Denver paused next to a jewelry store. “Wanna talk about it?”
Heath frowned, his body feeling heavy. “Talk about what?”
Den rolled his eyes. “Forget it.”
Ryker looked from one to the other of them. His eyebrows slashed down. “What? Heath? Oh, come on.”
How did Denver always know everything? Heath glared at his brother.
Denver winced. “Sorry.”
Yeah, he probably was. “Don’t worry about it, and I do not want to talk about it.” Right now, anyway.
“You slept with her. I knew you would.” Ryker sighed. He paused to lean against a brick building, his gaze darkening.
Heath straightened. “I’ve got it under control.”
“I’m sure you do.” Ryker stretched out his hands in his gloves, obviously looking for the right words. “I’ve been there. Hell. I’m there right now.”
Heath paused. “Where would that be?”
Ryker straightened. “Realizing that we have something great but that everything we love is under threat.”
Heath swallowed over a lump in his throat. “It’s not the same. I mean, as you and Zara.” Ryker was going to propose again with ring and bended knee. That was real.
Ryker lifted one massive shoulder, and snow slid down his leather jacket. “Maybe, maybe not. But Anya is special, and you know that, and there’s only one chance for you to even think of having a life with her. Hell, having a life at all. We can’t keep running.”
Realization slapped Heath in the face. Yeah. Ryker did get it. “We take the fight to them. To Madison and Cobb . . . after we finish the Copper Killer.” The wind slid beneath his collar, and his skin constricted. Facing monsters was something he could do. But monsters from the past? The ones who’d known him when he was weak and scared? He swallowed. “We can to this.” Together, they’d make it.
Denver nodded. “It’s time to stop running. We’re ready now.”
“Yeah,” Heath said softly, his gut churning. He wanted a life not only for himself but also for his brothers. They deserved peace. “It’ll be bloody.”
“Always was,” Denver said.
Heath studied his brothers. They’d gotten a raw deal from birth, and yet they’d found each other. They’d formed a family—and they weren’t alone. Not when they had each other. That meant something. In fact, that meant everything. That’s why they’d win. “Let’s deal with Madison and Cobb after this case. I’m not sure what to say about Anya, so let that lie for the time being.”
“Fine.” Ryker’s eyes crinkled but didn’t lose their worried gleam. “I’m here for you. Also, we need to talk about last night at some point. You could’ve killed Carl, and I’m not sure you would’ve stopped if we hadn’t been there.”
Heath winced. His ears heated. His rage could’ve brought the cops, and then he would’ve harmed his brothers. “Sorry about what happened. I’m all right now. Lost it for a moment, but it’s all good.”
“You’re forgiven.” Ryker rubbed the scruff on his jaw. “That’s great about being fine and all, but when one of us loses it, we talk it out.” He winced. “I’m sure I saw that on Dr. Phil.”
Warmth burst through Heath, and he chuckled, really feeling the amusement. Man, he loved his brothers. “We’re all so good with the feelings, right?”
Denver frowned, his blue eyes darkening.
“Exactly,” Ryker agreed. “Later over beer?”
“Over beer,” Denver said.
Heath gave in. “Yeah. Later over beer.” He sighed. Ryker was right. They all had scars from the past, and when the old pains boiled up, they talked it out. That’s what family did. Well, if they really wanted in, the busybodies, then . . . “I need more condoms, I think.”
“Too much information.” Ryker shook his head and shoved open a glass door. “Let’s be quick about this. Though the apartments are secured, I don’t want to be away for long.”
Neither did Heath, although he had no clue what to say to Anya, especially when all he wanted was to put her right back into bed where they could both stay. He followed Ryker into the jewelry store and was instantly hit with the soft scents of lemon and cinnamon. As an air freshener, it wasn’t bad.
The store was small with long glass counters running alongside all three walls. The door and windows took up the fourth wall and let in plenty of natural light. No other customers had braved the storm to buy baubles.
Ryker made his way over to the wide counter to the right. “I’m thinkin’ that one.” He nodded down at the case, his gloved fist clenched over it.
Heath stepped up to one side of him with Denver on the other. The three of them took up the entire length of the counter. “Which one?”
“It isn’t obvious?” Ryker tilted his head to study him.
Heath frowned and looked at five rows of sparkly rings. Some were diamonds, some pearls, even some sapphires. “Uh.”
Denver bent closer to the counter. “That one.” He pointed to a stunning ring with a large square diamond surrounded by deep blue sapphires. “Matches her eyes.”
Ryker grinned, his entire body relaxing. “Yeah. That’s the one.”
“It’s perfect.” Denver straightened and wandered over to another counter, tension rolling from him.
As usual, Denver had seen through the question to the answer. Too bad he couldn’t do that in his own life—especially when it came to the woman he’d left behind in Alaska for her own good. It certainly hadn’t done Denver any good.
Heath studied the ring. “It’s beautiful.” At his words, an elderly man who’d been hovering on the other side of the room made his way over, his eyes gleaming with a promised sale.
“I’m Ernie, and I own the store.” The guy pushed back his thick gray hair. “Can I help you gentlemen?”
Ryker pointed out the ring. “I’d like to buy that one.”
So much for haggling. Heath lost interest and wandered around the store. What kind of jewelry would Anya like? He paused by a section holding emerald jewelry. In the center sparkled a square-cut emerald of the deepest green he’d ever seen. Two bands were set along each side, each containing several square diamonds.
The image of it on her finger wouldn’t leave his mind. He tore himself away and walked over to where Denver was staring into another counter. “What did you find?”
Denver didn’t move. His body was tense in his faded jeans and worn black leather jacket, and the snow had melted away.
Heath followed his gaze to a series of rings with diamonds and a pretty light green stone. “What is that?”
“Alexandrite,” Denver said quietly, his hands shoved into his pockets. His eyes shuttered, and his face lost all expression. But his jaw remained set, and a vein pulsed down his strong neck. Even standing next to Heath, he looked . . . alone.
Heath studied the pretty designs. The only time Denver had that look was when something reminded him of Noni, the woman he’d left behind a year ago. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but—”
“Then don’t.” Denver turned to go.
Heath grabbed him by the shoulder, and Denver stiffened beneath his touch. “If I have to chat about my feelings, so do you.” They’d let him stew long enough. “For a while, I thought you’d work her out of your system, so I gave you space.” Yet Denver seemed to be getting worse. “I can smell the booze on your breath from your coffee,” Heath said quietly.
Denver turned and faced him directly, his deep blue eyes all but glowing. “We all drink.”
Heath knew how hard it was for Denver to speak, so he rarely forced him. But this wasn’t getting better. “Not the way you’ve been drinking.” He nodded as Ryker strode up with a bag in his hand. “Denver is ready to talk about Noni. Apparently she likes alexandrite.”
Ryker stopped short. “Who is Alexandrite?”
Denver rolled his eyes. “It’s that jewel.” He pointed to the light green stone. “Turns purple sometimes. It was Noni’s favorite. Her grandpa was Russian, and
it’s found in Russia.”
“Okay.” Ryker cut Heath a look. “Apparently we have a lot to chat about tonight.”
Denver shook his head. “I just chatted. Am done now.”
Ryker lifted one eyebrow at Heath.
Heath shrugged. He had no clue whether they should push Denver or not.
Ryker narrowed his gaze but didn’t say anything.
“You gonna buy a ring?” Denver asked, his lips twitching.
Heath shuffled his feet. “No.”
“Why would you buy a ring?” Ryker asked, his gaze going from Denver to Heath.
Because it was perfect for Anya? “They’re pretending to be engaged. She needs a ring.” Denver turned away from the green stone as if the movement hurt him.
Heath moved toward the emeralds just to get his brother away from the alexandrite and back to the other counter. “I’m not getting a ring.”
Ryker started to argue, but something stopped him. Heath partially turned to see Denver with a hand on Ryker’s arm. Denver shook his head and then said to Heath, “Do the ring. If you’re pretending, do it right. Maybe have fun with it.”
Heath lifted his head in surprise. Have fun with it? What would Denver give for a fake engagement to Noni, even for a short time? Maybe he wouldn’t be able to let her go again.
Ryker kept his mouth closed, but his eyes broadcast genuine concern. Different expressions crossed his face, ending with acceptance. And amusement. “All righty. Dig out what little cash we have left. Might as well go completely broke.” He leaned toward Denver. “You’re right. He should get the ring. This might be fun to watch.”
Denver nodded, his eyes twinkling. Finally.
Heath would do anything to keep Denver amused, and getting Anya a ring did seem like it’d be good for the case. He dug out the last of his cash, which would just cover the bauble. “You guys. It’s just for the case. I like her, and she deserves a ring. Maybe a memento of us. Yeah, that’s it.” Heath motioned for the proprietor. This was just for appearances . . . and Anya would like the ring. She should have some sort of souvenir from their time together after he’d gone. “I’d like the emerald ring, please.”
Anya finished taping up her notes of the Copper Killer case on the wall to create a new murder board in the empty living room, wincing again at her sore body. She had tingles and reminders of the night with Heath pretty much everywhere, which only made her want him again. Like now. He’d left a rather short note saying that he’d taken care of the GPS tracker on her phone, that he was going on an errand with Ryker, and that she should stay in the apartment building until he returned. It hadn’t been phrased as a request, either.
She glanced at the clothing in the corner. While she’d had a lot of items in the temporary apartment, she missed her apartment on the coast. Hopefully her neighbor was still gathering her mail.
A soft knock sounded on the front door. “Come in,” she called.
Zara opened the door and poked her head inside. She’d piled her dark hair up. Without makeup, her skin was smoothly flawless and her eyes were a sparkling blue. “Nice murder board. Denver has a similar one. Now you’re surrounded.”
“Good.” The more she saw the ties between victims and times, the more her mind would work on the case. “We have to figure out who this guy is.”
Zara nodded. “Fair enough. For now, I’ve made breakfast, if you’re hungry.”
“Starving.” Anya launched herself toward the doorway but paused as she drew closer. “Is that a hickey?”
Zara rolled her eyes as she gingerly touched her lower neck and the clear mark there. “Ryker is such a dork.”
Dork? Not a word Anya would’ve considered for the strong and silently moving badass. “If you say so.” She glanced toward the empty kitchen. “I take it you keep the food?”
Zara chuckled. “I pretty much do all the cooking, so I usually have the food.”
Anya frowned as she followed her new friend, who’d so nicely loaned her a gun the night before. “That doesn’t seem fair.”
Zara let her into another apartment, this one just as empty except for what appeared to be a fully stocked kitchen. “I enjoy cooking quite a lot, and I also like to eat.” She walked around an island to grab a couple of plates piled high with scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes. “When those guys cook, we starve.”
Anya accepted a plate and took a seat on one of the two barstools. “None of them can cook?”
Zara munched on a piece of bacon, her blue eyes thoughtful. “Well, Denver can cook. In fact, he’s a pretty good cook. But he’s just fine with somebody else taking control in the kitchen.”
Anya took a bite of the eggs, and wonderful tastes exploded in her mouth. She swallowed. “I see why. These are delicious.”
“It’s my grandma’s recipe.” Zara grinned.
Anya faltered. “Oh. Where does she live?”
Zara sampled her eggs. “She’s in Montana with family right now.” Her gaze remained on her plate.
Ah, the mysterious Montana contingent. “I’m so tired of secrets,” Anya murmured.
“I totally understand. I really do.”
“But you won’t tell me what Heath is hiding, now, will you?” Anya asked, digging into her pancakes.
“Nope.” Zara swallowed and turned to grin. “What fun would that be? You need to get Heath to give you all the dirt. Wouldn’t you rather he told you everything anyway?”
Anya tried to keep her expression stoic and then gave up. “I would really like that.” She scrunched up her nose. “But we’re just working together for this case. After that, he’s back on the run. You know. You’re all running?”
Zara opened her mouth and then shut it again. After several seconds, her smile returned. “Says who?”
Anya couldn’t help it. She smiled back. Here was a woman she could befriend. She had many acquaintances and a few friends, but it had been easy to go on sabbatical for a year. Or it would’ve been, anyway. Zara would be hard to leave. “You’re not a very good liar.”
“I know, right?” Zara chuckled and then ate more of her pancakes. “It sure is nice having another woman around, though.”
“What about Denver? Is he dating anybody?” Anya considered the quiet brother. “He seems so sad.” Big, broad, dark, and sad.
“I think he is sad. He was in love with a woman and he left for his own reasons. But if you ask me, I don’t think he’s over her,” Zara said.
“Please don’t tell me he left for her own good.” Anya shook her head.
Zara grimaced. “I think something like that may have happened.”
“Moron,” Anya murmured, anger for the abandoned woman filtering through her. “They’re all kind of like morons.”
“Most men are, honey.” Zara threw back her head and laughed, the sound tinkly and full of humor.
Anya joined in for a moment. Then she sobered. “What’s so different about you?” Yeah, her mouth was ahead of her brain again, but she didn’t care. There had to be a good explanation.
“What do you mean?” Zara asked, finishing off her eggs.
“Well, Ryker didn’t leave you behind. Heath won’t take a chance, and that’s fine, because I’m not sure what I want right now anyway. But Denver left some woman, and he’s sad. So what is it about you? Why are you on the run with these men and not safely hidden away somewhere?” It probably wasn’t fair to ask the woman such intimate questions, but Anya couldn’t help it. She was so curious about this too-good-looking, dangerous band of men. What would it be like to be included with them? “I’m sorry to be so nosy.”
“Don’t worry about nosy—that’s the name of the game here. We’re few, but you’re in the fold, Anya.”
Anya jolted. She was in the fold? Her body warmed, and tears pricked her eyes. From simple words. “Now I’m the dork.”
Zara snorted. “I get it. These guys have a strong bond, and being included within such a bond means something. It can mean everything.” She leaned close, her gaz
e soft. “Heath cares about you, and that makes you family, like it or not.”
Anya cleared her throat. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. Thank you.” She lifted an eyebrow. “Again . . . how are you here on the run?”
Zara thoughtfully put her napkin on her plate. “Well, I guess I didn’t give Ryker a choice.” She hopped off her stool and strode around the island again. “Once I knew the full truth, I had a decision to make, and I made it. Wherever this life takes us, I’m with him. No matter what.”
Anya polished off her pancakes. How amazing would it be to be so sure about where you fit in life? Zara knew she fit with Ryker. “You’re in love.”
“Yep.” Zara waved a wooden spoon in the air. “Did you and Heath get busy last night?” Her eyes gleamed with curiosity.
Anya bit her tongue and then grimaced. “I guess that’s a fair question since I just grilled you.”
“Well?” Zara tapped her foot. “He has had some serious tension, and I’m hoping it all exploded into ecstasy.”
“Nicely put. We got very busy.” Nothing in the world could’ve stopped the smile that spread across Anya’s face.
Zara grinned. “Oh man. You’ve got it bad.”
“It was incredible,” Anya whispered. Then she gave in to the nagging voice in the back of her head. “But I think he held back, you know?”
Zara nodded vigorously. “They have hang-ups about hurting people, and Heath totally has issues with any woman being harmed.” She leaned forward a little. “If you care for him, if you want a future, you have to do two things.”
“I just got out of a relationship,” Anya protested. Yet her curiosity kicked in. “What two things?”
Zara set down the spoon. “First, you have to get the whole truth from him about his life. There’s no going forward without that.”
Anya had already figured that one out, and she hadn’t needed her degree in psychology to do it. “I’m not saying I want a future with him. But just in case. What’s the second thing?”