Finally satisfied, she leaned back in her chair. “There it is, guys. I’ll bring up the satellite image.”
Bran and Chase moved closer to Reese, who looked over her shoulder. The bayou landscape was forbidding, nothing but green for miles, a huge mass of swampy land cut by overgrown creeks, heavy thickets of trees, and dense, leafy foliage.
Kenzie went to Google Earth and zoomed north and south around the property. It was mostly a sea of green.
“Looks like a big bunch of nothing,” Bran grumbled.
“The map shows a couple of hunting camps in the area,” Kenzie said. “You can see a few buildings here and there, but none of them are near DeMarco’s property.” She zoomed in as close as possible.
“Looks like there’s some kind of structure on the land,” Reese said. “But it can’t be very big.”
“You mentioned hunting camps,” Chase said. “Maybe that’s what this is.”
Bran started nodding. “A cabin the old man built for hunting. Got to be plenty of game out there.”
“White tail deer, otter, turkeys, skunks, turtles, bobcats, opossums, and just about everything else,” Chase said.
“Not to mention alligators and snakes,” Bran added glumly.
Kenzie suppressed a shiver. “How can we be sure that’s where they’re holding Griff?”
“Nolan’s last call came from a tower in Loggy Bayou,” Reese said. “No more calls since then. I think he’s there.”
Chase and Bran exchanged glances. “Then let’s go get him,” Bran said.
Kenzie’s heart raced. The men were going after Griff.
“We need supplies,” Chase said.
“Weapons and clothes,” Bran agreed. “We brought most of what we need, but going into Loggy Bayou isn’t the same as blasting our way through the halls of a casino.”
“We’ve got tactical vests out in the rented SUV,” Chase said. “But we need one for Reese and some miscellaneous outdoor gear. And we could use a couple of pairs of night vision goggles.”
“We need an army surplus store.” Brandon took out his cell and started searching. “Bob’s Army/Navy. That ought to do it. Toss me the car keys.”
“I’ll go with you,” Chase offered. “Might see something else we need.” He looked at Reese. “Anything special we can pick up for you?”
“I could use a pair of cargo pants. New boots are a bitch, so I’ll make do with the ones I’m wearing. Make sure we’ve got face paint and plenty of ammo.”
“Will do,” Chase said. He and Bran disappeared out the door. Reese walked over to the living room window and stood with his back turned, hands braced on his narrow hips.
Kenzie came up behind him. Sliding her arms around his waist, she rested her cheek against his back. “I know we have to do this, but I’m scared. I’m terrified of losing my son, and the prospect of you being shot or killed—”
Reese turned around, wrapped her in his arms, and silenced her with a kiss. In a matter of heartbeats, it went from a way to make her forget the danger to something hot and desperate. Kenzie wanted the kiss to go on and on, wanted the heat building inside her to push away her terrible fear. She whimpered when Reese pulled away.
“We’re getting him out,” Reese said, keeping her in the circle of his arms. “And none of us are going to die.”
Her eyes welled. “You can’t know that.”
“Not for sure. Nothing is ever completely certain. But my brothers are both former military. Brandon was a special ops soldier, Chase an army MP. They know what they’re doing.” He tipped her chin up and softly kissed her lips. “And I’m fairly capable myself.”
It was true. She knew he practiced martial arts. She had watched him fight the big burly Sea Titan mechanic, seen the way he’d handled Eddie Fontaine. Reese was in amazing physical condition. He was tough and he was smart.
“You never talk about your past,” she said. “You know all about me and my family. About Lee. What happened in the past to make you the way you are?”
His features closed up and his mouth thinned. “You mean cold and insensitive? I know that’s what people say.”
Her heart melted. She reached up and cupped his cheek, felt the roughness along his jaw that made him look like the hard man she knew he could be. “You aren’t cold and insensitive. You’re the most caring man I’ve ever met. For some reason you just don’t want people to know.”
Reese sighed. He sat down on the sofa and drew her down beside him. “I know I keep most people at a distance. It’s good business practice, but it’s also a defense mechanism. It’s just easier not to let anyone in.” He flicked her a sideways glance. “No way for me to get hurt.”
Kenzie frowned. “But you always seem so self-assured.”
“I know I’m good at what I do. I’ve got plenty of confidence when it comes to business. It’s relationships that give me trouble.”
She processed that. They were in a relationship of sorts, but it was mostly brought on by circumstance. Or was it? She wanted to believe it was more. “What about me? Surely you aren’t afraid I’ll hurt you.”
His beautiful blue eyes fixed on her face. “You could,” he said softly, surprising her.
She glanced away, afraid of the emotion rising inside her. She didn’t want to get hurt, either. “You’re close to your brothers,” she said, shifting the conversation in a safer direction.
“I owe my brothers everything. When I was a kid I was always in trouble. I got involved in a teenage gang, ended up in juvenile detention. If it hadn’t been for my mom and my brothers, I’d probably be dead by now.”
Her heart squeezed. “They helped you turn your life around.”
Something moved across his features. Clearly there was something more. “They were a big part of it. But something else happened. Something I’ve never told anyone...not even Chase and Bran.”
Kenzie stayed silent, afraid if she spoke he wouldn’t go on. But her gaze held his, urging him to continue, telling him without words he could trust her.
His glance cut away. “I’d just gotten out of detention. Still finding my way, I guess. One of my buddies talked me into going out drinking with him. We were both underage, but that just made it more exciting. We got reeling drunk. I knew Billy shouldn’t be driving, but he was more afraid of his dad than having an accident. It was three o’clock in the morning when the front tire blew on his dad’s Buick sedan. Billy swerved and hit a tree at sixty miles an hour.”