Page 70 of Guarding Colton’s Witness

“Some hostess you are, sis. Guess breakfast is a no-go?”

Cal walked in with his dog, Pilot. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Pop-Tarts,” Ryan said. “Have at them.”

Her brothers could eat the contents of her refrigerator and then ask if there was more. “Why are you here, Cal Bell?”

“Because Wyatt told me to be here.” Pilot looked up at Cal with hopeful doggy eyes. “Play.”

Pilot gave a happy bark, then raced to Matti. “Hey, beautiful boy. You come to give me kisses?” He nuzzled her neck when she bent over. “You got to come to work today, huh?”

“He hates being left behind when I leave in the mornings, so I sometimes still let him come with me,” Cal said as he headed for the kitchen.

“What a good boy you are.” He barked once as if agreeing. She vigorously rubbed his neck and laughed when his eyes rolled back in his head. “Ah, you still like that.”

Apparently done with her, he sidled over to Ryan. After some serious sniffing of Ryan’s shoes and legs, Pilot sat at Ryan’s feet and stared at him. Ryan held out his hand for the yellow Labrador retriever to smell. “And who are you?”

“This is Pilot. He’s retired now, but he’s a trained search and rescue and cadaver dog.”

“That’s some kind of talent there.” Pilot’s tail swished across the floor, and he dropped his chin on Ryan’s knee.

When he scratched around Pilot’s ears, Matti would swear that the dog smiled at him. “He likes you.”

He grinned at her. “What’s not to like?”

Wyatt and Cal walked out of the kitchen, both with a coffee cup and a Pop-Tart in their hands.

“Haven’t had one of these since I was a kid,” Wyatt said. “Forgot how good they are.”

Ryan chuckled as he shook his head. “You people are weird.”

“The eye’s looking better, Doc,” Wyatt said.

“I can see out of it now, so all’s good.”

Wyatt set his laptop on the dining room table. “Gather around, children. I’m going to FaceTime Dylan. He couldn’t be here, but he’s in on it.”

Oh, boy. From past experience, when any of her brothers teamed up, whoever was in their sights had better run for cover. She moved to a chair at the table, and when Dylan’s face appeared on the screen, she waved her fingers at him.

“Everyone there?” Dylan asked.

“All accounted for,” Wyatt said. “Tell them what you told me this morning.”

“There’s no easy way to say this. I’ve got a CI who knows almost everyone in the drug trade.”

“A CI?” Ryan said.

“A confidential informant. He heard about two gang members trying to buy a gun because they had a kid to kill.”

“Did they get a gun?” Ryan asked.

“My CI doesn’t know.”

“This has to stop,” Matti said.

Ryan, standing behind her, put his hands on her shoulders. “What can we do?”

“I’ll take over from here,” Wyatt said. “Mom and Dad are taking Sam away for a few days.”