Page 10 of Hero Unbound

Becky put an arm around her shoulder as they walked back toward the car, dogs right with them. “Then you’ll get along just fine.”

4

Theo’s eyes flew open, and he lay in his bed completely still, giving his senses the few moments they needed to catch up.

Something wasn’t right.

He didn’t have a way to explain how he’d woken up out of a sound sleep with that knowledge, but he didn’t question it either. It was something his mind had developed as a child when he’d been forced to keep his younger sister and himself alive alone in the Wyoming wilderness. Then had been further developed when he was adopted and raised by Dorian and Ray Lindstrom.

He didn’t know his adoptive parents’ full history, but he knew that they never completely let their guard down, even living just outside of Oak Creek, which meant they were surrounded by friends who were as close as family.

How many times had he seen his parents communicate silently to each other and then one of them slip out to check on whatever had gotten their gut instincts brewing? It was downright spooky how Dorian and Ray could signal to each other without even a word.

And how many times had those instincts saved their lives?

So no, he didn’t question his instincts that were telling him something wasn’t right.

And if he were honest, something had been bugging him for the past few days; he just hadn’t been able to put a finger on what it was.

He stood, walking to the window of his small house on the edge of the Linear property and stared out, allowing his vision to almost blur as he took in the land in front of him. There were much bigger houses he could’ve moved into when he’d taken over running the business, but he’d wanted this place. The upstairs bedroom loft might be a pain to get to—having to climb a wooden ladder—but the house had wide windows on all four sides, providing him unfettered visual access to the property.

Sure that there was nothing out of place on the north side of the property, he walked over to the window facing west and let his senses take in everything in that direction.

There.

It was only for a split second, but in the light of the half-moon, he saw movement over near the old storage shed next to the secondary barn not far away. He focused on that area to determine whether it was animal or human.

One wandering around the property in the middle of the night was fine—normal, even.

The other wasn’t.

There was nothing for so long that he thought maybe he’d been mistaken. Then a tiny bit of artificial light flashed. Not enough for Theo to see who it was, but enough for him to know it was definitely not an animal. Unless they’d somehow learned how to use a cell phone.

He grabbed his own phone to make sure it wasn’t someone out there who had the right to be.

You on property?

He shot the text out to both Lilah Collingwood and Tucker Harrison. Both of them worked full time for Linear Tactical. Neither of them was normally here in the middle of the night, but it was possible.

Lilah responded first.

No. Trouble?

Theo had always appreciated the straightforwardness of both Lilah and her twin sister, Scarlett. Theo had scooped up Lilah as a Linear Tactical instructor due to her abilities in close-combat fighting and scary accuracy with a pistol. Women who wanted the very best in self-defense instruction came to Lilah. They loved her.

Tucker responded a few seconds later.

Home with a naked blanket sprawled all over me.

Theo rolled his eyes. Women loved coming to Linear Tactical for Tucker’s classes too, but definitely not for the same reason that they loved Lilah.

Roger. Thanks.

He sent off to both of them.

What’s going on?

Lilah shot back.

---