Page 91 of Ruthless Enforcer

Luke Bennett stands in the entryway, a steaming mug in one hand, looking entirely too cheerful for a man waiting for a war to start.

“About time.” He steps aside. “Tell me we know who blew up the garage. You promised me violence, and so far all I’ve gotten is coffee.”

“Nobody promised you violence,” Gabriel says, guiding me past him.

Luke shuts the heavy oak door behind us. “It was implied.”

Gabriel gives him a look.

“I’m an optimist.” Waving us to follow, he leads us through the great room toward the kitchen.

Jake stands at the long island with his wife Emma beside him. Luke takes up his previous position against the counter like he has no intention of doing anything useful until someone starts shooting.

Mason and Harper are conspicuously absent.

So are Hendricks and Mandy. Gabriel told me on the flight that they've been chasing their own leads on Turner for the last twenty-four hours. Apparently, Cole Turner has managed to turn finding him into a full-time occupation for half the state of Montana.

Conversation stops when Gabriel and I enter. All eyes turn toward us.

Then down to our joined hands.

Luke’s gaze flicks between them and our faces, and that obnoxious little glimmer returns to his eyes.

Gabriel looks at him.

Luke lifts his coffee innocently.

“How’s Mateo?” Jake asks.

“Out of surgery.” Gabriel releases me only long enough to pull out a chair for me. “He made it through the worst of it, but the burns are extensive and he lost a lot of blood. They put him in a medically induced coma to manage the swelling.”

“I’m sorry,” Emma says.

Gabriel nods. “So am I.”

The words are quiet. They hurt more because of it.

Luke comes over with two mugs of coffee. Gabriel takes both and immediately puts one in front of me.

It’s such an automatic gesture that I’m not sure he even realizes he did it.

I do.

Emma does too, judging by the tiny smile she hides behind her own mug.

Jake doesn't miss much either, but his attention stays on Gabriel. “What do we know about the garage?”

“Not enough.” Gabriel takes the chair beside mine. “Fire marshal is still working the scene. Alessandro has people going through it too.”

“And you think Turner did it?” Luke asks.

“I think somebody wants my family to believe the Whitlocks did.”

The room goes quiet again.

This time, every eye doesn't go to Gabriel. It goes to me.

“My uncle didn't do this,” I reaffirm.