Page 52 of Shielded Hearts

Gray threw him a glance. “You look like you’re about to have a stroke, Colt.”

He was silent.

“You always did get scary when you got quiet. Look, bro. Trust me. I can get us there safe.”

He stared out the big windshield at the lit runway. “Gideon!”

“Who the hell is Gideon?” Gray got the bird rolling, taxiing down the runway.

He whipped out his phone and started pulling up searches. He was so fixated on the screen that he didn’t notice they were in the air until they hit altitude.

He swung his head to stare at his brother, looking calm as hell while piloting the family jet. Later, Colt would give him the pat on the back he deserved.

“I found something. Aspen had a friend who went through chemo with her. They finished their treatments and went on a big world tour, traveling everywhere. Then the woman died…and according to public records, left Aspen her money. But look.” He held up his phone for Gray to see the photo he’d found.

A nice-looking older woman dressed up at a philanthropic event, with a younger man next to her. Both of them were smiling.

“Is that your guy?”

“His name is Gideon Page. He’s the nephew of Aspen’s friend who died. I know what this is about, Gray.”

“What’s that?”

“Money. He didn’t inherit.”

“Aspen did.”

“What connects the nephew to this area? Does he live here?” Gray stared at the horizon.

“No.” Colt’s heart pulsed faster. “He only came for Aspen. He knew her plans. He must have accessed her travel itinerary. Heknewshe was going to locations in Montana. The airfield they’re flying into is close to a cabin that we never visited.”

“He must have access to her phone.” The lights of the dash shot shadows over Gray’s face.

“There’s no way he could know we were at the Underwoods, except…fuck! I shared the location to her phone.”

“This cabin in Montana she was supposed to visit. You think that’s where they could be going?”

“Damn good chance.”

“And you have the address?”

“It’s in my GPS. I was looking out for her. She was visiting the worst places.”

Their gazes locked.

“Gray. How fast can you make this bird fly?”

* * * * *

Aspen sat in the corner of the cramped, dingy cabin, her wrists raw from the ropes binding her hands in front of her. Her spine ached from sitting on the floor so stiffly. Fear and anger made her muscles quiver.

In the middle of the room, a single bare lightbulb sent a greenish glare over the space.

“Ambient lighting, my ass,” she muttered.

Occasionally, the bulb would flicker, causing her to worry the filament was about to burn out. She couldn’t think ofanything worse than being tied up in the company of her friend’s crazy nephew, other than being tied up in the company of her friend’s crazy nephew in the pitch darkness.

Goose bumps rippled up and down her arms. This cabin made the first cabin she and Colt visited look like a five-star establishment.

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