sputtered, hoping she was part of the reason he enjoyed the town. “Any siblings?” She wasn’t ready to hear about his parents if his situation was worse than hers.
“One older brother and a younger sister.”
She waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. Perhaps he wasn’t close to them or else he wasn’t ready to share. “There’s the turn off for the lake.”
Cord grew quiet, as if he was trying to think of a way to make her brother spill the names of the three assailants. “Have you been here before?” he asked.
“I came here with Brody the first summer I arrived in Hidden Hills.” She leaned forward. “That’s the beginning of the lake where he used to fish. I remember it.”
The long narrow, dirt road ended in a parking lot, and excitement sliced through her when she spotted his truck. “He’s here!”
Before Cord even cut the engine, Piper jumped out. The engine died, and Cord eased out his side. “Let’s make certain he’s alone first.”
She thought he was being over the top, but he was the cop, so she let him do his thing. “I’ll let you go first then.”
He must have sensed her resistance because he held out his hand. “We’ll go together.”
The path ended in about two hundred feet. In a small clearing on the left sat Brody’s tent. Her brother’s back was to her, and there was a fishing pole in his hand. Thankfully, no one else appeared to be around.
“Hey there,” she said.
Brody whipped around and shot his gaze between the two of them. From his narrowed eyes and tight grip on his pole, he wasn’t happy to see them. “Checking up on me?”
Much of his face had turned into one big purple-yellow bruise, and his eye was still slightly swollen, but the stitches on his chin gave him a roguish look. “Can’t a sister be worried about her brother? You didn’t show up for work.”
He shrugged and returned to his fishing. This wasn’t how she’d expected the reunion to go. Cord squeezed her hand as if to say it was his turn to try. “We found your wallet, Brody, but it was empty.”
“Figures.”
“We’re here because we’re worried those men who assaulted you might come after you again. Just so you know, they probably were the ones who tried to break into your sister’s house last night.”
He reeled in his line, set the pole on the ground, and then faced them. “You okay?” he asked her.
“Yes. They left a note. That’s all.”
He lifted one shoulder. “Well, they’ll never find me here.”
“Seems we were able to,” Cord said.
Brody pursed his lips and shook his head. “Whatever. Say your peace then leave.”
“Appreciate it if you would tell me the names of the men who mugged you. I know they were looking for money that you owed them, but since they assaulted you, I can arrest them—assuming I can find them.”
Brody winced. “Don’t know who they are.”
“Don’t know or won’t tell me?”
He looked over at Piper then back at Cord. “Only caught their first names. Got drunk one night and ended up in a card game.”
“If you lost money, I’m sure the men told you how to find them. Otherwise, how did they expect to be paid back?” he asked.
Brody glanced around and inhaled, looking as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Owen, Randy, and some guy named Flinch. They called him that because every time he had a good hand, he’d get this facial tic.”
Piper was pretty good at knowing when Brody was telling the truth, and this time he seemed to be.
“From what I overheard,” Cord said, “they expected you to deliver the money to them. Did they say where?”
“They might have but I was too busy getting the shit beat out of me to listen. Doesn’t matter since I can’t pay them anyway.”
“Why didn’t you come to me?” Piper asked, pain digging deep into her.
“You got ten thousand to spare?”
Her stomach tumbled. Holy shit, no wonder the men had gone after Brody. “No, but we could have figured
“One older brother and a younger sister.”
She waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. Perhaps he wasn’t close to them or else he wasn’t ready to share. “There’s the turn off for the lake.”
Cord grew quiet, as if he was trying to think of a way to make her brother spill the names of the three assailants. “Have you been here before?” he asked.
“I came here with Brody the first summer I arrived in Hidden Hills.” She leaned forward. “That’s the beginning of the lake where he used to fish. I remember it.”
The long narrow, dirt road ended in a parking lot, and excitement sliced through her when she spotted his truck. “He’s here!”
Before Cord even cut the engine, Piper jumped out. The engine died, and Cord eased out his side. “Let’s make certain he’s alone first.”
She thought he was being over the top, but he was the cop, so she let him do his thing. “I’ll let you go first then.”
He must have sensed her resistance because he held out his hand. “We’ll go together.”
The path ended in about two hundred feet. In a small clearing on the left sat Brody’s tent. Her brother’s back was to her, and there was a fishing pole in his hand. Thankfully, no one else appeared to be around.
“Hey there,” she said.
Brody whipped around and shot his gaze between the two of them. From his narrowed eyes and tight grip on his pole, he wasn’t happy to see them. “Checking up on me?”
Much of his face had turned into one big purple-yellow bruise, and his eye was still slightly swollen, but the stitches on his chin gave him a roguish look. “Can’t a sister be worried about her brother? You didn’t show up for work.”
He shrugged and returned to his fishing. This wasn’t how she’d expected the reunion to go. Cord squeezed her hand as if to say it was his turn to try. “We found your wallet, Brody, but it was empty.”
“Figures.”
“We’re here because we’re worried those men who assaulted you might come after you again. Just so you know, they probably were the ones who tried to break into your sister’s house last night.”
He reeled in his line, set the pole on the ground, and then faced them. “You okay?” he asked her.
“Yes. They left a note. That’s all.”
He lifted one shoulder. “Well, they’ll never find me here.”
“Seems we were able to,” Cord said.
Brody pursed his lips and shook his head. “Whatever. Say your peace then leave.”
“Appreciate it if you would tell me the names of the men who mugged you. I know they were looking for money that you owed them, but since they assaulted you, I can arrest them—assuming I can find them.”
Brody winced. “Don’t know who they are.”
“Don’t know or won’t tell me?”
He looked over at Piper then back at Cord. “Only caught their first names. Got drunk one night and ended up in a card game.”
“If you lost money, I’m sure the men told you how to find them. Otherwise, how did they expect to be paid back?” he asked.
Brody glanced around and inhaled, looking as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Owen, Randy, and some guy named Flinch. They called him that because every time he had a good hand, he’d get this facial tic.”
Piper was pretty good at knowing when Brody was telling the truth, and this time he seemed to be.
“From what I overheard,” Cord said, “they expected you to deliver the money to them. Did they say where?”
“They might have but I was too busy getting the shit beat out of me to listen. Doesn’t matter since I can’t pay them anyway.”
“Why didn’t you come to me?” Piper asked, pain digging deep into her.
“You got ten thousand to spare?”
Her stomach tumbled. Holy shit, no wonder the men had gone after Brody. “No, but we could have figured
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