War and Rye sat in a pair of lawn chairs in the back room, with Robbie ensconced in Quin’s desk chair. Quin didn’t encourage people to linger back there so that was why there was only the one chair.
The brothers climbed to their feet when Race and Nolan walked in. Race glanced back and forth between them and Robbie. “Okay so look I can’t stand the suspense. What the fuck is going on?”
“Right? Rye? Why wouldn’t you tell me what was happening? You just made me drive here by myself, worried the whole way.” Nolan marched over to Ryder and poked a finger at his chest.
“Sorry, babe, but you have to hear this. It’s important.”
Race frowned at Nolan, then stood. “Robbie, start talking. Now.”
Robbie nibbled his lower lip with his prominent front teeth, then sighed. “So I was telling Quin about my capture, right?”
“Yeah?”
“One of the guys — he was a sweet guy when no one was there — he helped me. He was being drugged, and he couldn’t shift. I felt so bad for him.”
Race was going to kill this bunny. “Uh-huh.”
“Would you get to the point?” Con snapped. “This isn’t a movie monologue.”
“Sorry. Sorry. He was a black bear shifter, and he said his name was Milo. Quin said I had to tell you.”
Race stopped, blinked, and Nolan sat, actually missing the chair and hitting the floor.
“Fuck me.”
“Are you sure?”
“That’s what he said. And he… now that I started thinking about it, he looks like you. A lot.”
Milo had disappeared years ago, and they’d been searching for him forever, but there hadn’t been a single hint. They’d hoped he was safe somewhere, just too proud and too free to come back to their dysfunctional old stomping ground.
But what if he’d been chained up all this time? The thought made Race nauseated.
Nolan sat there, pale and shaking. “I can’t believe this.”
“I—” He groped out to find his brother’s hand again. “We have to find him. I have to go back to the warehouse. You guys wait here.”
“No! We can’t go off half-cocked.” Nolan held on hard.
“He’s right.” Con stared at him. “We’re in this together.”
“I can’t just leave him there!” he snapped.
“No. Of course not.” That was Warrick. “But we need a plan.”
“Yes. Listen to Warrick, brother. We need a plan.”
“A plan got Connal shot.”
Con glared at him. “I have to believe they were gunning for you, love. That this was a set up.” Con flapped a hand at Robbie.
“Of course it was a set up! I’m an elementary school teacher! Who wants me? This is obviously someone else’s fault.”
“Yeah, kiddo, but I mean more specifically, it was meant to get Race. Whoever this is, they want him too.”
“And maybe Nolan,” Race bit out. “He would be too worried to let me disappear without looking.”
“Honey,” Con stared at him. “They tried to get Nolan, remember?”
