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Her eyes narrowed. “I didn’t leave any lights on.”

Aw, hell. That couldn’t be good. All of Nate’s senses sharpened. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Maybe your roommate did it.”

Dorcas shook her head. “No, Shailene’s on a cruise with her boyfriend.”

“Shit.” No way could this be a coincidence. His first impulse was to charge upstairs in the hopes of catching whoever was inside the apartment. But that would mean leaving Dorcas in his truck, alone and unprotected. Or worse, dragging her with him into the middle of God knew what. And if there were more men in her apartment than he could handle, things might not end well for either of them.

Still, if there were people inside Dorcas’s apartment, he wanted the chance to interrogate them before handing them over to the police. He wanted to know why this was happening, and he doubted he’d get those answers once the cops got involved.

So instead, he powered up his phone and called one of his brothers. He considered that an act of personal growth. Maybe even a sign of maturity.

“What’s up?” Austin said when he answered the call.

“I’ve got a situation at Dorcas’s place. If you’re free, I could use an assist.”

A hard edge bled into his brother’s voice. “What kind of situation are we talking?”

Nate gave him an abridged version of the afternoon’s events, and the line went silent for a few long moments. He knew Austin had a soft spot for Dorcas. She and his wife, Nina, had been roommates, and they still hung out quite a bit.

“Aside from the light being on, have you seen any activity inside the apartment?” Austin asked.

“No. Nothing.”

“Are you armed?”

“Yeah.” His Glock was tucked under the driver’s seat, but he hadn’t reached for it yet because he didn’t know how Dorcas felt about guns and he didn’t want to freak her out.

“All right, I’m at the office,” Austin said. “Give me fifteen to get there. Until then, you know the drill. Lock the doors, don’t get out of the truck, keep the engine running and in gear, and for fuck’s sake, don’t try to be a hero and go in on your own.”

Nate knew his brother was only trying to help, but the advice made him feel like Austin didn’t trust him to act responsibly. “Yes, Dad.”

“Fuck off. You owe me. I’m on my way.”

Austin ended the call before Nate could unleash the smartass reply that was perched on the tip of his tongue.

“He’ll be here in a few,” Nate said, still stewing as he set the phone in the storage compartment between the seats. He started the engine and engaged the locks. Not because Austin told him to do it, but because it was the smart thing to do.

While they waited, the sun dipped below the tree line, and bold strips of orange and crimson spilled across the sky. The kitten tried climbing out of the laundry basket again and hissed at Dorcas when she foiled his latest escape attempt. She scooped him up, and the ungrateful little shit hissed some more, but then settled down after a minute or two of her cuddling him against her chest.

In reality, Austin made it in ten, and he’d brought their brother Wade along for the ride. He parked his silver SUV alongside Nate’s truck.

“Thanks for coming,” Nate said as both men climbed out of the vehicle.

“No problem.” Austin closed the driver’s side door. There was a noticeable bulge in his jacket, a sure sign he carried at least one firearm. Knowing his oldest brother, he had two: one in a shoulder holster, plus a clutch piece strapped to his ankle.

God only knew what Wade had on him. Dressed in all black, he stood a few feet away, an impenetrable wall of muscle and bad attitude. A pair of yellow-tinted glasses shielded his eyes, while the fading light made the jagged scars on the left side of his face less prominent. He nodded his head in acknowledgment but didn’t utter a word.

Austin’s gaze fixed on the building. “Any signs of activity?”

Nate shook his head. “We might have dragged you out here for nothing.”

“No, you did the right thing. It never hurts to be careful.” Austin shifted his attention to Dorcas, who’d gotten out of the truck and was still clutching the kitten to her chest. His forehead furrowed. “When’d you get a cat?”

“It’s my sister’s...I think. We found it at her place.”