One Eye Open

“I didn’t think they could,” she said softly. “But having them to depend on sure helps.”

“Like you depend on Alex?”

She ignored the mockery in his tone. “Yes, exactly. Like I depend on Alex.”

“I wouldn’t depend on him too much. Looks like he ducked out on you, too.”

She heard the unspoken: like he ducked out on me.

Though she tried to tear herself away, she found her gaze drawn to him. Despite the painful emotions still plain in the hard cast of his features, he handled the Tahoe with deft precision, moving in and out of lanes with the confidence of a skilled driver. His law enforcement training, no doubt.

Watching him channel his agony into driving, Brenna knew Carson meant what he said. The more she learned about him, the more she realized he wanted the truth and meant to find it, no matter what. This man took no half measures. He would be absolutely certain he had the right person before he started any course of action. Given that, she couldn’t blame him for wanting to find her brother.

A thought struck her so hard that for a moment she couldn’t catch her breath. What if Carson was right? What if her brother had been the one who’d murdered Carson’s family? Just thinking such a thing felt disloyal and impossible, yet…

The evidence seemed damning. Carson himself had seen Alex with the gun. He was still involved with the biker gang. If he wasn’t undercover, why was he with them? There had to be some sort of rational explanation.

“I don’t understand why Alex hasn’t contacted you,” she mused. “Unless he’s in danger.”

“Because he’s guilty.” After a quick glance at her face, his tone softened. “Believe me, that’s something I’ve wondered, too. Hell, Julie loved him like a brother. Becky called him Uncle. And he was my best friend.”

Was. Once again, past tense. Did Carson see no possibility that he might be wrong? That someone else might have killed his family?

“When I was lying on the floor bleeding, I raised my head and looked at him. He knows I saw him. That’s why he’s trying to have me killed.”

Brenna started. Though he spoke without inflection, she heard no doubt in Carson’s voice. He truly believed that Alex…She couldn’t complete the thought.

Again Phelan whimpered, shifting in her arms. Instantly she stilled her heart rate. She didn’t want to alarm the puppy. In a moment he snuggled into her warmth, drifting back into a fitful doze.

“You should have let him out when we got gas,” Carson commented. Since he was right, Brenna merely nodded.

With the radio off, the ebb and flow of traffic combined with the Tahoe’s engine in a soft roar. Twice Brenna’s eyes drifted closed. Both times she forced herself to sit up and stretch her neck and shoulders.

“How much longer will it take to get there?” she asked, not from any real need for conversation, but merely to break the silence and stay awake.

“An hour, maybe less.” From his terse response, she doubted he wanted to talk any more than she did. Tough. She had to prepare herself for the situation they were headed into.

“Tell me about Hawk’s Falls. What kind of situation are we going to find?”

Another sidelong glance. “Dangerous. If Jack—my informant—is right, a lot of money and drugs are going to change hands in a couple of days. They’re smart. The big rally is a cover. With hundreds of bikers in town, no one will be able to tell when the deal goes down.”

“So the bikers will be on edge?”

“Only the ones involved. The rest of them will be too busy partying to pay attention to anything else.”

She sighed. “What kind of place is this?”

“Hawk’s Falls? Typical small town. I’ve been through it once or twice. Nothing exciting.”

“Then why do they allow this biker gathering?”

“Hey.” Amusement sparkled in his eyes. “Most bikers are decent people. Their money’s as good as anyone else’s.”

“What are we going to do once we get there? Do you have a plan?”

“We?” Carson shook his head, still watching the highway.

Amused, Brenna hid her smile. “Yes, we. Unless you plan to tie me up and leave me in here.”

“Don’t tempt me.” he growled, though the slight lift at the corner of his mouth told her he was joking. So the man did have a sense of humor.

“Seriously, what are we going to do?”

“We have to be careful. Once we get to Hawk’s Falls, we’re going to play it by ear.”

“You don’t have a plan.”