As I did, a guy came walking toward us, past the truck in front of us. Tall. Broad shoulders. White. He was in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, decked out like a stereotypical cowboy—probably Wrangler jeans and a shirt stolen from the set of an old Clint Eastwood movie. I catalogued all that out of habit.

  He saw me and stopped.

  He looked at Melissa.

  He turned back to me. “You’re Jonah Bennett?”

  I frowned. “Who’s asking?”

  “Do we know you?” Melissa stepped toward him, looking him over. The doctor in her came first, always. “Are you hurt? Is there a car accident back there where you came from—”

  She was concerned about him, concerned about others.

  That’s what she did, who she was, and why I loved her.

  He pulled a gun out and pointed it at her.

  She didn’t seem to register that.

  She was looking for blood on him when he pulled the trigger.

  Chapter Two

  JONAH

  “No!”

  The world exploded in screams.

  Then blood.

  More blood.

  More gunfire.

  People were running.

  I was running. I caught Melissa’s body, but the guy—I looked.

  The guy was gone.

  * * * *

  “We need you to come down to the station,” said a voice from somewhere above me.

  We were at the hospital—or I was. But I wasn’t working. I was… I didn’t know what I was doing.

  That guy—Melissa was already dead when I caught her body, but the ambulance still brought her here. They were trying to save her, but I knew. I knew as I felt for her pulse, she was gone.

  Two detectives stood before me, and I looked around.

  Where am I?

  One of the cops looked around, too. He answered slowly, eyeing me. “We’re at San Antonio Medical Center.”

  I raked a hand through my hair. “My fiancée, she—” I looked behind them. A doctor stood there, frowning at me, two nurses with him. Why were they looking at me like that?

  I stood to go around the cops, to the doctor. “She’s gone, isn’t she?”

  The doctor looked back at the nurses. One gave him a nod, and he came toward me, his hands in his pockets. “Yes, Mr. Bennett. Your fiancée, Melissa Rainsley, didn’t make it. We were unable to resuscitate her.”

  Oh, God.

  Oh, God.

  God.

  God.

  I went over it all in my head, remembering the guy, what he’d said.

  He’d asked my name, and then shot her.

  “What was that?” One of the cops leaned forward.

  I looked over, squinting at him. At them both. “The guy. I can give you a description.”

  “Yes.” The second cop came forward, showing her badge. “I’m Detective Munoz. We’d like to bring you to the station for questioning.”

  Right.

  Because Melissa was dead.

  The doctor glanced between the cops and me. “Uh… We found a medical card in her belongings. We’re notifying her family since you weren’t married yet.”

  Right. They’d take it from here. That’s what he was telling me, and he was right to do that. She was theirs now. They’d take care of her. I had other problems to handle.

  I’d witnessed a murder.

  But fuck. I had to think.

  These were cops.

  I couldn’t be stupid here.

  I nodded, my mind scrambling.

  I had to be smart. I needed time to get organized.

  “I need to go to the bathroom first.”

  The male detective bristled, starting to walk with me.

  The female held him back. I saw the hand she put on his arm.

  They thought—No. I couldn’t go there. I didn’t know what they thought.

  One of the nurses showed me a back bathroom, and I went inside.

  Jesus.

  I stopped just inside the door.

  Melissa was dead.

  She’d been shot.

  He’d asked my name, and then shot her.

  My name, and shot her.

  He never turned the gun on me.

  My hand shook, blood still coating it.

  Damn. Damn!

  None of this was his blood. Just Melissa’s. Not mine.

  I went to the sink and washed it off, but gah—I froze midway through and held one of my hands up.

  This was her. And she was gone. I washed this away. I was washing her away.

  My phone was ringing.

  Cursing, I grabbed for a paper towel, a bunch of them, and reached for my phone.

  Kai.

  He already knew.

  I swallowed over a knot and hit accept, putting it on speaker.

  “Kai,” I choked out, the sobs right there, just at the back of my throat. I was going to lose it.

  He was quiet a beat before, “Where are you?”

  “Hospital.”

  “Where specifically?”

  “A bathroom.” I looked around. Two stalls. Both doors were open. And I was losing it. My knees were shaking, my legs unsteady. I was going down.

  “I’m alone,” I rasped out.

  “I got a call. Your name came over a police scanner with a GSW.”

  Gunshot wound.

  He was quiet again, and I could hear him taking a breath. “Jonah, are you hurt?”

  Tears rolled down my face—big, fat tears—but an eerie calm came with them. I put the phone on the floor and hung my head over it. “Not me. Melissa. They killed my fiancée, Kai.”

  He knew about Melissa. He didn’t know about the fiancée part.

  He was quiet another moment. “What’d he look like?”

  I gave him the cowboy description I had stored away, because in this life, with my family, you needed to know that shit. “Melissa wanted to go to the Valley, but I said no. I steered clear. I know there’s cartel there.”

  “You got police where you are?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” I looked over. They were probably on the other side of the door. “Two detectives came to the hospital. They want to question me at the station.”

  “How are they treating you?”

  “Like I’m the one who shot her.”

  “You think they know who you are?”

  A hard laugh ripped up from my throat, an ugly laugh. “Who the fuck knows. Could be my skin color. Could be because I was the significant other.” But fuck. Melissa.

  She was dead.

  Angry grief rose. I felt my chest tightening.

  “Tanner’s in Kansas,” Kai continued. “He’s on his way to the jet now, and I have lawyers heading your way.”

  I frowned. “You want me to hold them off here or go to the station?”

  “I’d never want you to go to a police station, but I don’t think they’ll hold off. Go. Don’t say anything to them. If they haven’t figured out who you are, they will, and it’ll be like Christmas to them. I don’t care what they say to you. They can lie.”

  “I know. I know all this.”

  God.

  Melissa.

  Grief clawed through me, eating up one cell at a time, one organ at a time. I let out a deep sob, a noise that didn’t sound human.

  Kai’s voice dropped low. “I’m sorry, Jonah. I know you loved her.”

  “If this was about me…” I couldn’t keep going because I knew. I fucking knew. It was. “He asked my name, and then he shot her. She was looking him over, thinking he needed medical assistance. She had no clue. No clue, Kai!”

  “I know. I’m sorry, brother. I’m so sorry.”

  There was murmuring on his end. I heard a female voice, and Kai came back. “I’m on my way. Tanner will get there first, but I won’t be far behind. Riley wants to know if you want her to come?”

  I loved my brother, both my brothers, and I loved my sister-in-law, but I was already shaking my head as he asked the question. “No. No. I—you and Tan. I’m not… She needs to stay with the kids.”

  “Okay. I love you. I’m coming.”

  I put the phone back in my pocket. Kai was coming.

  Good.

  Tanner was coming.

  Good.

  I needed my brothers.

  But I couldn’t move. Not yet.

  Melissa.

  I’m sorry, Melissa. I’m so sorry.

  Chapter Three

  JONAH

  They didn’t know who I was, or who my family was. Not yet.

  I was in a back interrogation room at the police station when I figured that much out.

  I’d been here a few hours now.

  I was tired, and time had started to bleed together. They kept asking me the same shit. Over and over again.

  The lawyers never appeared, but maybe they were here and waiting for Tanner. Maybe? I didn’t know anymore. I didn’t know anything.

  Except that they didn’t know who I was.

  “Mr. Bennett, why aren’t you speaking?” Detective Munoz asked. “We want to find this guy as soon as possible, and you’re not cooperating with us. You realize how this makes you look, right?”

  I sat in a chair in a corner of the small room, and they had pulled up two chairs across from me. They were suspicious of me because I was Melissa’s significant other. That suddenly clicked, and a wave of relief crashed through me, followed shortly by a surge of anger because fuck that.

  I mean, I got it.

  They were doing their jobs, but that sucked.

  I’d offered to give a physical description at the hospital, but they didn’t take me up on that. Maybe there was video footage from a phone camera? That would make sense, but why were they just sitting with me?

  “Are you guys at least looking for her shooter?” I asked.

  Their eyes jerked back to me, and their demeanor sharpened.

  The male leaned forward. “You want to cooperate with us now?”

  Munoz added, “We do, actually, have video footage. We have a BOLO out, and we have units canvassing the area. We’re looking. We’re doing our jobs. We also have audio of the incident from another phone, but we couldn’t quite make out what the man said. It looked like he asked you a question. What did he ask you?”

  I closed my eyes. This was going to start a whole different search once they knew, but they needed to know. I wanted them to find this guy. I’m not like the rest of my family. Maybe I was idealistic—or unrealistic, as Tanner might say—but due process and all.

  No.

  Fuck that.

  Fuck the justice system.

  Fuck everything.

  I weighed it in my head… If they actually found this guy? I didn’t want that justice.

  I wanted different justice, my family’s way of justice.

  So I shook my head. “I couldn’t make out what he asked me.”

  The two shared a look. “The video clearly shows that he asked you a question. You answered. Then he turned and shot your fiancée. What did you say, if you didn’t hear his question?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t remember.”

  Footsteps sounded from the hallway, along with loud voices.

  It was distinct enough, stopping right outside the door, and both detectives stopped talking to me. The male detective was rising out of his chair when the door opened.

  An officer leaned in, his hand on the handle, and motioned to the detectives. “Out here. A word.”

  They shared a look, gave me a look, and as one, left the room.

  I heard more voices, the sounds of arguing, and suddenly the door opened again.

  A woman in a business suit came in briskly, holding a briefcase. Another guy followed, and behind them, I saw my brother Tanner in the hallway. A police officer had stopped him there.

  So the lawyers had waited for him.

  He looked over their heads, meeting my gaze, and his eyebrows went up.

  He was asking if I was okay, but just like that, a wave of grief lodged in my throat. I could barely shake my head because now that he was here, I was crumbling. I could feel it rising.

  Fuck.

  Fuck!

  I couldn’t lose it. Not yet.

  Fuck being masculine. Fuck anyone, society, everyone.

  She was gone.

  Because of me.

  Tanner saw all this in one look, and his eyes burned. The storm was coming, in the way only Tanner could make shit happen.

  I closed my eyes, my head folding down as I heard him start.

  “Let me see my brother. Right. Fucking. Now!”

  “Who are you? Who is this guy? How’d they get back here?” another voice demanded.

  “I’m Tanner Bennett, and that’s my brother.”

  There was a moment of silence, but then I felt his presence. He must’ve shoved his way into the room. The business suit lady stood on my other side.

  “Mr. Bennett, it’s best if your brother does cooperate in some way with the detectives,” she said, her voice low.

  Tanner touched my shoulder. “No.” His voice was gruff. “It’s not. This can be scheduled for tomorrow. Right now, my brother needs his family. He’s grieving.”

  “Mr. Bennett?” It was Detective Munoz. “You’re his family?”

  “Yeah.” Tanner’s tone was sarcastic, and he tugged on my chair.

  I opened my eyes, not seeing anyone, but I stood.

  I knew why they were confused, but Jesus. We were past that shit.

  Tanner was white. I wasn’t totally white.

  Tanner’s voice was clipped as he explained, “If you need a whole family tree, suffice it to say that a few of us kids have different dads, and the guy who raised us was a piece of shit and didn’t let us talk about who our real daddies were growing up. And that’s all you’re getting from us because the only other thing you need to know is that our lawyers are here. You can talk to them, or you can wait, because the big kahuna isn’t far behind me.”

  Tanner guided me out the door, where he had a coat for me.

  I didn’t understand why I needed a coat, but I took it.

  Tanner turned back as we started down the hallway. “And if you need more clarification, the big kahuna is Kai Bennett. Our other brother.”

  Everything swirled around me. Faces blended with each other. Voices, too, but then a distinct quiet came over everyone.

  Tanner heard it, too. “Nice to know that even all the way down here, you guys have heard about him. All communication will be handled through our lawyers.”

  He was right. Even down here in Texas, they knew who Kai was.

  They knew he was the head of our family’s business, the Bennett Mafia.

  Chapter Four

  JONAH

  “If there’s cameras out there—and I’m guessing there won’t be, but just in case—put the coat on,” Tanner said softly as we walked toward the front of the police station.

  I looked down and there was dried blood all over me. I didn’t realize.

  I’d forgotten that I hadn’t wanted to wash her blood off.

  Gone was the sarcasm, but I could hear his anger. He was keeping it banked. And cameras? Jesus.

  I frowned. “What cameras?”

  “At this point, we have no idea. Cover your head, too.”

  But there were no reporters, if that’s what he’d been referring to, as we left the station and went to the waiting Escalade. Yet I saw Tanner still looking around. He was worried about long-zoom kind of cameras. Like PI cameras or… I had no clue.

  I didn’t do this world.

  I was in the civilian world.

  I had no clue what it took to be a criminal, but Tanner did. He ran a good portion of the business for Kai in the United States. That much I did know.

  We settled into the back of the vehicle, which had a driver and a guard in the front seat. As we left the station parking lot, Tanner turned to look behind us, and I followed. The car trailing us was full of Tanner’s security team.

  I didn’t travel with one because I lived a normal life, so there was no need—or that’s what I’d insisted.

  Kai had argued with me when I left for medical school, wanting to send a team. I didn’t want that. I wanted to be normal, but he made me try it for a while. I couldn’t be normal with bodyguards trailing me, and I was good at spotting them, even when they tried to be hidden. So after a year of me ditching them, Kai finally conceded and pulled everyone.

  I didn’t even have a gun.

  If I’d had a guard on me, she would still be alive, though.

  God.

  “She’s dead because of me.”

  I felt Tanner look my way, but he didn’t respond. He did say, “Sorry for taking so long to get to you. I know our family is flying nowadays, but I couldn’t get to you fast enough. The lawyers couldn’t find where you’d been taken. You didn’t go to the usual station for this jurisdiction.”

  I frowned, looking at him. “Where’d they take me?”

  “It was another station, but just not the one where you should’ve been. We think they were trying to hide you.”

  Wait. “But not from you guys.”

  His eyes were heavy, waiting for me to put two and two together.

  I did. “They thought the shooter was going to come back and finish me?”

  He shrugged. “At this point, we don’t know. I just feel bad that it took so long. They questioned you the whole time?”

  I nodded, then shook my head. “Yeah, but they gave me a lot of breaks. So no. I don’t even care. I—” Melissa was gone. Another wave of anguish was coming, going to hit me hard. “I want to see her.”

  “Melissa?”

  I nodded. “I asked her to marry me two days ago.”

  He pulled in a breath.

  “We were going to call the families.” I looked away.

  “You were going to tell her about us?” He eyed me a moment.

  I nodded, my head feeling so fucking heavy. “Yeah.” That’s all I could get out.

  “You’re Jonah Bennett?”

  “Who’s asking?”

  Bang!

  I jerked. I’d never get that out of my head. Ever.

  “Kai will be here in a few more hours,” Tanner offered.

  “He asked my name.”

  “I know.”