LITMIR.BIZ

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at him as though he was little more than a stranger. Evidently whatever familiarity they’d had years ago was gone now.

      The dark green button-down shirt had a wild-animal sanctuary logo on it and matched her green pants, held up by a corduroy belt with empty holders and a broken key chain. She certainly wasn’t a kid anymore. But just like back then, his heart caught at the sight of her.

      Why did he suddenly want to sit her down and ask her how she’d been?

      To cover the slip, he turned to Hanning and Shelder. Eric looked like a male model, while Hailey had wild red hair and was a cute tomboy. The lovebirds made an interesting pair. They were also very good at what they did.

      “Let the kid go.”

      The young man passed Jonah, looking up at him with his brother Martin’s silver eyes. Elise had always called them steel gray, but Martin’s had possessed a light that Jonah had never seen anywhere else. Until this kid—almost a man, really.

      He had Jonah’s lanky body—except that it was actually Martin’s, not his. He shouldn’t forget that. Still, the long arms and legs were familiar enough that he knew Nathan had trouble finding clothes that fit his limbs. Length might’ve helped on a basketball court, but Jonah had found it also meant he had trouble with coordination the rest of the time.

      Nathan’s hair was styled to sweep across his forehead and fall over his eyes. Jonah was just old enough to find the fact that his nephew probably used styling product in his hair mildly hilarious.

      The kid shot him a slightly curious, dirty look, and walked to his mom.

      Jonah focused on his team. “Get Parker and Ames. I want the whole zoo searched. We need to find Fix, but keep an eye out for the man who attacked Elise. I’ll get you a description.”

      His female teammate smirked, tipping her head to one side. “Elise?”

      Jonah sighed. “Elise Tanner, this is Deputy Marshal Hailey Shelder, who was just leaving, and her fiancé, Deputy Marshal Eric Hanning, who is going with her.”

      Hailey rushed past him. Jonah turned just in time to see her shake hands with Elise. Hailey practically bounced up and down on her boots. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

      Jonah rolled his eyes, his gaze landing on Eric. He shrugged as if asking, What are you going to do?

      Jonah knew exactly what. “Shelder. Don’t you have a search to do?”

      Hailey snapped her boots together and saluted. “Yes, boss.” Eric laughed and the two of them strode away to do something other than nose into Jonah’s personal life.

      His gaze strayed to Elise. “You’ll need to give a statement. Whatever you can tell the police about the man who attacked you is going to help us.”

      He believed her when she’d said she didn’t know the man who attacked her, but her brother could just as easily have been the one who planted the bomb—a pretty good distraction for the marshals chasing him, if he’d had the time to plan it out. Elise could be just another statistic of the victims hurt by Fix Tanner’s actions.

      Too bad it had to be her.

      Why had she come back? The thought that she could be in on Fix’s scheme entered his mind, but Jonah dismissed it almost immediately. He was paid to consider all the variables, but he knew Elise wouldn’t lie to him. There was just no way.

      Except he didn’t really know her anymore, did he? Even if they’d been friends for years before he’d come home to his brother’s grave and Elise gone. The teenage kid in front of him proved how long it had been. Could he trust her now?

      “You said you’re here looking for Fix?”

      Jonah shifted and showed her where it said US MARSHALS on the back of his vest. “You’re in the middle of a manhunt, Lise.” She stiffened, but she needed to know the truth of who Fix Tanner was now. “Do you know where your brother is?”

      “I haven’t seen my brother in...” She faltered. “As long as it’s been since I’ve seen you. I’m telling the truth. We only arrived in town today.”

      The kid glanced between them. “Mom?”

      Elise sighed. “Fix Tanner is my brother. Your uncle.”

      “And this guy?” The kid motioned to Jonah.

      He folded his arms across his chest. “I’m the one who’s going to bring Fix Tanner in for his scheduled court appearance.”

      It was Elise’s turn to sigh. “Nathan, this is your other uncle. Your father’s brother, Jonah.”

      Jonah blinked. “His name is Nathan?”

      Elise glanced at him like he was an irritant. “You know I loved your father, too. There wasn’t much else I could give him, so I named his grandson after him.”

      He couldn’t breathe. He only blinked, trying to comprehend her naming her son after his paternal grandfather. His dad had adored little Elise, and she’d felt the same way. There’d never been a steady father figure in her life. And now there wasn’t one in Nathan’s—unless Jonah could change that.

      The teenager shook his head. “I don’t...I don’t even know what I’m supposed to say.”

      “You don’t have to say anything, honey.”

      Jonah nodded, thinking the same thing. “It’s not a big deal, kid.” There was time enough for them to process this and everything else that had happened tonight.

      Elise spun to him, a look of horror on her face.

      Jonah shrugged, but that only made it worse. He and Nathan could talk later. Now was not the time, when the police were waiting to take Elise and Nathan’s statements about the intruder and the bomb, and Jonah had to get back to the hunt for Fix. What did she think he’d meant?

      Elise shifted. She groaned as if she was in pain. Nathan caught her, which made her cry out louder. He looked at Jonah, fear on his face. Jonah was already there, supporting Elise as they lowered her to the cracked concrete.

      “I’m okay. I just couldn’t catch my breath.”

      “You need to get checked out at the hospital.” The EMT’s face was somber. “I think you might have done serious damage to your back.” The guy already had her arm in a tight pressure cuff, not wasting any time. She pulled at the tab to detach its hold on her bicep.

      Jonah crouched and stilled her fingers, refusing to register how cold she was. Probably shock. Did he have a blanket in his truck? The EMT produced one before he could even think it through.

      “Go with them. We need to know what happened if we’re going to find your brother. I’ll let my team know what’s going on and meet you there.”

      Elise tried to sit up. “What?”

      Jonah stood. “I’m coming to the hospital. Until I figure out what just happened, you don’t go anywhere without a police escort.”

       THREE

      “There’s no sign of Fix Tanner. We searched the grounds and the outlying streets. He’s gone.”

      Jonah nodded at Hailey Shelder. “If the cops don’t need help with the bomb investigation, then head home. We can meet first thing tomorrow and regroup, find out if all of this is related, or just coincidental timing.”

      The others walked up. Jonah stood in a circle with his teammates: Hailey’s fiancé, Eric, the SEAL, Parker, and the former cop, Ames. “I’ll see you all back at the office. Seven a.m.”

      Hopefully he would be able to find an off-duty cop to help keep an eye on Elise. He didn’t think she was being targeted per se, but she’d been attacked and a bomb had gone off. Whether the things were

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