I let her go, moving to the closet where I knew Riley had her things.
I pulled out shoes and a sweatshirt. I tossed both toward Carson before going to Kai’s desk. “Put the shoes on. Keep the sweatshirt just in case.”
“Right.” I heard her awed tone.
I had my things on me, but cash and a burner phone sometimes weren’t a bad idea. I found some money in the stash Kai kept on hand and nabbed a phone, passing it to Carson as I took her hand again, leading her back out of the room.
“What’s this for?”
“Call your sister. Let her know you’re okay, and then we’re going to get you to safety. I’ll come back for your phone when I know you’re fine.”
“Uh…what?”
But I wasn’t explaining any more.
Tanner and Brooke wouldn’t fight us leaving, but there was a sense of urgency in my gut.
If we were going, we had to go now. Otherwise Carson would get thrown into the wolves’ den, and I didn’t want that to happen. At least, not any more than it already had.
We reached the garage, and I heard the sounds before I registered what they might’ve meant. I kept going anyway, pulling open the door and then stopping. The vehicle lights came first, then I could make out the SUV that eased inside. I had only a second to squeeze Carson’s hand in warning before the engine shut off.
She was screwed.
A door opened. My brother got out, strolling around the back of his SUV.
The guards weren’t in the house because Kai was coming. That’s why I hadn’t seen them earlier. There’d been an incident one time with his woman. He liked having that privacy, but not Tanner. Tanner never minded which guards were around, and neither did Brooke.
I should’ve remembered.
Now Kai was here. He eyed me, his gaze dropping to my fingers laced with Carson’s, but he didn’t show a thing.
He looked back up. “Brother.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
CARSON
I recognized this guy as he rounded the corner of the SUV. He was the first hottie from the morgue, and he was in charge. That much was obvious. Jonah had squeezed my hand. That could mean a few things, but all of them were bad in this scenario.
I gulped.
Tanner was terrifying, but in a whole different way. This guy could order my death, and eyeing him, I knew he would do it. He’d do it coldly and without a second thought, if he thought he needed to. For now, after giving me a curious perusal, he seemed more fixated on Jonah.
“I’m taking her to her place,” Jonah said as if heading off an argument. He said it with authority, and this guy gave me a whole different look, as if I were a new species to him. I held my breath until he turned back to Jonah.
“You might want to have her stay, considering we’re fairly certain her being at Bresko’s wasn’t an accident after all.”
“What?” My voice hitched high, and I flinched. What?! I stepped around Jonah. “What are you talking about? My sister—”
This brother of Jonah’s focused back on me, and there was a shift in his demeanor—a subtle one, but it was ominous, a warning. I almost stepped back, feeling it, but I couldn’t see it. I’d started wondering if I was imagining it when he responded, again so casually…
“Your sister received free tickets and a free VIP pass to the nightclub. It wasn’t a coincidence you were at both places.”
“But…” I shook my head. “My sister said it was a friend who worked there. She said she won the hockey tickets.”
“There was no friend. There was no contest. Those tickets were sent to her.”
I wished the floor would open up and swallow me, because what?!
I couldn’t comprehend any of that. My sister wasn’t a liar.
What were they saying?
The door opened behind us, and Tanner’s voice filled the garage. “Took you long enough.”
I tensed. I really didn’t like this brother of Jonah’s. He moved past me to the back of the SUV. He opened it and grabbed a bag before closing it. Pausing as he turned to us, his gaze swept over everyone, lingering on Jonah and me.
Tanner spoke again. “Pretty sure there’s been a new development, Kai.”
Kai. That was the first brother’s name. Jonah had mentioned him.
Kai. Tanner. Brooke. Jonah. Four of them.
“I’m seeing that,” he responded.
“Also, Brooke’s making dinner.” There was a slight laugh in Tanner’s voice. “So if we don’t want to die, we might want to get someone else in there. Normally she’s the one we want in there, but considering she’s a little unhinged tonight…”
Jonah groaned. “I got it.” He took my hand again, turning to me. “You need answers. Stay. We’ll get some for you, and then I’ll get your phone. I can take you back wherever you want to go.”