Page 9 of The Truth

He drove. Guthrie was too upset, Gunn didn’t even let his brother try. And it was Gunn’s truck. “Tell me what you heard.”

Gunn’s brother cared about Aubrey. Guthrie had had that wild, raw expression in his eyes Gunn had seen in their father’s when their mom had gotten hurt once. The one that said Guthrie’s very world was in danger of crumbling.

“Charlie called. He had stopped by the TSP and heard the call come over dispatch. He recognized her name from interviewing her at the hospital a few hours ago. He wanted to ask if I had any idea who had done this.”

“Do you?” Gunn asked. He was trying to imagine it—someone wanting to hurt those two women made little sense to him at all. “Do you think this ties into what happened today? Have you spoken to the hospital? Is Genny okay?”

“Chad stayed at the hospital with her, after all. She’s still sleeping. Mom and Dad are going to be there first thing in the morning, but Chad isn’t leaving her side. Apparently, he never left the hospital. Gia found him asleep in the hallway next to Genny’s door a few minutes ago and took pity on him.”

“That’s not exactly a surprise,” Gunn said. “He loves her very much.”

“Yes, so he says. How did you know? They haven’t told anyone yet.”

“I caught him practically undressing her on the kitchen island a few days ago. It was… an awkward moment.” And he wasn’t going to think about what he’d seen that man trying to do to his baby sister at all. Ever again. Sometimes, Gunn just playedblindwhere his family was concerned.

It was his only real option.

“Yeouch. Not something I would want to see.”

“No. That it was not.”

They didn’t say much more until Gunn was pulling into the small ranch style house on the same road as George’s much bigger place. It was charming, with flowers lining the front walk. Gunn could just imagine the two sisters planting them together, and enjoying being with each other. They had each other; no one had missed that.

He had his brothers and his sisters and his parents. He knew exactly how blessed he was.

There were flashing lights. The sheriff’s Tahoe was parked in front of the house. Gunn parked half a block up.

“There they are,” Guthrie said. He practically took off the instant he saw the taller sister. She stood next to Clay Addy and Charlie. And George. Their eldest brother was right there. Her sister sat on a small garden bench near the driveway, a blanket wrapped around Ayla’s narrow shoulders.

Gunn was never going to forget how she looked right in that moment. Thefearon her beautiful face was etched into his very soul.

Gunn headed right for her. He just didn’t want her to be afraid.

Gunn Hillerjust kind of scooped her up after the police were done. Literally. He just scooped her right up. He was very strong, this man. No denying that.

“I’ve got you, Ayla, I promise. I’ll get you to the truck and then grab your crutches.”

Her arms went around his neck and she clung like a great big baby. Like the wimp she always knew she was. She looked over his shoulder, to see his older brother pulling Aubrey close. “What about my sister?”

“Guthrie is going to drive her car back to our ranch. So that she can have it out there. You two are going to stay with us for a few days. Until she’s not hurting so badly. Then we’ll get over here and help get things cleaned up. He wants her to ride with him. Are you okay coming with just me?”

Ayla just nodded. She didn’t want to stay here tonight. Just not tonight. She pressed her head against his neck and cried.“I’m sorry. I’m just being a wimp. But he almost ran us off the road. He was right in front of our house when we pulled in.”

His arm tightened around her. Ayla wanted to just cling, right where she was. “I’m sorry. I wish I had been here.”

She would have liked that, too. She felt safe with this man. Safer than she had any guy before, that was for sure.

Probably the whole minister thing or something.

He had parked half a block from their house. She held herself together while he went back for her crutches and said something to his brothers and her sister. When he climbed back in, she was shaking a bit.

He noticed. Next thing she knew, he was reaching in the backseat, grabbing a zippered sweatshirt. “Here, honey, cover up. I’ll turn the heat on.”

The scent ofmansurrounded her as she slipped his shirt over her head. “I’m good. I think I’m just shaky. It’s been a crazy night.”

“And the only thing you ate was that little bag of chips at the hospital?”

Ayla nodded. “I usually eat dinner with my sister, after the library. We like to eat together when we can.”

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