"What about Maggie?"

"She'll send a deputy as soon as one frees up."

"Sounds like a shitty plan."

"Got a better one?"

Grif grasped his head with both hands, one still held his phone. "I can't lose her."

"I know the feeling."

Grif swiveled around. "You and Randi?"

Britt gave a sharp nod.

"'Bout damn time."

"Amen, bro."

"How can you be so calm? I feel like my flesh is peeling off my bones."

Lifting his hands, Britt unclenched his fists. They shook like a two-day-gone addict's. "I'm anything but calm. Norwood's group has advanced to killing people for sport. Those bastards have Randi now."

"And Carlie Beth."

"It's been a long time since I feared failing my family. That I wouldn't be able to protect them," Britt admitted, eyes burning down the two-track, willing Norwood's vehicle to appear. "I'm in over my head on this one."

"I'll call Reid. Have him check on Mom and Jonah."

"Already done." Britt's jaw hardened. "I should never have gotten y'all involved in this. If something happens to any of you-"

Grif wrapped a hand around Britt's neck, the same act Britt had performed a hundred times on his younger brothers when they were struggling with something.

"These assholes are nothing but bullies."

"With guns."

"We dealt with our fair share of guns and bullies over the years. Together, there's nothing we can't handle. We're Steeles."

Mirroring Grif's brotherly embrace, Britt stood there, in the dark, feeding off his brother's strength, his confidence, his reassurance. He couldn't recall depending on any of his siblings before, not like this. When strength was needed, he gave it. When comfort was needed, he provided it. When ass-kicking was needed, he kicked it.

Giving his brother's neck a grateful squeeze, he pushed away. "Thanks for the pep talk." His fingertips dug into his forehead. "The 'what-ifs' are destroying my mind right now."

"I'm here for you, Britt. We're all here for you. There's no need for you to act the father figure anymore. If anyone tries to hurt our family, they have four Steele boys to deal with now."

"Five Steeles. Evie deserves a ranking after the shot she landed on Ferguson's smug mug."

A smile creased Grif's face at the same time light arched over his body. Britt turned to find a vehicle approaching. The quarter moon didn't provide enough illumination to identify the vehicle.

"If that's Maggie, Norwood's going to bolt." Britt shrugged off his backpack. "Did you bring a weapon?"

"Do I look like I cart around a gun? I thought we were coming here to pick up a wolf."

"I'll put my rifle in the front seat of Old Blue." Britt sent him a sidelong glance. "You do recall how to pull the trigger, Slick?"

"Shut it."

Glad he'd had the foresight to point his truck down the two-track, Britt deposited his rifle and flicked on his headlights, then sidled up next to his brother. "Let me borrow your phone."

Grif handed it over.

Britt punched in a number.

Evie answered on the second ring. "Hey, Grif."

"It's Britt. I don't have much time. Can you call Deke, explain what's happened, and ask him to head over to Choctaw Road to check on Calypso?"

"Of course. Everything okay there?"

"Norwood's coming down the track. Tell Deke to take extra precautions." Britt clicked the phone off and passed it back to his brother before Evie could ask more questions.

"Looks like an SUV. Dark," Grif said.

"Can't be Maggie's cruiser."

"Norwood then."

The silhouette of a single figure in the vehicle's front cabin came into view.

"Where's Ito?"

"You told Norwood to come alone."

"That was a lifetime ago. Everything's up for grabs now."

The SUV pulled to a stop.

"You want me to handle Norwood?" Grif asked.

Britt considered his brother's offer. Grif had far more experience in negotiating volatile situations, and not knowing where Randi and Carlie Beth were only added to the already high stakes. But Britt couldn't hand this problem over. He'd gotten them all into this and he would damn sure get them out it. "I got this."

Norwood exited the vehicle and paused near the front fender. "Steele."

"Norwood." Britt peered through the vehicle, searching for a set of canid ears. "Did you bring the female?"

"Of course." Norwood gestured to the back of the vehicle. "Shall we?"

Britt shared a meaningful look with his brother, who nodded his understanding, before following Norwood to the back of the SUV.

Norwood pressed a button on his remote and the back hatch lifted. What couldn't have been more than three seconds seemed an eternity.

A large metal crate took up most of the SUV's trunk compartment. Inside the locked crate laid Randi, bound and gagged.

Still as death.

35.

Britt lunged for Norwood, grabbing the poacher by the throat and lifting him up on his toes. "Get her out of that fucking cage. Now!" The fury pouring into his muscles overrode the pain caused by his bruised rib.

"Easy, brother." Grif grabbed his wrist. "Don't snap his neck before we get the key." More quietly, he added, "And Carlie Beth."

Norwood didn't flinch at Britt's reaction, though his red face turned a satisfying blue. The bastard had anticipated his rage, hoped Britt would lose his shit when he saw Randi's motionless body.

Dear God, he couldn't tell if she was dead or alive. "Is she breathing, Grif?"

His brother bent close to the kennel. "Yes, the hair over her face is rising and falling with her breaths."

"Be glad that's the case, Norwood." Britt loosened his grip, but didn't let go. "The key."

"We have a few things to negotiate before I set your friend free."

"I don't negotiate with brutes and senseless killers." To Grif, he said, "Get the bolt cutters out of the left side compartment." He kept a pair in his truck so he could take down old or unnecessary barbed wire fencing, which helped keep migrating wildlife from getting tangled in the wires.

Norwood glanced over Britt's shoulder, catching Grif's eye. "Perhaps you could talk some sense into your brother. After all, it's your girlfriend's life on the line, not his."

In the next instant, Grif shoved Britt aside and hammered Norwood in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Norwood came up spitting blood. "What have you done with Carlie Beth?"

"I thought at least one of you would be levelheaded. Looks like I'll have to adjust my communication style to that of caveman."

"Enough of your games, Norwood," Grif said in a cold, emotionless tone, one Britt had never heard his brother use before. "Where's Carlie Beth?"

"Safe for now."

"We're going to wipe your accounts clean for this, even the hidden ones," Britt said.

Norwood checked his smart watch. "I believe you'll find such an undertaking impossible now that Jun Ito's disabled your brother's hacking operation."

Britt's gaze snapped into the direction of Tupelo Hill, where he'd left Jonah and their mother. Alone. Had Reid made it back in time to protect them?

"Don't believe me?" Norwood flicked a hand at Britt. "Go ahead, call him. Then we will discuss my plan for this evening."

Jonah picked up on the second ring.

"Everything okay there?"

"Jun Ito trashed my computers."

"Are you and Mom all right?"

"We're good. The Green Beret saved the day. Ito's down."

Relief nearly buckled Britt's knees. Thank you, Reid.

"The bastard didn't find my laptop, though."

Britt paced away. When he was certain Norwood couldn't see him, he winked at Grif, setting his brother at ease.

"Time's up, Steele," Norwood warned.

"Do you need backup?" Jonah asked.

"Maggie's on the way. Gotta go."

Britt tossed the phone back to Grif.

"Such a shame about young Jonah's computers," Norwood said. "Though I don't suppose it'll be a hardship for him to replace everything."

"Ito failed."

"Your mind game won't work on me. I received confirmation from Ito ten minutes ago."

"He missed Jonah's laptop."

"An easy fix." Norwood hit a button on his smart watch. "Ito?"

"No, shit for brains." Reid's voice carried through the small speaker. "Karate Dude is trussed up like a peacock."

Britt vowed to buy Reid drinks for an entire year.

Norwood disconnected. "This turn of events hardly matters." He sent a superior smile to Grif. "I'll secure your cooperation through the lovely Miss Parrish." To Britt, he said, "I hope you weren't too attached to those wolf pups. I've decided they'll make excellent future sport for our members."

"The good thing about narrow-minded, obsessive people is that they're predictable," Britt said. "The pups aren't going anywhere."

"I do hope you've stationed more than one protector. If not, he will have his hands full very soon, if not already."

"You lose again. Watters is dead. Ferguson and Taylor are in custody."

"Dead?"

"Shot by Ferguson."