Surrender (Steel Brothers Saga 6)

“So I went upstairs, and lo and behold, who should be coming in with a bag of groceries, but Tom. He had dyed his hair dark brown, but I recognized his blue eyes. They’re just like Bryce’s. He denied it at first, tried to get away, but I tackled him to the ground, got him tied up with his own duct tape, and then I threatened him with…bodily harm.”

Jonah visibly tensed. What had he threatened Simpson with? I would ask him about that later. Or maybe not. He would come to me if he needed to.

“Anyway, I was getting ready to call the cops on him, when a guy all in black wearing a ski mask barged in, holding a gun.” He gripped the edge of the table. “I’ve never stared down the barrel of a gun before.”

I reached over and rubbed Jonah’s thigh. I hoped I was offering some comfort. I certainly wasn’t feeling comfortable myself. My nerves were on edge. The man I loved had been held at gunpoint. I kept quiet…for now.

“I decided to bluff. I told them I had already called the cops, that I’d let the guy in the basement go and told him everything. I told them they could kill me if they wanted to, but they wouldn’t get far.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m not sure I’ve ever been so fucking scared in my entire life.”

I squeezed his thigh. I was scared myself right now.

“What happened then?” Marjorie asked, her eyes wide.

“He took Simpson and got away. But now we know for sure, Talon. Tom Simpson was one of your abductors.”

“What about Colin?” Jade asked.

“He managed to get up the stairs, and I took as good care of him as I could until the ambulance got there. He’s at a hospital in Murphy. He’ll be all right. He’s dehydrated and malnourished, has probably been raped, but he will survive.”

Jade’s eyes glistened. “I’ve been nothing but angry with him for the last several months, with good reason, but I would never wish this on him.”

“None of us would, blue eyes.” Talon sighed. “So now we know who two of them are for sure. I never thought I’d see the day.”

Jonah turned to me and nodded.

For the first time, I opened my mouth. “Actually, Talon, we know for sure who all three of them are.”

He stood again. “Doc?”

I quickly related the story about Ruby Lee and her father.

“So Gina’s uncle is one of the same men who abused Talon?” Marjorie said.

“Yes.”

Talon sat still, staring at the cup of coffee in front of him.

“Tal?” Jonah said.

“I can’t believe it,” Talon said, still not moving.

Jade stroked his forearm. “This is good news, Talon. We now know who they are. Both of them. Now we can find them.”

“I can go see Larry Wade again,” Jonah said. “Now that I know who they are, there’s no reason for him not to tell me any information he knows.”

“The guy who came to the house,” Talon said. “The one who held the gun on you. Were his eyes brown?”

Jonah sighed. “I wish I could say they were. But they weren’t. They were very stark blue. Almost an unreal color of blue.”

“The man who kidnapped me had weird blue eyes too,” I added. “He told me he was a hired hitman. And I believe the man who threatened Felicia also had blue eyes, right?”

“So it wasn’t Nico Kostas or whatever the hell his name is.” Talon sighed.

And then a light bulb went on over my head.

Chapter Twelve

Jonah