“Why are you here?” Blake’s sharp tone demands our attention, and I’m not in the mood.
Too much is going wrong today, and I’m tired from spending all afternoon searching this house. Now the sun’s going down, and we have nothing.
“Norris called us. Your uncle wasn’t in his bed this morning, and he didn’t come back by noon. He’s not in the best of health, so we came immediately to investigate the situation.”
“Why is it your business if my uncle isn’t in his bed?” Blake’s brow arches, and I see she’s only gotten stronger over the years.
Clearing my throat, I ease up, not wanting to fight. “I’m a private investigator. As I said, Norris called me, but even if he hadn’t, your uncle is a close friend of mine. I’d have come regardless.”
“A private investigator.” Her full lips press together, and she pulls an envelope out of her pocket. “Then I guess you should see this. It came in the mail a few days ago.”
I take it, quickly unfolding the thick paper and scanning the words. He said he’d sent her a letter. Protect my nieces, he said to me.
“I don’t know why he doesn’t just call or text like a normal person,” Blake grumbles as I think. “Anyway, he asked us to come home for his birthday. Why would he do that if he were planning to leave?”
I nod, returning the note to her. “I don’t have an answer to that question, at least not yet.”
“Well, doesn’t this note at least prove he planned to be here?”
“It would appear that way.” My jaw sets, and I’m not so sure what her uncle planned–or what he suspected.
I know he was worried enough to get them here, worried enough to involve me in their protection.
A throat clears behind me, and I look back to see my brother tilting his head towards the door, and I know what it means. Too many people are in the house, and we’re in danger of corrupting or even damaging evidence.
“Let me take this. You’re coming to my place.” Stepping forward I place my hand over Blake’s on the handle of her suitcase.
She immediately recoils. “Excuse me? I’m not going anywhere with you. This is our family home. We’re staying here.”
Defiance sparkles in her eyes, and the tension that has always existed between us fires in the front of my brain. I’ve always known how smart she is–it’s also her biggest weakness. She thinks she’s the smartest person in the room, and it makes her vulnerable. She’s not strong enough for this.
“The mansion is a crime scene. We don’t know what happened to your uncle or who might be watching the place. Perhaps whoever did this knew you were coming.”
“No one knew we were coming. I only decided this morning.”
I nod, making a mental note. “Still, it’s not safe here. We don’t know enough, and there’s plenty of room at my house. My niece lives with me. I have a housekeeper. You’ll be perfectly safe and comfortable there.”
Hana lifts the side of her dress and does a wobbly little turn before Scar steps forward quickly and gently catches her arm, taking her suitcase.
“Thank you.” Her voice is like tissue paper, high and just above a whisper. She places a slender, pale hand on his muscled, inked forearm and looks up into his darkness. It’s like watching a biker with a kitten, but I don’t have time for distractions.
“I’m not staying with you.” Blake’s shoulders are set, and I knew it would be this way. “We’ll find a hotel or a bed and breakfast.”
“You won’t find any of that here.” Dirk chuckles. “Hamiltown is not exactly a booming metropolis.”
“Exactly.” I take her suitcase from her hand. “It’s not a discussion. You’re staying at my place. I have an entire upstairs floor where the two of you can set up, undisturbed. You won’t have to see anyone if you don’t want to.”
Her eyes widen, and you’d think I’d offered a golden turd on a silver platter. “I’d rather go back to New York than stay at your house.”
“But you’re not.” I start walking to my black Silverado, and Scar falls in behind me. “I’m keeping my eye on you until we understand what we’re dealing with here.”
“I didn’t ask for that.” I hear her steps hustling up behind me, and I stop, turning to face her.
Inhaling deeply, my shoulders broaden, and I’m done arguing. “No, you didn’t, but your uncle did. Now come on.”
Confusion lines her brow, but I’m done. Tossing her bag in the back of my truck, Scar does the same with Hana’s before holding her hand and helping her climb into the backseat.
I hear my brother consoling Blake behind us. “I’d offer to let you stay at my place, but I’ve only got one big room.”
Oscar doesn’t say a word, but his eyes never leave Hana. He watches her like she’s something he’s never seen before, like a Viking entranced by a mermaid.
I don’t have time for anymore discussion, and I’m fucking hungry. “Let’s go.”
Blake’s chin juts forward with the clench of her teeth, and it shouldn’t be so attractive. She takes a casual step past me, and I catch her waist to help her into the back of my truck.
It makes her hesitate, and she flashes those eyes at me. “Tell me, Hutch Winston, do you always handle people like trained monkeys?”
“Yes.” My tone is flat. “I get away with it, too.”
“Aren’t you lucky?”
“No. I’m pretty fucking tired and hungry.”
“Then we should go back to New York. We didn’t ask to come here.”
“And I didn’t ask you to come here, so don’t make my life more stressful.”
“I’m not interested in your life, Mr. Winston.”
“And I’m not interested yours, Ms. van Hamilton, but I made a promise to your uncle, and I intend to keep it. You two are going to stay with me. For whatever reason, criminals love returning to the scene of the crime.”
Her gray eyes widen. “You really think someone’s going to come here?”
“I’m really not taking a chance, and I’m definitely not leaving two sitting ducks as bait. Now, let’s go.”
All her fight disappears, which should give me pause.
“I’ll do it for Hana.”
Her Achilles heel. She’ll do anything for her sister. I’m not so sure it’s a good thing, but I’m not looking too closely at my feelings at this moment. What matters is finding Hugh and making the person who did this pay.
4
Blake
He’s too big.
He’s too big and too attractive, and let’s not forget how he destroyed my life, destroyed Hana’s life, sent me to a fucking all-girls boarding school where I couldn’t stop Victor from skimming thousands of dollars off my father’s estate.
Also, I hate him.
Now I’m installed on the second floor of his oversized farm-style home, tucked away on one of the older streets in Hamiltown, but I don’t want to go back to New York. I want to stay and find out what happened to my uncle, not to mention, I have to figure out what to do about this blackmail situation.