Page 101 of Forged in Steele

Jared and Reed waited for the guy to disappear then drew their guns and entered.

“Police,” Jared called out to what appeared to be an empty one-bedroom place with the smell of stinky garbage.

They quickly cleared the few rooms.

“I didn’t expect to find Bristol here, but…” Jared shrugged and holstered his weapon.

“Let’s take a look around.” Reed shoved his pistol into his holster, slipped on gloves, and stepped over to an end table to pull out a drawer.

Jared gloved up too and went to the kitchen. He leafed through mail lying on the counter. All junk mail. He wandered through the kitchen and spotted photos on the fridge of an A-frame cottage where Reya and Valerie had taken selfies outside the place.

“Check this out,” Jared said. “Looks like they either rented a cabin or there’s one in the family.”

“We thoroughly checked Reya’s property records,” Reed said. “Only property in her name is her house.”

“The ex could know something about a cabin.” Jared scrolled through his phone until he found Harri’s contact info. The call went to voicemail. “It’s Agent Wolfe. Call me as soon as you get this message. It’s urgent.”

He tapped Piper’s number. “Look for a cabin. An A-frame. I know Reya doesn’t own the property but maybe the sister does.”

“Reya’s dad died a few months ago too,” Piper said. “Maybe he has a house that didn’t clear escrow yet and is still in his name.”

“Find out like yesterday,” Jared demanded. “And get back to me as soon as you know anything.”

Bristol grabbed the laundry bags while Reya got Luna out of the car, that infuriating gun still pointed at Bristol. For a woman who seemed to be dancing on the edge of sanity, Reya did a good job of keeping Bristol at bay, not giving her any chance to take Reya down.

Tires crunched over the gravel.

Bristol spun to look.

Headlights off, a truck pulled up behind them.

Bristol stared, trying to figure out the driver. Could it be Jared? If so, why was he in a truck? Or maybe it was Holloway.

Reya set Luna’s carrier down and shoved Bristol in front of her. Bristol got it. Reya was putting Bristol in the line of fire in case the driver was armed.

The truck door opened, and a man slid down, his face in the deep shadows cast by tall maple trees, but he was about the same height as Holloway.

Holloway? Could it really be Holloway?

“You can stop right there,” the man said. “You have something that belongs to me.”

No. The voice is all wrong. Not Holloway.Bristol might not recognize his deep and commanding voice but sounded like he was used to being obeyed.

“Show yourself,” Reya commanded.

He stepped out of the darkness, revealing a full head of blond hair and a full beard to match. Bristol didn’t recognize him as anyone they’d encountered in the investigation but knew if he was willing to show his face to them, he didn’t plan to let either Bristol or Reya walk away from here alive.

Bristol searched him for a weapon and noted the telltale bulge of a holster under his flannel shirt.

Was he law enforcement?

Dear Lord, please let that be true.

Reya waved her gun at him. “Who are you and what do you want?”

He lifted his hands. “Hold on now. No need to point that thing at me. I just came to collect my daughter, and I’ll leave the two of you to what you have going on here.”

“Your daughter?” Reya asked as the same question echoed in Bristol’s head. “I don’t understand.”

---