the space, sleep tugged at me, and it wasn’t long before it pulled me under. But my nightmares greeted me. My mom yanking me down the hall, shoving me into the hidden closet. The cold, cramped dark froze me to the spot, but when the gun went off this time, it wasn’t my mom falling to the floor, blood seeping into the carpet.
It was Linc.