Claiming the Enemy: Dustin (Porter Brothers Trilogy 3)

“You giving Mama a hard time?” Dustin gave Holly a sympathetic glance when Rosie hit the metal tray with the plastic teether ring.

“If I remembered how cranky babies could be when they’re teething, I would have waited on having one.”

Dustin laughed. “No, you wouldn’t have.”

Holly gave a self-effacing smile. “Maybe not, but I would have thought about it harder.”

“What you should have thought harder about was marrying my brother,” he teased, going behind the counter to pour himself a cup of coffee.

“You want to start the day off with an ass whipping?” Greer growled from behind him.

Dustin lifted his cup to his lips, moving aside so Greer could reach the coffeepot and seeing he was dressed in his deputy uniform.

“Holly, turn on the TV. The world must be coming to an end if Greer is already out of bed and dressed for work.”

Greer gave him a retaliatory glower. “You’re begging for a smackdown, ain’t you?”

Raising his free hand in surrender, Dustin decided to take one of the cinnamon buns that Holly had placed invitingly on the counter. He was taking a bite when Logan came out of his bedroom dressed for school.

“Can I have a Cinnabon, too?” Logan excitably sat down next to him at the table.

“I made you oatmeal.” Holly got up and went to the refrigerator, grabbing a blue canning jar and bringing it to the table with a spoon. She placed it in front of Logan before returning to her chair.

Logan’s face fell like a deflated balloon. Dustin knew why he wasn’t given the treat for breakfast, but he would let Logan figure that out for himself. He and Holly had discussed Logan’s punishment for fighting after he had gone to bed.

“But Dad and Greer have one.” Logan stared at the overnight oats in distaste.

“They didn’t get in a fight at school yesterday,” Holly replied evenly, though Dustin could see it was killing her to stick to the plan they devised.

Greer leaned against the kitchen counter, dunking a bun in his coffee. “Next time, be smarter, boy—don’t get caught.”

“Greer!” Holly sent her husband a furious glare.

Dunking what was left of the bun again, he shrugged unrepentantly. “I’m just saying.”

Dustin changed the conversation before his brother landed himself on the couch tonight. “So, why are you going to work so early?”

“A word to the wise: if you get bored at lunchtime, don’t get suckered into a poker game with Knox.”

Dustin rose, carrying his cup to the sink. “How long do you have to work the morning shift?”

“A flipping week.”

Dustin watched as Greer leaned over to press a lingering kiss on Holly’s lips before removing the tray on Rosie’s highchair and lifting the cranky baby into his arms. Rosie settled immediately at her father’s touch, laying a tired head on his shoulder.

Dustin wasn’t surprised Greer was such a good father. Appearing uncouth and obnoxious, deep down, there was a part of him that only family members were aware existed. Greer would give his life to protect their family, having a wealth of caring not only for those he protected but toward others who had no idea of the part he played in their lives.

“Logan, finish up or you’ll be late.” Going to the hall closet, Dustin then went to his bedroom to get his briefcase, putting the paperwork he worked on last night inside before snapping the top closed.

Returning to the kitchen, he saw Greer handing off Rosie to Holly while Logan grabbed his backpack out of the closet.

“Make sure you don’t break the speed limit to get Logan to school on time,” Greer joked as he went to the door. “I’m on the clock when I go out this door. I’ll arrest your ass.”

Dustin stared at the brother he had hero-worshiped since he was younger than Logan. “You be careful out there, bro.”

Greer paused, giving him a strange look, his penetrating eyes seeing the silent warning that Dustin couldn’t explain to himself why the feeling of dread had come out in that grim tone of voice.

“Always, bro, always.”

Greer gave a long look at his wife and child before leaving. Holly stared after him worriedly.

“Dustin, is there anything wrong?”

Shaking off the apprehension, he gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m just being a worry wart.”

Holly bit a trembling lip. “You never worry about Greer. You always say he’ll outlive us all.”

“I’m just being paranoid. He hasn’t looked good since he came back from that trip with The Last Riders.”

“No, he hasn’t. He still hasn’t told me what happened while he was gone. Has he told you?”

Dustin shook his head. “No, and Rachel hasn’t either. They’ll tell us when they’re ready.”

“It must have been bad, whatever it was, or they would have told us. Greer promised me that he wouldn’t heal anyone else unless it was one of the family and it was an emergency. Whatever it was had to have been bad, or that tuft of hair wouldn’t have turned white.”