Page 20 of Lone Star Witness

“Stephanie could have bugged your office the day she brought those things,” Slade remarked.

She could have indeed done that, and Marise was about to mutter her agreement when an incoming call flashed on the dash monitor.

It was from Ruby.

Slade took the call right away and said, “Ruby, you’re on speaker, and Marise is listening in. We’re on the way to the hospital.”

“Good. Because there’s a problem.”

Slade and Marise groaned in unison. “What’s wrong?” Slade asked.

“It’s Colonel Rosa,” Ruby let them know. “He’s missing.”

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Chapter Seven

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Slade pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and tamped down the urge to run inside so he could figure out what the hell was going on.

That could be exactly what Sonny wanted him to do.

So he could attack Marise and him again.

Slade didn’t want to risk that. Apparently, neither did Marise because, like him, she didn’t bolt from the SUV either. Instead, she was firing glances all around them, and she looked just as concerned as he was.

The parking lot was jammed with vehicles, and added to that, the roof of the three-story building would make a good spot for a sniper. Slade knew for a fact that Sonny had a skillset for that particular kind of strike that the man had honed through years of hunting from a deer stand high in the trees.

Slade didn’t see anyone on the roof or anyone suspicious lurking around the parking lot, but he stayed put until he saw a familiar face coming out of the hospital doors.

His brother Nash.

A welcome surprise since Nash was more than capable of being a second set of eyes, and guns, if things turned ugly.

Judging from his brother’s appearance—the disheveled hair and blood on the side of his shirt, Nash had just come from an assignment. He looked tired but focused, just as Slade expected him to be.

“Ruby called and asked if I’d make sure Marise and you got safely inside the hospital,” Nash explained when Slade opened his SUV door and stepped out. “She also said to let you know that she’s getting access to hospital security cams.”

Good. That could come in handy for them to spot Rosa. Slade only hoped the colonel hadn’t been forced to leave at gunpoint with Sonny.

“Thanks for coming,” Slade told his brother.

“Anytime. I can’t stay, but someone else should be here soon to get you back out to your SUV.” Nash tipped his head to Slade’s face. “Who beat the hell out of you?”

“Three somebodies that I beat the hell out of right back,” he replied.

“You always did like a challenge,” Nash muttered.

The tone was casual enough, but Slade saw the questions in his brother’s eyes. What were they going to do about Sonny? Soon, Slade would need to work on that. For now, his priority was to get Marise safely inside.

Nash and he moved together to go to Marise’s side of the vehicle, and with Nash in front of her and Slade behind, they got her moving toward the hospital doors. The moment they stepped inside, Slade spotted Stephanie, who was in what appeared to be a heated discussion with a uniformed San Antonio cop.

There was a man beside Stephanie, and Slade knew from his photos this was Julian Randall, her assistant for the two art galleries that she owned. Julian, who was a decade younger than his boss, certainly looked the part for that particular job. He was wearing a slick charcoal gray suit with what Slade supposed was a fashion statement, with a lime green shirt and purple tie. Exactly what fashion statement, Slade didn’t have a clue.

Slade had a similar reaction to Julian as he’d had with Stephanie. He disliked the man on sight and figured from the “nose in the air” glance Julian gave him, the feeling was mutual. Slade didn’t go over to Stephanie and her trendy dressed lapdog, but he did intend to have a conversation with her. For now, he turned to Nash.

“Is Caroline okay?” Slade asked.

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