Page 26 of Fractured Memories

Grady marched toward them, gun in hand. “Tucker and I will enter the house at the rear. You guys take the front. A drug dog and his handler are on the way to help search the property.”

Felicity nodded, pride knocking aside some of her fatigue. Grady had thought of everything. If Daniel was trafficking drugs, the K-9 would locate where he’d been hiding it, even if most of the stash had been moved. A drug dog’s nose was sensitive and could pick up minute traces of illegal substances.

Several more officers pulled up in patrol cars. One was assigned to keep the neighbors a safe distance away from the house. A few went around the back with Grady and Tucker. Others joined Felicity and Noah as they approached the front door.

Sweat formed along the collar of her shirt. The weight of the bulletproof vest hurt her already aching muscles, but she ignored the pain. Felicity angled herself to the side of the doorframe and leveled her gun. She met Noah’s gaze. “Go.”

He pounded on the door. “Daniel Hodge, this is the police. We have a warrant to search the premises. Open up!”

No answer. Not surprising since he was reportedly on a fishing trip. Chances were, he’d actuallyskipped town. Felicity held her position, but Noah moved aside so the officers behind them could force the door open with a portable battering ram.

The wood splintered with a jarring crash. Noah kicked the broken door inward and went left. Felicity was directly on his heels, sweeping right. Her breath stalled as a familiar scent accosted her senses. Behind her, an officer gagged. The sound threatened to activate her own reflexes, but she swallowed the urge back down. “Noah.”

He nodded in silent acknowledgement. The stench was unmistakable.

Death. Something was rotting in the house and had been for some time.

Air-conditioning kicked on, blowing against the sweat beaded along Felicity’s bare skin. She shivered and adjusted the grip on her weapon. Her flashlight beam cut a path through the living room. Empty. The house was dark. Every shade was drawn and the approaching storm blocked the sunlight. The kitchen yawned to the left like a black hole. Felicity didn’t want to continue. Duty and a need for answers forced her feet forward.

Lightning streaked across the sky as they traversed the dining room. The stench grew stronger the deeper into the house Felicity traveled. A doorway off the kitchen led to the garage. Noah indicated through hand signals that he wanted to search it. She nodded, taking up a protective stance to cover him. Her heart thundered against her rib cage.

He palmed the door handle. Lightning streaked across the sky again like a bad omen. It illuminated thedetermination etched on his strong features. Noah opened the door. The smell smacked Felicity in the face. It was overwhelming. Her stomach churned and bile threatened to rise in the back of her throat.

Her flashlight beam touched a tarp on the cement floor. It was the size of a body. On shaking steps, she followed Noah into the garage. A hand came into view. Male. Gray skin. Dirty nails and scraped knuckles. Daniel? Felicity's breathing shallowed as Noah bent down and, with the back of his flashlight, shifted the trap away from the man’s face.

She gasped. “That’s not Daniel.”

“No.” Noah stood, his expression hard, but pain coated his words. “It’s Jeremy.”

NINETEEN

Night air wrapped around Noah as he traversed the path between the barn and his house. The horses had all been cared for by the ranch hands, but after dinner, he’d needed a few moments of solitude. Jeremy’s murder weighed heavily on him. The homeless man had been shot twice in the chest, in a manner very similar to Brooke. Daniel was still missing along with his 9mm handgun. Why had he left Jeremy in his garage? The body had been wrapped in a tarp, indicating Daniel was in the process of disposing of it, but had aborted doing so for some reason.

Was it to help kidnap Melanie? There’d been two attackers at the bank, so that was a distinct possibility. Which led Noah to believe Daniel might be in charge of Triple 6. The more Jax dug into the other man’s finances, the more money he uncovered. Brooke’s brother had made millions over the years since her murder.

Thunder rumbled in the distance with the promise ofmore storms. Already a front had moved through with more coming tonight and tomorrow. Movement to the left shifted Noah’s attention. His hand went straight to the gun holstered at his side. A German shepherd appeared in the pool of light formed by the small solar lanterns along the pathway. His owner, Jason, a former Marine followed, accompanied by Nathan. The two men had volunteered to guard the property tonight.

Noah breathed out and let his hand drop. “Hey, guys. Everything okay?”

“Fine.” Jason’s posture was ramrod straight. A scar traversed his cheek and disappeared into his hairline. A war wound he’d earned in Afghanistan. His dog, Connor, also had a scar that cut through the fur along his side. Both of them had been involved in a bombing that’d ruined their military careers. “We’re making the rounds. Logan and Kyle will be here later to join in.”

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.” Noah, worried for Felicity’s safety, insisted she stay on his ranch in the guest room. The house had a top-notch security system, but having a group of military men guarding the property was added insurance.

“No need to thank us.” Nathan squared his shoulders. “Knoxville is our home too. We want to keep it safe.” A smile twitched his lips. “Not to mention that protecting Felicity keeps me in my wife’s good graces. Cassie is fiercely loyal. I practically had to tie the woman down to keep her from coming over here to protect Felicity too.”

Jason snorted. “That’s what happens when youmarry a strong-willed woman. I would know.” He arched his brows at Noah. “Don’t worry if our wives show up tomorrow after church with casseroles and baked goods. They have a tendency to adopt anyone in danger. Addison’s been coordinating the effort since this afternoon.”

Addison was Jason’s wife. The couple had an adorable baby boy together.

Noah grinned back. “You and your wives are always welcome. Aunt Imogene loves having visitors. She’ll be over the moon to have more mouths to feed. Speaking of which, there’s food and fresh coffee in the kitchen. Be sure to help yourselves anytime.”

The men chatted a bit longer and then Noah continued on to the house. He stepped inside to discover Imogene pulling out a batch of freshly baked rolls from the oven. The scent of yeast bread mingled with homemade tomato sauce. A lasagna rested on the counter. Noah’s stomach growled. He washed his hands in the sink and then kissed his aunt’s cheek. “The food smells amazing. Where’s Harper?”

“Playing in the living room.” Imogene snagged his hand before he could go around the corner. “Wait, you have to see this.” She lifted a finger to her lips to indicate Noah should be quiet and then tiptoed silently around the doorframe.

Noah followed, curiosity getting the better of him. Milo was snoozing in the corner of the living room, and with a few more steps, Harper came into view. She was on the floor playing with a stack of blocks. Felicity, dressed in yoga pants and a soft T-shirt, sat facing her.

Both of them wore princess crowns. They discussed the colors and shapes on the blocks as they built a tower. Noah’s heart melted at the sweet tone Felicity used with his little girl. And the way Harper looked at her… like Felicity was a superhero. It was a sentiment Noah understood well. He adored the beautiful woman too.

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