Page 48 of Silent Betrayal

“I decided to do a little job hunting for private investigators, even knowing I had no experience. Unfortunately, there was nothing available. One afternoon, I was going to the grocery store, and I saw these guys,” Gideon says, motioning to the four of us. “They were talking to a crying woman in the parking lot. They were acting like cops, but they didn’t fit the look. I decided to ask what was going on, as there were lots of people standing around watching them.”

“I told him that we were there looking for the crying woman’s daughter,” I explain. “She was nineteen, and not considered a minor, but she’d waited in the car while her mom went grocery shopping, and wasn’t there when she came out. The police won’t do anything if it’s under twenty-four hours, soshe called us.”

“I noticed a couple girls around the missing daughters’ age, standing beside a parked car, trying not to laugh. So I told Tucker,” Gideon adds.

“It turned out it was just some stupid joke the daughter was playing, trying to get her mother’s attention. But it was because of Gideon’s ability to read those girls that helped us figure it out so quickly,” I tell her. “So we asked him to join us.”

Dom continues. “The five of us meshed really well together, we lived together and eventually started taking cases all around the country. While we moved around, each of us tried dating, but it never worked out for numerous reasons. It was Tucker who convinced us that we needed one woman to share. With our jobs being dangerous and constantly moving, we couldn’t drag a group of girlfriends around with us.”

I jump in next. “And we’re a family. If we started dating and eventually got married, we’d have to settle down and end up separated from each other. But none of us wanted that. We’re brothers for life and want to stay together.”

Dom looks at her as he continues. “We never found anyone, of course. Nobody fit with us. Nobody even came close. Then we meet the twins. They were fresh out of college and working a case with us where we needed younger guys for an undercover gig. They clicked with us. We knew we wanted to keep them, and when we found out they’ve shared girls before, it didn’t take much to get them to buy into our plan. One woman, seven guys.

“With our jobs moving us around and keeping us busy, there would always be at least one of us to take care of her. We know we can’t individually meet a woman’s needs, but together we could take care of anyone, even you, Kitten.”

I watch as she swallows heavily. “Me?” she asks quietly.

“Yes, you,” Atlas answers curtly, as his eyes bore into hers.

“We all want you, Princess, even if some of us haven’t had the chance to officially ask you yet,” Ben tells her with a soft smile as he pushes his glasses up his nose.

“We care for you, Sugar. Wewantyou,” I add, rolling my lucky coin through my knuckles.

“You understand what we’re telling you, Mina?” Dom asks her, leaning forward as he stares at her.

“I think so, and I want to argue with you,” she says softly. “I want to tell you that every damn one of you is worthy of having a woman to yourself. Youareworthy of that love. But if you are really saying what I think you are, that you all want… me… Well, I don’t think I’m strong enough to argue with you. I couldn’t imagine not being with all of you, and I could never choose between you.”

“You never have to,” Jasper says gently, giving her a smile.

I lift her hand to kiss it as everyone shares a smile with her.

“For our current case,” Dom starts, pulling the topic back on track, “we’ve been hired to track a serial killer. He’s been crossing the country, raping and killing girls.”

Mina gasps. “That’s horrible!”

Dom nods. “We were brought in a few months ago. We got a lead saying he’s going to hit this town next. And he has, but he’s always one step ahead of us. We can’t figure out who he is, how he picks his targets, or how to stop him. We try following possible victims but always has us come up empty-handed.”

“Lisa?” Mina asks, her eyes darting to Max, no doubt remembering the day he told her about her death.

“And Rachel,” I tell her. She didn’t know about Rachel since it happens the day everything happened to her with Brad and her mom. Ben updates her on that, and I can see how worried she looks.

“All right, let’s show her the rest,” Dom says, standing.

We all stand, and I keep hold of her hand as I lead her upstairs to the office. I walk her straight over to the wall where Atlas has mapped out the serial killer’s path and the timelines.

“What is all this?” she asks with wide eyes, gazing around at everything pinned to the wall.

“These red tacks are where murders have taken place,” Atlas says, pointing to them. “The red string connects them in the order they were committed.”

She traces her finger over the string, then moves it to the blue line that follows a similar path but through slightly different cities. “And this one?” she asks quietly, frowning as she tilts her head.

Nobody replies at first, so I squeeze her hand and tell her, “that’s your path.”

She yanks her hand back like it’s been burned. “What do you mean?”

Ben answers this time. “We took the dates and cities you remember living in and lined them up here. I found some alternative IDs for your mom to build a bit of a timeline. They don’t match exactly, but are within a few weeks. Just like how the towns don’t match exactly, but they are close.”

“I don’t understand. Do you think I’m a serial killer?” she asks with wide eyes, taking a step backwards as fear laces her tone.

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