Page 92 of Hearts and Hidden Secrets

CARSON

I recognized this guy as he rounded the corner of the SUV. He was the first hottie from the morgue, and he was in charge. That much was obvious. Jonah had squeezed my hand. That could mean a few things, but all of them were bad in this scenario.

I gulped.

Tanner was terrifying, but in a whole different way. This guy could order my death, and eyeing him, I knew he would do it. He’d do it coldly and without a second thought, if he thought he needed to. For now, after giving me a curious perusal, he seemed more fixated on Jonah.

“I’m taking her to her place,” Jonah said as if heading off an argument. He said it with authority, and this guy gave me a whole different look, as if I were a new species to him. I held my breath until he turned back to Jonah.

“You might want to have her stay, considering we’re fairly certain her being at Bresko’s wasn’t an accident after all.”

“What?” My voice hitched high, and I flinched. What ?! I stepped around Jonah. “What are you talking about? My sister?—”

This brother of Jonah’s focused back on me, and there was a shift in his demeanor—a subtle one, but it was ominous, a warning. I almost stepped back, feeling it, but I couldn’t see it. I’d started wondering if I was imagining it when he responded, again so casually…

“Your sister received free tickets and a free VIP pass to the nightclub. It wasn’t a coincidence you were at both places.”

“But…” I shook my head. “My sister said it was a friend who worked there. She said she won the hockey tickets.”

“There was no friend. There was no contest. Those tickets were sent to her.”

I wished the floor would open up and swallow me, because what ?!

I couldn’t comprehend any of that. My sister wasn’t a liar.

What were they saying?

The door opened behind us, and Tanner’s voice filled the garage. “Took you long enough.”

I tensed. I really didn’t like this brother of Jonah’s. He moved past me to the back of the SUV. He opened it and grabbed a bag before closing it. Pausing as he turned to us, his gaze swept over everyone, lingering on Jonah and me.

Tanner spoke again. “Pretty sure there’s been a new development, Kai.”

Kai . That was the first brother’s name. Jonah had mentioned him.

Kai. Tanner. Brooke. Jonah. Four of them.

“I’m seeing that,” he responded.

“Also, Brooke’s making dinner.” There was a slight laugh in Tanner’s voice. “So if we don’t want to die, we might want to get someone else in there. Normally she’s the one we want in there, but considering she’s a little unhinged tonight…”

Jonah groaned. “I got it.” He took my hand again, turning to me. “You need answers. Stay. We’ll get some for you, and then I’ll get your phone. I can take you back wherever you want to go.”

My throat felt scratchy. “Promise?”

My head whirled. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked that, but I needed some reassurance I’d be taken home.

I wanted Jonah, but I also wanted nothing more than to curl up in my bed at my parents’ house, where I’d grown up.

His eyes darkened. “Promise.”

I nodded, feeling a little steadier, but not much.

Jonah led me back inside, and I glanced over my shoulder as we went.

The older brother hadn’t moved, and his eyes hadn’t left us either. As I looked, our gazes caught and held. I felt it deep inside—a warning—and I gripped Jonah’s hand more firmly before steeling myself and forcing myself to turn back around.

I didn’t like giving him my backside, but in this moment, there was no way around it.

I also felt like he was aware of every emotion and thought running through my head, and he found them amusing.