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“Ben and I can do that,” Easton volunteered. “If we leave now, we can make it to Mobile by this afternoon.”

“No.” Jackson refused to meet the looks of surprise coming from his brothers. “East, you and I will go. Ben already has a rapport with the Dunlaps. Work that and see if you can get more intel to help. We need to be sure they don’t have intel they don’t realize is relevant.”

His brothers seem to accept his reasoning, and if they didn’t, they were wise enough not to question him. He started for the back door, knowing Easton would follow.

“We’ll sweep the perimeter again before we head out. Call if you get any leads,” he tossed over this shoulder before stepping outside.

∞∞∞

Reagan was surprised she’d sat outside alone for seven minutes before she heard someone step out the door behind her. She didn’t bother turning around. She’d known Ben or Luke would follow her once they realized she was out of the cabin without someone watching her. They hadn’t exactly hovered over her and her parents while Jackson and Easton took care of something elsewhere, but they had remained close. She felt their attention centered on her even when she didn’t catch them watching.

She’d taken pity on them and hadn’t ventured too far. Though she wanted to walk, hoping the exercise would clear her head, she knew they would balk at her being away from the protection of the cabin. She settled on the back stoop, staring into the woods at the back though she didn’t register what she was looking at.

“I wanted to be alone to think.”

“I think you’re tired of thinking and want to be mad instead. If you need something to punch, you can use me. Or better yet, Luke. It would be fun to watch him get his ass kicked by a girl.”

Reagan chuckled despite herself. She was starting to think the brothers were too intense to have a sense of humor, but Ben had managed to draw out not only a smile but also a laugh with one comment. It was enough to prevent her from tensing when he dropped his considerable frame on the step beside her. Even with her slender figure, his broad shoulders and bulging arms crowded her.

“I don’t think he would find it as funny as you,” she returned.

“True, but he needs to loosen up. He’s wound way too tight.”

Reagan studied her hands where they were clasped in front of her. “He is intense. You all kind of are.”

“I wish I could say it’s not always the case, but this hit too close to the vest.”

“I can get that,” she admitted. “But aren’t you a little mad too? That he didn’t tell you about me?”

“No. I’m pretty sure Luke is and probably Jackson too. Gish is entitled to his secrets though. We all are. Even you.”

She turned in Ben’s direction, wishing there was more light for her to see his face. “You think I have secrets?”

“Don’t you?”

“Hmmm, let’s see. No secret child. No secret marriage. I publish my books under my own name. No shady past, unless you count the government spy whose sperm resulted in my conception. Nope. No secrets here.”

“Bullshit. You don’t want people to know you give a rat’s ass about English, but you do. You’re even mad at yourself for it. Gish uses the same I-could-care-less attitude. It protects him from being hurt. I’m guessing it does the same for you.”

Reagan tensed. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I do. It’s my gift. I can read people and assess their vulnerabilities. It allows me to go in and play a role to gain their trust and get the job done. Jackson calls me a grifter, which is a fancy name for con man. I think I’m astute enough to make a situation work for me.”

“No, it makes you a con man,” Reagan said.

“Except I don’t try to cheat people. I help them. We all do. It’s how Gish raised us. You can hate him for leaving you and your mom. He deserves that. But it’s also okay to admit he’s not a monster. He helps a lot of people, and sometimes to do that, he has to keep secrets. It’s more of a sacrifice than a liability.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?”

“I don’t know. You seemed a little lost to me. I was too. A long time ago, but it’s a feeling you don’t forget. Gish and my brothers helped me get over it. We aren’t biologically related, but who needs genetics? We’re family in every way that counts. Even with his secrets, I would lay down my life for English Barlowe. And he could very well end up giving his life for you. I can promise you he doesn’t regret it. You can trust him, Reagan. You can trust us. We’ll figure out what’s going on, and we’ll keep you and your family safe. It’s what we do, and we’re damn good at it. I guess that’s really all I wanted to say.”

She didn’t try to stop Ben when he stood and returned inside. He may have left her alone, but she had no doubt he stayed close, ready to come to her aid should she need it.

Only at the moment, she wasn’t fighting a physical threat. The danger was more to her heart than her person, and this risk was more terrifying than the unknown gunmen hunting for her.

Chapter Fifteen

Dry grass crunched under the weight of Jackson’s boots as he walked from the truck to the front of the split-level house with Easton at his side. The door flew open before they got close enough to knock. The brothers drew up short as a tall, regal woman with white hair flowing down to her waist regarded them with a stern, but curious look. Her strong presence gave Jackson pause, and when her eyebrow quirked, he realized he’d been silently staring for longer than was appropriate.