Page 37 of The Truth

But there had been so many young women who had been taken through the years. Moved,trafficked,to be brides for menthroughout the United States. Every time Gunn thought about what those women, what their families had endured, he thought about his own sisters. About the day he had watched, helpless, as two men had taken Greer right from their front yard, as revenge against Gunn’s father. She had been nine, and he hadn’t been able to stop them.

He wouldneverforget that.

Gunnhadgotten Genny back that day. He had been close enough to yank Genny away from one man—but he hadn’t been able to getbothof sisters to safety. It had taken him a long time to reconcile to that failure. To accept that what had happened was God’s will. It had been the hardest lesson for him to learn.

Greer had nearly died—she’d been in a coma for three days, and had had to learn to walk again over the next year—and Gene could have died. Grady had jumped into his own truck and followed while Gunn had run back inside to call 911.

Help had been only minutes away. Minutes; if it hadn’t… Greer would have died.

He would never forget the pain those men had caused his family that day. And when he thought of the young women and boys taken by JD Rei and his followers… Gunn would never stop imagining theirpain.

Who had helped the victims of JD Rei? Gunn had been tormented by that question, too.

He didn’t want to see what had happened destroy his friend now.

Adrian shook his hand, awkwardly. There was a little blonde toddler with big green eyes riding on his hip. “Welcome, gentlemen. We have a special attendee today. Her mother was called in to work at the hospital just up the road. Serenity here is keeping Grandpa company at the church until her daddy can get here. He’s in a meeting at the TSP for a bit.”

Adrian’s son Turner was the mayor of Finley Creek. Gunn had met him many times before. Seeing the little girl had him relaxing a little. Adrian wouldn’t have his granddaughter there if he was expecting this to be tense or heated or angry.

“We’re waiting on a few more people to join us, then we’ll get started. But first… Emerson, I want you to know we aren’t angry with you about anything, or plan to do anything about your appointment. We just have a few more questions that have come up with the federal investigators. We’re just trying to make sure everything makes sense.”

“I understand.” But Emerson was tensing. It was hard to miss.

Adrian turned to Gunn. “I understand your younger sister was the nurse who was injured at BCGH, recently. How is she doing?”

Gunn answered, not surprised Adrian knew. He tended to keep an eye on what was happening around him, especially with the ministers that he guided. The Hope Life Church had a hierarchy, of course. Most denominations did. “She’ll recover fully, thankfully. She’s now engaged to Dr. Fields, a pediatrician at the hospital.”

Someone knocked. Adrian called for them to enter and the door pushed open. A small, pretty redheaded woman in glasses and a business suit came in, looking around almost hesitantly. A big burly blond man walked right behind her, protectively. He stopped, and just looked at Gunn for a moment.

Gunn recognized him immediately. “Cam, I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“Gunny, old pal. You are a surprise here to me too.” Ronnie’s oldest brother held his hand out to Adrian and introduced himself quickly. “I am multi-tasking. Finishing up a few questions on an old case involving Hope Life members, andthen,I am going to go check out the two newest Lake Monsters.”

“Hiller babies,” Gunn corrected. This was an old refrain, but he genuinely liked Camden Lake. “They are Hiller babies.”

“Lake Monsters. It’s in the DNA. My wife tells me so all the time. Especially lately. She should know, you know.” Cam’s wife Kyra was over eight months pregnant, Gunn had heard. He had known Kyra his entire life, they’d been in the same class at school. “Weallmake Lake Monsters, even thegirls.”

Well, Ronnie and George’s four older daughters looked very much like their Uncle Cam, as did George’s baby boy Max. But baby Mira… she was baby Genny all over again. There was no denying that.

“Agent Lake,” Emerson said, quietly. “Leina, I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“Hello, Emerson. I was called down here due to some sudden discrepancies in PAVAD records regarding what happened, that we hoped the Hope Life elders could help us clear up,” the petite redheaded woman with Cam said, looking right at Emerson.

“Leina is my partner with the Bureau. I am just here to keep her out of trouble, until I deliver her right back home to her big scary football player husband.” Cam sank into the chair next to Gunn. “Leina, this is Gunn. Gunn’s big brother Georgie captured my precious baby sister Veronica a decade ago and did highly unmentionable things to her. That’s how I got to be the favorite uncle and everything. They have six now. They are the ones with the newbie Lake Monsters.”

“I have new pics,” Gunn said. “I stopped by the hospital this morning to check on them. And I’ve heardIam the favorite uncle, you know. Mari Lynn told me so.”

He pulled his phone and showed George’s brother-in-law the babies. Mira Aubrey and Georgiano Maxwell IV. They were miracles, both of them. That they had all survived was also a miracle—his sweet little niece almosthadn’tsurvived. Gunnwould never forget. Guthrie had told him privately how close it had been for baby Mira. “Ronnie’s feeling better, too.”

“I have yet to see them in person. I am a man on a mission today,” Cam said. “After we leave here I am going to Bert’s and Verity’s to get my little wifey and the spawn-of-Kyra, then heading out to the Hiller Ranch, where my sister and her precious younglings are supposed to be tonight. Yes, Gunny, I will be atyourhouse for dinner. My wife was very cranky to have missed the annual Hiller barbecue, you know, but she was needed to testify in a crooked politician case from two years ago. We both greatly value our judicial system, after all.”

Cam also held a law degree. He liked to argue with George and Giavonna every chance he could. He was a bitdifferent,Camden Lake. But Gunn had always liked him.

“I’ll warn the family to cook double.” Because if one Lake brother showed up, there might just be others heading that way. Or Lake sisters. They were as close as the Hillers were. “Dinner is going to be a big one; we’re celebrating. Guthrie was bringing George, Ronnie, the babies, and Aubrey home to the ranch this afternoon.”

“I have yet to meet thisAubrey.”

“A very nice, very kind-hearted doctor who works closely with Dr. Alvaro and is best friends with Genny. She was injured yesterday at the hospital. She’s getting out today. Guthrie hasn’t left her side. He’s inlove.”

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