“I’ve got this.” She pointed her gun at the floor, her gaze locked on Esteban.
He gave her a bewildered look.
The loud knock sounded again. “Open up,” a man called out. “It’s Rafael. I know my brother and sister are in there.”
Beau stopped in surprise at the door and slowly turned to look at Sierra and her brother. “Rafael? What is this, a family reunion?”
She lifted her shoulders in a helpless gesture. “I have no idea what’s going on.”
Esteban swore.
“For once, I agree with you,” Beau told him.
He aimed his pistol at the door and jerked it open.
The dark-haired man standing there raised his hands in the air. “I left my gun on the porch, over there. I’m unarmed.”
“You don’t mind if I verify that, do you? Turn around.”
“Um. Sure.” Rafael turned around, and Beau roughly patted him down.
When Beau stepped back, he motioned Rafael to come inside. “Welcome to our humble abode, Covington. I’ll get the beer and chips,” he said, sarcasm dripping from every word. He yanked the confused-looking man across the threshold and slammed the door behind him.
Chapter Eighteen
Sierra tapped her foot impatiently, sitting beside Beau on the couch. It no longer formed anLwith the other couch. Instead, Beau had scooted it under the TV, at least fifteen feet away from her brothers, facing them. To top that off, since he didn’t have another set of handcuffs, he’d had the audacity to tie Rafael’s hands behind him using a cord that Beau had cut from a lamp. She supposed he’d have to pay for that too once this was all over, along with the pilfered eggs.
Worst of all, he’d taken her gun away. That had her madder than anything else. It meant he didn’t trust her. He’d said as much when he’d chided her for breaking rule number three—or was it two? The one where she had to mind him at all times during the investigation. She couldn’t help it if her excitement at seeing her brother had her opening the door. Although, to Beau’s credit, she’d have never known her brother was outside if she’d gone to the bedroom when Beau told her to instead of looking out the living room window.
Ugh. He was infuriating. And her hero as well, dang it. Because everything he was doing that aggravated her was to keep her safe. It was hard maintaining her anger while secretly being grateful and in awe of him at the same time.
She glanced at him, speaking on his phone to Collier, and arched a brow. “Can we move this along? I want to talk to my brothers.”
“Just a minute,” he promised her. “Collier, one more thing. Is Fletcher there with you? She is? Good. I’m about to interrogate the Covington brothers—”
Esteban swore at him in Spanish.
“—and as you can probably already hear, I’m guessing they may try to use Spanish to keep me from knowing everything they discuss. I’d like Fletcher to interpret if that happens. Yes, I’ll put it on Speaker mode.” He pressed a button on the phone and set it on the coffee table he’d moved to the middle of the floor between the couches for just that reason. Then he sat beside Sierra.
“I’ll start,” Beau said.
“They’re my brothers. I’ll start.”
“This is an interrogation, Sierra. Not a family reunion. Remember—”
“Don’t you dare mention one of your rules again. Fine. I’ll wait. But don’t expect me to remain silent if I want clarification about anything.”
“Thanks, sweetheart.” He winked when Esteban mumbled beneath his breath, his eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Stop antagonizing him,” she chided.
“What’s going on?” Rafael asked. “I think I missed something.”
Esteban nodded toward Beau. “That cop and our sister are…” he hesitated when Beau gave him a sharp look, “…dating.”
Rafael’s mouth dropped open. “Sierra, you’re dating acop?”
She threw her hands up. “Good grief. Can we just move on? Beau, ask your questions or I’m going to.”
