After spending the late morning and early part of the afternoon with Renee, Shiloh’s head was still reeling with all the information she’d given him. His heart felt shattered into a million tiny pieces, aching for the life she’d endured for far too long. Calling it living didn’t encompass everything she’d been through. Shaking his head and muttering a few well-chosen curse words, he strode through the door into Daisy’s Diner and glanced around the tables. He spotted Lucas in one of the back booths. Ridge sat directly across from him. He hadn’t known his twin would be joining them, but he wasn’t surprised.
Ever since listening to Renee, he’d been testy, on edge, and angry. Chances were good his brother picked up on his feelings and headed for Shiloh Springs. Sometimes the whole twin telepathy thing was pretty cool. They’d always had a connection he didn’t share with any of his other brothers, in a way that was some days awesome and some days downright creepy. Their special connection usually meant he couldn’t keep anything secret from his brother. Today, he felt like a volcano ready to erupt, but he’d managed to contain himself around Renee. Didn’t want her to realize how finding out she’d live a life filled with so much emotional turmoil and pain affected him on a visceral level.
He could use the moral support of the two brothers seated at the table, as well as Ridge’s analytical brain to figure out how they were going to help dig Renee out of the mess she was neck deep in.
At the Big House, he’d left Renee with Liam and Dane, knowing they’d keep a vigilant eye out on the premises, and make sure nobody got anywhere near her. Liam put the jobsite foreman in charge for the next couple of days. Boudreau Construction had several projects going all the time, well known throughout Texas and even a few bordering states for their quality and dependability. Liam’s crews ran like a well-oiled machine, and he’d assured Shiloh taking a few days off wouldn’t be the end of the world. He couldn’t help appreciating his brother’s willingness to step up, but then, all his family did.
“Shiloh, good to see you.” Daisy stood beside the table as Shiloh slid onto the red vinyl bench. “Coffee?”
“Yes, thanks. Looks like you’re busy today.”
“I’m not complaining.” Daisy filled his cup, and topped off Ridge and Lucas at the same time. “I might need to get some additional help soon, if things keep going like this.”
“That’s because people are wising up to your place having the best food around.”
“Thanks, Ridge. Can I get y’all anything else, or is it just coffee?”
“Maybe later, Daisy. I need to talk to my brothers for a bit first.”
“No problem. Give me a shout when you’re ready.”
Shiloh took a sip of his coffee as she walked away, eyeing his brothers over the rim of the cup. Lucas looked like he might explode, not that Shiloh blamed him. He’d refrained from asking Renee any questions yesterday, ceding Shiloh the opportunity to get answers, since she knew him better, trusted him the most at the moment. It looked like Lucas wanted to jump out of his skin, his hands balled into fists on the tabletop.
“Well?”
Ridge simply shook his head. He wanted answers too, Shiloh knew. Ridge had done exhaustive searches for Renee, even pulling in his company hacker. Now that she was here, everyone wanted to make her feel like she was part of the family.
“Did you find out who I’ve got to destroy?”
“Get in line,” Shiloh answered. “It’s a long story, and it’s not pretty.”
“Names. Gimme names, bro.” Ridge already had his phone in hand, ready to get Destiny on the search, he’d bet. Guardian Security was quickly gaining cachet throughout Texas as one of the premiere security companies around. They provided bodyguards and investigative services, although Ridge usually referred those cases to him. Installing and maintaining high-end homes alarms, cameras, and the full spectrum of security measures garnered a huge chunk of his brother’s business, and he even did security checks and backgrounds for his elite clientele. Samuel Carpenter, a friend of the family and owner of Carpenter Security Services, utilized Guardian Security whenever they needed extra expertise.
Shiloh carefully placed his coffee mug onto the table, afraid he’d crush it in his hands by simply thinking about Darius and Eileen Black. He hadn’t had time to investigate them; he’d left the Big House to head toward town to meet with Lucas before he’d had the chance. Plus, he hadn’t wanted to do it while around Renee. He had a pretty good idea he wouldn’t be able to hold onto his temper, and didn’t think she needed to see that.
“We’re looking at a couple. Darius and Eileen Black. I haven’t had time to look into them.”
“Give me five minutes.” Ridge slid from the bench and headed for Daisy’s front door, phone to his ear. Shiloh knew it wouldn’t take long before Ridge had Destiny digging into the Blacks. They’d have answers within five minutes, because Destiny was a world-class hacker, although she preferred the term data manipulator extraordinaire. She’d been tapped to work for the government, though she’d turned them down. A relatively free spirit, she didn’t like to be tied down with too many rules and regulations, and she worked within the limits of the law. Usually.
“Renee talked to you? Gave you the whole story?” There was an edge to Lucas’ voice, like he was barely holding things together. Shiloh commiserated with him. She was his baby sister. He should be the one helping her. The one she came to when needing help. Instead, he’d had to take a step back, allowing another man to become her confidant. It didn’t matter that the man was also his brother.
“Yeah. Give her a little time. This whole thing, it’s been a lot. Dealing with this on her own for so long, then finding out you’re still alive and she has a safe place to land, it’s kind of overwhelming.”
Lucas leaned against the back of the bench and sighed. “I feel helpless. Terrified if I demand answers, she’s going to panic and run. Scared if I don’t, these people are going to get to her and I won’t be ready.”
Before he could answer his brother, Ridge slid back into his seat. “I’ve got Destiny working her magic. She’ll have something for us soon. So far, all I can tell you is Darius and Eileen Black are married and living in Kansas City.”
“Kansas or Missouri?” Lucas pulled a pen and paper out, and started jotting down notes. Shiloh knew the investigative report side of his brain had kicked into gear, already looking at angles the rest of them might miss.
“Missouri. He’s in his early fifties. Businessman. Well-respected in his community. Attends charity events, and makes the newspapers consistently, both on the society pages as well as business ones. Eileen is younger, late thirties to early forties. Destiny couldn’t get a lock on her age. She did text me this picture thought.”
Ridge turned his phone so both Lucas and Shiloh could see. The photo showed a couple standing in what looked like a theater. Darius exuded the air of a confident businessman in a dark suit and tie, with a cocky grin. Eileen appeared the perfectly coiffed wife, long blonde hair spilling over her bare shoulders. A strapless sapphire blue dress emphasized a large bust and clung to her curves as though designed just for her. Studying the picture, Shiloh couldn’t help but notice though she smiled for the camera, there was a coldness in her gaze he couldn’t ignore. Reminded him of a piranha on the hunt for fresh prey. He barely suppressed the chill racing down his spine. Tangling with her would definitely leave claw marks behind.
“They certainly look like they deserve each other.”
Before Shiloh could respond to Ridge’s offhand comment, his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, his body tense. Why would Tina be calling him from Portland? Wouldn’t she be calling Renee directly?
Answering the call, he sucked in a shocked breath when Tina’s face appeared on the screen. She looked like she’d been in a car accident, her left eye swollen completely shut, the skin all around it blackened, bruised, and swollen. A white bandage was taped to her forehead, and a large bruised area covered most of her right cheek, extending down toward her chin.
“Tina? What happened?”
“Shiloh…is Elizabeth okay?”
“She’s fine. I’ve got my brothers watching over her. Now tell me what happened.”
“This dude showed up at work, looking for Elizabeth, I mean Renee. I’m still trying to remember to call her that.” He watched her use a bandaged hand to brush the hair back from her face. A sinking feeling thudded in his gut at her words. If somebody’d come looking for Renee, did that mean he’d taken his frustration at not finding her out on Tina? Regret was a bitter taste in his mouth. He should have considered something like this might happen. Taken precautions. Made sure he’d left somebody watching Tina and the coffee shop, at least for a few days, in case somebody’d caught up to Renee.
“He was looking for Renee?” He gently prompted her to continue.
“Big dude. Close cropped hair, kind of military cut, you know what I mean? Dirty dishwater blondish color. Dark eyes. Cold, dead eyes that gave me the creeps. I didn’t tell him anything, I swear.”
Shiloh turned the phone so Lucas and Ridge got a good look at Tina’s face. Both men recoiled at the sight of her bruised and battered appearance.
“Is this guy the one who did that to you?”
“Um, yeah. He must’ve followed me back to my apartment. I wasn’t paying attention as I unlocked the door. He came up behind me, forced his way in, and smacked me around a little.”
“A little?” Ridge mouthed the words, disgust written on his face. His brother had a real problem with any man putting his hands on a woman violently, probably as much as Shiloh did.
“He told me his name. Bruce something, I can’t remember. Said he was a friend of Elizabeth’s from Cincinnati. Honestly, I wouldn’t have told him anything anyway, but he gave me a really bad vibe. Not like somebody Renee would hang out with, you know what I mean?”
“Tina, I’m so sorry.”
“Hey, it’s not your fault. I was stupid. Got distracted and didn’t pay attention, or I’d have noticed him following me.”
“Where are you now?” Lucas and Ridge both nodded at his question.
Tina sighed and then winced, holding her fingertips against her swollen lip. “Emergency room. Don’t worry, they aren’t admitting me. I told you, it’s nothing serious.” She turned away from the phone and muttered, “Not like it’s the first time anyway,” probably thinking he couldn’t hear her. He did, and from his brothers’ faces, they had, too.
“Tina, listen to me. You can’t go back home.”
‘But—”
“No buts. This Bruce guy might come back. I’m going to contact the hotel where I stayed while I was in Portland. You remember it?” At her nod, he continued, “I’m going to book you a room there. No arguments. When you leave the ER, go straight there and check in. The room will be under my name, okay? I’ll set it up for a couple of days, while we make some plans.”
“This is stupid. I won’t let some bully push me around, disrupt my life.”
“Tina, this isn’t about an ex-boyfriend shoving you around, this is about a professional looking for Renee. When he can’t find her still in Portland, he’ll come back.”
“When you put it like that…”
“Let the doctors and nurses get you patched up. I’m going to call you back in ten minutes and give you the information, okay.”
“I’m a big girl, you know. I can take care of myself.”
Shiloh drew in a deep breath, needing a second before answering her. “Tina, I respect you as an intelligent woman, but I want to help. Please, let’s get you out of the line of fire, and then you can bash me for being a chauvinist, okay?”
She started to laugh, and then winced. “Ow, ow. Alright. I’ll come all the way to Texas to pound on you. Honestly, I’m scared to go home. I’d have probably ended up in one of those roach-trap motels tonight anyway. I should be ready to go soon, so I’ll wait for your call. Tell Renee…on second thought, don’t tell her anything yet. She’s got enough to worry about.”
With that, she disconnected the call, and Shiloh dialed the hotel he’d stayed at in Portland, and made arrangements for Tina to have a room available as soon as she got there.
“Alright, you both heard and saw what happened. We need to get Tina secluded some place safe. She’s been a good friend to Renee, and doesn’t deserve to be used as anybody’s punching bag.”
Shiloh stopped talking when he heard footsteps approaching the table. Looking up, he spotted Chance. A tiny kernel of an idea began forming in his brain at his brother’s approach.
“Spotted you guys when I was walking past. How’s Renee?”
Ah, there was his compassionate brother’s white knight peeking through. He’d be perfect for what Shiloh had in mind.
“Have a seat, bro. I need to talk to you.” Lucas looked at Ridge, who stared back, then both gave Shiloh a thumb’s up. Apparently, they were all on the same page when it came to helping Tina. Chance might get the opportunity to play hero if Shiloh could talk him into it.
“Something wrong?”
“Yes. That’s why I want to ask a favor.”
Chance’s gaze moved from one smiling face to the next, suspicion clouding his gaze. “Okay, I’ll bite. What kind of favor?”
“Can you free up your schedule for a few days?”
“You’ve got to be kidding, right? I just cleared my calendar for the next week. No cases for seven glorious days, and I plan on doing nothing but heading to my condo on South Padre Island and not moving a muscle for an entire week.”
“But—”
“No,” Chance interrupted Shiloh before he could say anything else. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve taken a day off? I have burnout with a capital B. Whatever it is, it’ll have to wait.”
“I wish it could, bro. I just got off a call from Renee’s friend, Tina, in Portland. Somebody came around asking questions about Renee, and worked her over pretty good. She’s in the emergency room getting patched up as we speak. Dude, she’s got a big black eye, bruises down the side of her face, a split lip, and there was a bandage on her forehead. From the way she winced and held herself, I got the feeling she might have a couple of busted ribs on top of that.”
Chance’s shoulders slumped for a second before he shoved Shiloh, indicating he should slide over. He made room for his brother on the bench seat. When Chance met his gaze, Shiloh knew he hooked him.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Head up to Portland.”
Chance gave a dramatic sigh. “How’d I know you were going to say that?”
“Because you’re the smart brother?” Shiloh grinned. “I’ve booked Tina a room at the hotel where I stayed. All you need to do is babysit her for a little while, and keep an eye out for the guy who roughed her up. She said his name was Bruce something. I’ll get you more information as soon as I’ve got it. We’ve got Destiny looking into the people after Renee. Names are Darius and Eileen Black from Kansas City.”
“Black…Darius Black. Why is that name familiar?”
Shiloh sat up a little straighter at his brother’s words. Chance had a mind like a steel trap. Being the distract attorney for the county, he had his finger on a lot of the pulses of what went on in Texas and beyond when it came to criminal activity. Sometimes he imagined Chance wearing a Superman outfit beneath his business suits, because if anybody had a superhero complex, it was his overachieving brother. He’d become a prosecutor because he felt people who were victims deserved justice, and he in turn demanded it for them.
“I’ll need to go home and pack. Can you book me a flight? Text me the details. I need to make a few calls and cancel a couple of plans.” He glared at Shiloh. “Long-legged, blonde plans.”
“Thanks, Chance. Really, I trust you to keep an eye on Tina. I probably should warn you, she might be a bit of a handful.”
Chance quirked his brow, a tiny smile lifting the corner of his mouth. “Oh, yeah?”
For a brief second, Shiloh imagined Tina and Chance in the same room, and pictured the fireworks that would fly. He’d love to be a fly on the wall when those two met.
Chance nodded to Ridge and Lucas and stood, heading for the door. Shiloh waited until he’d exited before breathing a sigh of relief. One problem solved. He couldn’t stop picturing poor Tina’s face, bruised and battered, knew it would only look worse. By the time Chance got to Portland, she’d be a sight to behold, and undoubtedly bring out the white knight syndrome all the Boudreau men seemed afflicted with.
“Timing seems fortuitous, don’t you think? Chance happens to take a whole week off, just when another crisis hits. What are the odds?”
“Lucas, I’ll chalk it up to fate and leave it at that. Tina doesn’t deserve to be drug into the middle of this mess, but since she has, it’s good that Chance can take care of her.”
“We got hauled off track with Tina’s call. What about these Darius and Eileen characters? Did Renee tell you how they’re involved, and what they want from her?”
“It’s a long story. How about I tell you when we get to the Big House? Don’t want to have to repeat it more than once. Dad wants to be there, too.”
Lucas made a grumbly noise, but Shiloh knew he’d agree. Besides, he was heading to the Big House anyway to see Renee. Wasn’t like he couldn’t wait another hour.
Shiloh stood, tossing a twenty on the table. “I’m going to head out. Meet you guys in a while.”
He turned and walked out of the diner, waving to Daisy on his way out. The brilliance of her smile always made his day, and he wondered if she was still dating Derrick Williamson. They’d been seeing each other for a few months. Williamson had even brought his young son to meet her. At least that’s what his momma told him. He really hoped things worked out because Daisy deserved all the happiness in the world.
There was one more stop he needed to make before heading back to the Big House, and he hoped he would find what he was looking for.