by Donna Grant
He opened his mouth to speak when the sound of another chopper filled the air. Both brothers hurried to the front of the house. Sliding against the wall, they peeked out the windows to see another man in green fatigues appear in the doorway of the Blackhawk.
“I’ll be damned,” he murmured when Cullen jumped from the helicopter before it landed.
Cullen’s cap was pulled low over his face as he stood staring at the house. He didn’t move even as the chopper took off, the sound fading quickly.
Owen looked at Wyatt to find a frown on his brother’s face. Nothing ever changed. He pushed away from the wall and walked out the front of the house. The sight of his younger brother brought a smile. Too bad the reunion was tarnished with death. But that seemed to be the curse of the Loughmans.
Cullen dropped his pack from his shoulder and smiled when he caught sight of him. Owen jumped off the porch and met Cullen halfway, enfolding him in a hug.
They pounded each other on the back in greeting. His then held his younger brother at arm’s length and looked into hazel eyes so like their mother’s as Cullen removed his hat. If he thought Wyatt had changed, it was nothing compared to Cullen.
Cullen’s gaze held a cynical edge, showing suspicion that only someone who had been neck-deep in war would understand. His hair was kept in the typical style of the Marines—high and tight—with the sides shaved close to his head and only a quarter inch spiked on top.
“Damn, it’s been a while,” Cullen said with a bright smile.
He playfully slapped Cullen on the cheek, but he couldn’t hold his smile. Not when he knew what had brought them together. “You’ve grown up, little brother.”
Cullen’s laughter died as his gaze moved over Owen’s shoulder. The grin was gone, the hardness back in place. “Wyatt.”
Owen turned around to find Wyatt on the porch, watching them. Life as a Loughman hadn’t been easy for any of them, but particularly Wyatt. Owen still remembered being a young boy, how people used to be envious of their ranch. For a few years, the siblings had lived a life of wonder and joy.
But it all shattered one stormy day.
None of the boys had been the same since. Owen looked between his two brothers, hating that the tension was already back.
“What’s going on?” Cullen asked as his sharp gaze looked around. “Where are Uncle Virgil and Aunt Charlotte?”
Wyatt leaned against the post. “Dead.”
Cullen’s eyes become intense. “How?”
“I’d say at least five men,” Owen said.
Wyatt added, “Six.” He walked down the steps and pointed to the ground. “Two came in the front. Another two from the back, and I spotted two more sets of footprints around the barns.”
Owen scrubbed a hand down his face. This was a hit. Pure and simple. But against his aunt and uncle, who were some of the best human beings he’d ever known? This wasn’t about Charlotte and Virgil. This was about something else. He immediately thought of his father. But it could be because of one of them, as well. He and his brothers had enemies of their own.
That soured his stomach. Hadn’t he sworn he wouldn’t allow such things to touch his family again?
He walked back into the house and to the living area, followed by Cullen and Wyatt. He looked at the recliner where their uncle had been killed to the fireplace where one of the shotguns hung.
“It’s untouched,” Cullen stated.
Owen glanced around the room. “Virgil never got to it.”
“He didn’t stand a chance against such firepower,” Wyatt stated.
Cullen strode to the kitchen and stood quietly for several minutes. When he spoke, his voice was low and filled with raw fury. “I’ll not stop until I find out who did this.”
“We feel the same,” Owen said, fully understanding how Cullen felt.
Cullen released a breath and faced his brothers. “I was in the middle of a mission when my team was pulled. No way was I picked up and immediately brought here just because they were murdered.”
“You weren’t the only one, kid,” Wyatt said. “I was on a mission, too.”
Owen crossed his arms over his chest. “Make that all three of us. I can’t think of any of my enemies who would know to track me here.”
“Me either,” Cullen replied.
Wyatt gave a single shake of his head.
Owen’s anger burned brightly. “This involves Dad. It has to.”
A muscle ticked in Wyatt’s jaw. Owen ignored the telltale sign that Wyatt was furious and frowned when he heard the sound of an automobile approaching. The three instantly fanned out. Cullen took the back door while Owen positioned himself at the front. Wyatt squatted behind the sofa in the formal living room.
The motor shut off, and a moment later, a vehicle door closed. Owen glanced out the window and caught sight of the front of a dark gray BMW 6 Series.
Seconds ticked by without the sound of anyone approaching. Wyatt turned his head toward the back of the house when the front door was thrown open, and someone stepped inside. Owen stilled a second before he grabbed the slim form.
He had the intruder flipped onto their back immediately. In the next moment, Owen found himself on the floor, staring at the ceiling. He jumped to his feet and tried to look beneath the baseball cap of the person, but he couldn’t make out anything.
Owen didn’t waste any time getting the advantage and slamming the person against the wall. There was a gasp that sounded distinctly feminine as the air in the intruder’s lungs was forced out.
That caught his attention. With a shove, he knocked the hat off. A wealth of light brown hair tumbled free.
All the breath left him as he stared into green eyes he feared he’d never see again.
“Natalie?”
“Hi, boys,” she said off-handedly.
He frowned, suddenly furious to find her there. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“She’s looking for me,” came a voice behind them.
“Callie?” Wyatt asked in a strangled voice full of surprise and annoyance as he stood.
Callie Reed glared at each of them as she walked around Owen and nodded to Natalie. He released Natalie, and she moved to stand beside Callie. He exchanged a look with his brothers, though Wyatt couldn’t stop staring at Callie.
“Someone please tell us what’s going on?” Owen demanded.
Callie shrugged. “I work here.”
Green eyes met his. “I came to help.”
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Also by Donna Grant
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Contemporary Paranormal
REAPER SERIES
Book 1: Dark Alpha’s Claim
Book 2: Dark Alpha’s Embrace
Book 3: Dark Alpha’s Demand
Book 1-3: Tall Dark Deadly Alpha (Bundle)
Book 4: Dark Alpha’s Lover
Book 5: Dark Alpha’s Night
Book 6: Dark Alpha’s Hunger
Book 7: Dark Alpha’s Awakening
Book 8: Dark Alpha’s Redemption
Book 9: Dark Alpha’s Temptation
Book 10: Dark Alpha’s Caress
DARK KINGS
Book 0.1: Dark Craving
Book 0.2: Night’s Awakening
Book 0.3: Dawn’s Desire
Book 0.1-0.3: Dark Heat
Book 1: Darkest Flame
Book 2: Fire Rising
Book 3: Burning Desire
Book 4: Hot Blooded
Book 5: Night’s Blaze
Book 6: Soul Scorched
Book 6.5: Dragon King (novella)
Book 7: Passion Ignites
Book 8: Smoldering Hunger
Book 9: Smoke and Fire
Book 9.5: Dragon Fever (novella)
The Dragon King Coloring Book
Book 10: Firestorm
Book 11: Blaze
Book 11.5: Dragon Burn (novella)
Book 11.6: Constantine: A History (short story)
Book 12: Heat
Book 12.5: Constantine: A History Part 2 (short story)
Book 13: Torched
Book 13.5: Dragon Night (novella)
Book 14: Dragonfire
Book 14.5: Dragon Claimed (novella)
Book 15: Ignite
Book 16: Fever
Book 16.5: Dragon Lost (novella)
Book 17: Flame
Book 18: Inferno
DARK WARRIORS
Book 1: Midnight’s Master
Book 2: Midnight’s Lover
Book 3: Midnight’s Seduction
Book 4: Midnight’s Warrior
Book 5: Midnight’s Kiss
Book 6: Midnight’s Captive
Book 7: Midnight’s Temptation
Book 8: Midnight’s Promise
Book 8.5: Midnight’s Surrender (novella)
Book 1-8.5: The Dark Warrior Series, The Complete Collection
CHIASSON SERIES
Book 1: Wild Fever
Book 2: Wild Dream
Book 3: Wild Need
Book 4: Wild Flame
Book 5: Wild Rapture
LARUE SERIES
Book 1: Moon Kissed
Book 2: Moon Thrall
Book 3: Moon Struck
Book 4: Moon Bound
WICKED TREASURES
Book 1: Seized By Passion
Book 2: Enticed By Ecstasy
Book 3: Captured By Desire
Wicked Treasures Box Set
Historical Paranormal
THE KINDRED
Book 0.5: Everkin (short story)
Book 1: Eversong
Book 2: Everwylde
Book 3: Everbound
Book 4: Evernight
DARK SWORD
Book 1: Dangerous Highlander
Book 2: Forbidden Highlander
Book 3: Wicked Highlander
Book 4: Untamed Highlander
Book 5: Shadow Highlander
Book 6: Darkest Highlander
Book 1-6: The Dark Sword Series, The Complete Collection
ROGUES OF SCOTLAND
Book 1: The Craving
Book 2: The Hunger
Book 3: The Tempted
Book 4: The Seduced
Book 1-4: Rogues of Scotland Box Set
THE SHIELDS
Book 1: A Dark Guardian
Book 2: A Kind of Magic
Book 3: A Dark Seduction
Book 4: A Forbidden Temptation
Book 5: A Warrior’s Heart
Mystic Trinity (connected)
DRUIDS GLEN
Book 1: Highland Mist
Book 2: Highland Nights
Book 3: Highland Dawn
Book 4: Highland Fires
Book 5: Highland Magic
Mystic Trinity (connected)
SISTERS OF MAGIC
Book 1: Shadow Magic
Book 2: Echoes of Magic
Book 3: Dangerous Magic
Sisters of Magic Boxed Set
THE ROYAL CHRONICLES NOVELLA SERIES
Book 1: Prince of Desire
Book 2: Prince of Seduction
Book 3: Prince of Love
Book 4: Prince of Passion
Royal Chronicles Box Set
Mystic Trinity (connected)
Military Romance / Romantic Suspense
SONS OF TEXAS
Book 1: The Hero
Book 2: The Protector
Book 3: The Legend
Book 4: The Defender
Cowboy / Contemporary
HEART OF TEXAS SERIES
Book 1: The Christmas Cowboy Hero
Book 2: Cowboy, Cross My Heart
Book 3: My Favorite Cowboy
Book 4: A Cowboy Like You
Book 5: Looking for a Cowboy
Stand Alone Books
Mutual Desire
Forever Mine
Savage Moon
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. She’s written more than a hundred novels spanning multiple genres of romance including the bestselling Dark King series that features a thrilling combination of Dragon Kings, Druids, Fae, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives in Texas with her dog and a cat.
Connect with Donna online:
www.DonnaGrant.com
MotherofDragonsBooks.com
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