Page 34 of Easton’s Claim

This whole protective thing he had going on for his ex-wife was working to Brandon’s advantage. “Then we’ll get Piper and make her show us.”

In the bright beam of the flashlight one of his men had aimed at him, Greg paled. “No. There’s one more place we can check without involving her.”

“Where?”

“She said she’d stored some stuff at a friend’s place.”

“Who?”

He hesitated a moment before answering. “The Colebrook place.”

No way. Brandon bit back a laugh. This was too good. Might be the perfect opportunity to get everything he wanted. “She’s staying there with him. Easton.”

Greg’s eyes snapped to his, disbelief and pain clouding them.

“For a few days now, at least.” Brandon let that verbal blade sink deep. “You didn’t know?”

“They’re friends,” he said in a defensive tone.

“Oh, they’re more than friends. I’ve got pictures to prove it. Wanna see them?”

Greg looked away, jaw flexing. “No.”

Brandon would make sure to show him when they got back to the house and locked Greg back up in his prison. The son of a bitch deserved some psychological torture after the way he’d betrayed him.

“I’ve had the place scoped out and my men have been watching her closely, following her movements.” Up until someone had discovered the tracking device, anyway. He was betting Easton. “So far there hasn’t been an opportunity to take her because she’s never alone. Easton’s taking advantage of the opportunity because he’s keeping her close to him.Realclose, according to what I’ve seen.”

Greg’s nostrils flared. He glared at Brandon, unmoving.

“That property they’ve got out there is something else,” he continued. “Nice old house, matching cabin. Apparently over a hundred-and-fifty-years old. Probably worth a lot. Shame to see it all destroyed because you can’t return what you stole from me.”

Greg’s gaze snapped back to his, the blue eyes bright as lasers. “If you’re thinking about attacking the Colebrooks, you’re fucking insane.”

He smiled slowly. “Am I?” It would send a message. Hurting Piper would hurt Greg. And killing Easton would satisfy Brandon immensely.

“Easton is DEA. Another brother is with the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, and the oldest is a Marine combat vet.”

“With a prosthetic leg and artificial eye, yeah, I heard.”

“Both his gun hands still work just fine.”

“He isn’t even living there anymore. He’s shacked up with his girlfriend in town. By the time word got out about the attack, it would be too late for him to get there.”

“The sister is DEA too. She and the old man might not be as much of a threat as the others, but they’re still deadly shots and if you attack, they’ll shoot to kill.”

Brandon’s expression hardened. “I don’t fucking care. I don’t care who they are or how fucking many of them are there or not. I want my shit back, and I want itnow.”

If he couldn’t get his goods back the easy way, then he’d do it the messy way. The time was coming where he’d have to get reckless and stage an attack on the property no matter the threat the Colebrooks posed. There was no way to get into the house without a direct assault and risk attack from the family.

“Let me see if I can find the cabinet there first,” Greg said.

Brandon pulled his hands from his pockets and folded his arms across his chest. “I’m listening.”

“The outbuildings are easier to search, but it’s gonna be tricky because of the constant movement of people around there. Farmhands and other workers, as well as the family. It’ll have to be in the middle of the night, and it’ll have to be totally covert.”

He snorted. “If you mean you want to go in alone, think again, asshole.”

“I’m trained. Better trained than they are,” Greg said, disdain dripping from his voice as he jerked his chin at the two men Gallant had brought with them. “If they screw up and alert anyone that we’re there, the Colebrooks will shoot first and ask questions later. They know I’m missing, and after you trashed Piper’s place they’ll think she’s in danger too. They’ll be on alert. That’s why she’s staying there. For protection.”

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