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Nicole remembered meeting Dylan the day before in Sheriff Wolfe’s office. He was a former federal agent, so he certainly would know his way around firearms. Erica had a good teacher.
“Good to know, little sister. Everyone should know how to take care of themselves.” Sawyer ruffled his sister’s hair.
Nicole called on her police training and considered the situation.
One shot. No more.
What had happened? Was it one of the Russians coming for her?
Sawyer cautiously peered back out the window.
“See anything?” Reed said quietly.
He shook his head.
Suddenly, they all heard a motorcycle engine rev up.
“You head out back to make sure there’s not two of them. I’ll go out front. Meet you at the truck,” Sawyer said, running out the door.
“Nicole, you know what to do,” Reed said as he headed out the back to the porch where she’d had her bath.
Even though her heart was slamming into her ribs, she kept her head. She did know what to do. Keep her gun ready at all times. Keep Erica calm. Keep herself calm. It was quite the task, but a necessary one.
“Hi Erica. I’m Nicole,” she said in a steady voice that surprised even her. “I’m a cop. You’re in good hands. And you know your brothers will be safe and have things under control in no time.”
“I want to believe you, but I’ve been through this kind of thing recently. I’m definitely the one to blame for that incident, and maybe this one, too.” Erica wiped tears from her eyes. “I know about you, Nicole. The whole town does. I came up here, knowing how my brothers live. Rustic. God. I brought you a care package that I thought you might need. Did those Russians follow me here? How stupid can I be?”
Nicole squeezed Erica. “No, this is all my fault. I brought all this to your town, not you.”
The brothers’ sister turned to her. “You understand what I’m going through, don’t you?”
“As much as anyone carrying guilt can, Erica.”
“Nicole, are you sure that Reed and Sawyer are going to be okay? I would die if anything ever happened to them.”
So would I. “Yes. We just have to be calm. We’ve got to trust that they know what to do.”
* * * *
Sawyer and Reed had given up the chase of the motorcycle. They’d never actually seen it, but only heard if from afar. Now, they couldn’t even hear it. On foot, he and Reed—pistols still drawn—were headed to where they believed the motorcycle’s engine had first turned over.
Reed pointed to the ground up ahead. “You see that?”
He nodded. “Looks like blood.”
As they got closer, they saw a body on the ground that shocked Sawyer.
Connie. Their mountain lion was down. She’d been shot. Her breathing was labored.
“Be careful, Reed,” he said as his brother knelt down beside the wild cat.
Reed nodded. “There’s material in her paw, bro. Connie took some of the asshole’s flesh.”
“Doesn’t surprise me one bit.” Sawyer looked through the trees and saw the cabin’s front door. Knowing how close the killer had come to succeeding in his mission sent a chill down his spine.
Reed took off his shirt.
“Careful. She might wake up,” he cautioned his brother.
