Page 15 (1/2)

"It’s nothing personal, Gene," he told hih that, too, was a lie Gene had been a part of the Freedoer Zeke had believed Gene had gotten out after he left, but inforested otherwise

Gene nodded slowly as though accepting the explanation "Do you have any idea who the girl is?" Gene finally asked

Zeke shook his head "No clue And that’s da," Gene snorted "I’ve asked around otten any answers Those boys didn’t seem to trust anyone where she was concerned"

Zeke felt a pulse of energy at Gene’s statement If Joe and Jaime didn’t trust anyone with their potential lover’s identity, then it was because they were afraid of someone A member of her family Father, brother, or uncle most likely

The manner of their deaths was consistent with the exter style, or at least one of thehter the boys werewith?

"Guess they kept her too much of a secret," Zeke said slowly as he turned back to Gene

"She could be our only clue to who killed these boys"

Gene nodded "Yeah" He ran his hand through his hair before replacing his hat and gri "Too damned bad, too A man doesn’t deserve to die like that"

Zeke nodded to that beforelot back to his Tahoe "I’ back to town then," he told his deputy "See you tomorrow, Gene"

"Yeah, sure, Zeke," Gene answered pensively "I’ll see you to hie of the mobile home His deputy hadn’t cared to share a murder case with Zeke in a while He’d taken patrol while Zeke normally worked with the state or Somerset city police himself to solve the cri, Zeke knew that He knew the other man, so an eye on hiue, Zeke suspected

Despite the knowledge he could feel burning in his gut, he knew if he didn’t co soon on this case, then he would have to put it aside, close it, and let it stand as a murder-suicide And that just pissed hi about this case that had his nerves on edge every ti, and should

He’d questioned every associate of the Walker boys that he could think of He was pushing the coroner to push the investigative coroner, and he was harassing forensics to find so more The only ones he hadn’t questioned yet were Joe and Jairand into the graveled lane that led to the Walker house, Zeke griht of the black Harley parked in the barren drive

It looked pristine and out of place arass that surrounded the house and the run-down sedan parked next to it

The house was in need of several coats of paint, maybe a fe boards on the porch

The hoh Joe and Jairandood repair while Lisa oversaw her care

As he stepped out of the Tahoe the door opened and Lisa, rounded and soed her pretty, pale face Weariness gave her blue eyes a bruised, haunted look and thinned her lips as she watched him approach

"Grandmother’s awake," she breathed tiredly as he stepped up onto the porch "She’s been deot back fro okay?"

Lisa shook her head "You randsons killed his brother, then hi her faster than the pneumonia is"

Tears sparkled in her eyes as he wrapped his ar and looked inside the house where Rogue was staring back at hirandmother if she’s up to it," he told Lisa "Are you up to that, Lisa?"

She nodded against his chest beforeback "Whatever it takes to find whoever did this Joe wouldn’t have killed Jaime It just wouldn’t happen, Zeke And now even ourstripped What the hell happened to their ho him, too As for the mobile home, he just didn’t have the answers he knew she needed

Lisa turned away and led hiue He stared into violet eyes and damned if he knehat to do He wanted her in his ar lips, and at the saers that lurked there

Zeke Mayes hadn’t publicly claimed a woman since his wife had died He kept his affairs hidden and his desires carefully controlled And controlling them had never been as hard as it was now

As he stared at her, the heated wonder in Rogue’s gaze see She turned away, her spine stiff beneath the white T-shirt she wore, her hips twitching angrily beneath her jeans as she , fiery curls were restrained in a braid that fell below her shoulders She looked younger than her age, but that did nothing to cool the fire burning in his dick

"I’ll check on Grandma, Lisa, then make coffee You talk to Zeke," she called back

Zeke nearly followed her He alive her what he knew she needed What he needed A touch, an affirmation that there was more between the

"She’s not going to wait on you forever," Lisa said behind him, her voice quiet