Heap of Trouble (Trouble, Tennessee 2)

Markie clucked. “Not really. I knew the younger one but Draegan here, why he had quite the experience with the others. Didn’t ya, sugar?”

“I wasn’t on my knees for one of ‘em, Markie,” Draegan reminded him.

“Don’t be crude,” Markie said in a girlie voice. “There’s no need for jealousy. I always tell everyone I’m saving the best for last.”

Allister crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “So Markie was up in some dude’s business and you…what, picked him up after his one-night stand?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that.”

“We’re wasting time here, boys,” Harley said. “We need to load up and hit those hills before the day is done.”

Draegan gripped his chin and placed his forefinger over his lips in thoughtful consideration. After a minute, he said, “We have policies here for a reason.”

“You saying you don’t think we should go after Heather?” Allister asked.

“I’m sayin’ we have policies. If we break our own rules, we need to go to the Vance’s place with the understanding that about half of us may not come back.”

“Oh, bullshit.” Allister rolled his eyes. “You’re so damned dramatic at times.”

“In this case, he’s a little on the conservative side.” Markie tilted his head and took a deep breath before adding, “Think high-collared shirt, knee-high socks, and Sunday’s best. That kind of conservative.”

“Markie, can you please just hush a minute?”

“For you, sugar? It’ll be my pleasure. You’ll just owe me one.” He gave him a heated look and Allister sneered. “Never mind. We’ll call it even.”

Allister turned his back to Markie. “What do you know about the Vance brothers?”

“I about got my killin’ out at their place. Markie was seeing the younger one, and apparently his brothers didn’t know anything about his sexual preferences until they met Markie.”

“Imagine that,” Allister mumbled. “Go on.”

“I went out there to pick Markie up. Mac was with me. It took us about four or five hours just to find him.”

“What? Why?”

“They have wells on the property,” Markie said, the color now drained from his face. “Your brothers are good stock. Most folks would’ve left me once they saw that place. Not Mac and Draegan. They searched every last well until they found me.”

“Wells?” Harley asked. “What are you talking about?”

“Wait a minute. You’re saying they hid you in a well?” Allister was starting to understand some of Markie’s phobic tendencies.

“Yes, they did.”

Allister felt a sudden pang in his chest. Markie irritated him to no end, but they were family. When they were kids, Markie practically lived with them.

“I never knew.” Now that he did, he felt damned bad about it. Markie had always been afraid of the dark and hated confined spaces. Allister’s eyes watered and he looked away. Damn it. Drudging up the past must’ve been difficult for Markie.

Harley pushed away from the couch and paced. “Draegan, what do you remember about the property?”

“Probably about as much as Markie does. The Vance home is surrounded by woods.”

“Will that be a plus or a minus in our favor?”

“Definitely a negative, brother,” Draegan replied. “There must be a good five hundred acres up there.”

“And the wells?” Allister asked.

“I remember one of the Vance brothers boasting about ‘em. At the time, he claimed most of ‘em were dry. If you believe the locals and rumors, those wells were dug for one purpose—hiding bodies.”