Page 24 of Knox

“She had good taste,” I said softly.

“She did.” Knox’s voice was rough. He cleared his throat and called out, “Archer! Colton! We’ve got company.”

Heavy footsteps sounded somewhere in the back of the house, drawing closer and growing louder until two men appeared in the kitchen doorway. Both men were large and unreasonably attractive. Was that a requirement of the US Marine Corps these days? Must be giant and good-looking?

The stocky one, a hair shorter than Knox, with shoulders that suggested he could carry a Volkswagen if necessary, offered a lift of his chin in greeting. His dark eyes were sharp, taking in every detail in seconds.

The other one, leaner and more unassuming, had a wiry build and exuded restless energy. Even standing still, he seemed as if he might spring into motion at any second. His fair skin was an angry shade of pink across his nose and cheeks.

“Gentlemen,” Knox said, “this is Sloane Mercer. Sloane, meet Archer Stone and Colton O’Connor. We served together.”

“Ma’am.” Archer stepped forward first, extending his hand. His grip was firm but careful, and his eyes dropped briefly to my throat where the bruises were still visible before meeting my gaze again. “Knox told us what happened. How are you holding up?”

“I’m okay,” I said, appreciating the direct approach. No dancing around it, no uncomfortable avoidance. “Better now that I have protection.”

Their gazes moved to Knox.

“Sloane has asked me to keep her safe while the sheriff and his men look for her attacker,” he explained. “I told her we’d work as a team.”

Their heads nodded in silent acceptance.

“She’s asked me to stay with her during that time,” he added. “Sloane wants to help the sheriff however she can, and I’d like to continue Mom’s efforts to find the hikers. We think those missions work well together. Your assistance will be crucial to make this a success.”

Colton moved forward, his hand outstretched, and his handshake equally respectful. “If anyone can keep you safe, it’s Knox. Well, him and us.” He grinned. “We’re pretty good too.”

“Don’t let them fool you,” Knox said, moving toward the kitchen. “They’re not nearly as incompetent as they look.”

Archer barked a laugh, and the humor reached my lips.

I followed Knox into the kitchen, certain his friends had felt the tremor in my hand. I hadn’t stopped shaking since last night. The other men trailed behind. The space was bright and airy, with white cabinets and butcher-block countertops that showed years of use. A coffee pot was already brewing, filling the air with a rich, dark scent.

Knox pulled mugs from a cabinet with the ease of muscle memory, and I watched as he moved through his mother’s kitchen. This was his home. His history. And he was sharing it with me.

“So,” Archer settled into a chair at the kitchen table, gesturing for me to sit. “Welcome to the team.”

“Thanks.”

I sat, and Colton took the chair across from me while Knox poured coffee. “We all agree there’s a connection between the missing hikers and the man who attacked me?”

“We do,” Archer said. “We’ve been going through Claire’s notes, but there’s nothing definitive so far. We’re classifying everything into categories that feel relevant. Deciding where to start.”

“Knox’s mama was one hell of a woman,” Colton said quietly. “We met her a few times over the years. She flew out to the base anytime we were stateside.”

“She invited us here whenever we saw her, but we never made the time to come,” Archer added. His obvious heartbreak made him appear suddenly younger, vulnerable.

“I’m glad you’re here now.” I looked each of Knox’s friends in the eye. “Claire would love seeing you here for him. And just seeing you here. She adored this place and took every opportunity to share that. She’d want you both to feel as happy here as she was.”

Knox set mugs in front of each of us, his expression soft with memory. “That’s one hundred percent true.”

“Your mama was always trying to feed us,” Colton said with a grin. “She worried about our nutrition like it was her job. My mom didn’t even notice I’d lost weight on deployment.”

“To be fair,” Archer said, “you could stand to lose a few pounds before that deployment.”

“Hey!”

Their banter chipped away at my tension, and my shoulders lowered inch by inch.

“How long have you three served together?” I asked.