Hunted Read Online Free PDF Page A

us.”
     
    Keadon turned his head to the side and saw Riggs standing in the doorway. “Hey little brother.” His tone was less than cordial. He gave him a look that he was sure conveyed his unhappiness with the intrusion, especially since the conversation was private.
    “I just got here.” Riggs held up his hand, a move that told Keadon his brother was trying to stave off a potential rant about privacy. He was letting him know that he hadn’t heard much of what they had been saying. “I was worried about earlier and when I saw your car I thought I would come on in and make sure our Heather was okay.”
    “Debbie,” she wiped her eyes on the back of her hand and sniffled a little. “My name is Debbie. I guess since we’re being honest, I would like to be me again.”

    “Heather’s her middle name,” Keadon supplied. “Our little Debbie has been on the run for a long time.” Calling her their little Debbie made him think of a snack cake—he wouldn’t mind her being his snack cake. He would very much enjoy licking her, tasting her, having her. Good gracious he shouldn’t be having those thoughts. He wasn’t sure he liked this. Maybe it was better when he was thinking of her as being a kid, sweet and too young for him. If he were honest with himself he would admit he had entertained a fantasy once or twice while she was bent over a car studying underneath the hood. He would admit that he had that moment of desire to take her from behind the minute he walked out the office portion of his shop and saw her behind in prime position. All he would have to do was pull down pants and panties, use his booted foot to kick her feet apart to a width that would accommodate his size and he could have her. In that moment he had kicked himself in the head—mentally anyway—and reminded himself that she was just a kid, not a woman to take to his bed. He wasn’t able to squelch desire with those thoughts now. But he could try to squelch it with the fact that she needed his help, his protection, not his seduction.
    “How long is long?”
    “Five years,” she sniffled. “I guess that’s not really long if you have a chance to find happiness, home, love,” she lowered her eyes to the floor. Keadon could see how her cheeks flushed. God, was she saying she was in love with him? Cat had said as much, but…no, she couldn’t be in love, lust maybe, friendship—but love? Yeah, she could be in love with him. She definitely could because Debbie was a woman who could love completely given the chance.
    “You have one retired Navy Seal and one ex-New York City detective taking up arms to support you and protect you. I would say that makes you one up…or would that be two up?”
    “Riggs?”
    “I’m ready. I’m sure about this, Keadon; I’m ready now.”
    Keadon was glad his brother was getting back to some level of normal. He had hit the wall when he shot that teen. The gun looked real. The kid was aiming at him. Riggs had taken the shot. It wasn’t until after things were done that he found out the gun wasn’t real. It was a toy replica that could only shoot water, not real bullets. That moment, despite the justified act of defense, had ruined his brother’s career, his life.
    Riggs had tried to hide, but Keadon wouldn’t let him. Once his papers were in, and he had his head in the game of trying to drag his brother into the world of the living, Keadon had gone to Idaho and dragged a reluctant little brother back into life. He had hoped he would let the weight of his guilt ease because that shooting wasn’t Riggs fault, but he wasn’t sure Riggs had ever really committed to that.
    What he did know was that Riggs was no longer being belligerent to the one woman who was trying to help him before Keadon arrived. Victoria had put up with a lot from him, and she had done it because she liked him. He had softened enough to let her in, but not enough to open up to her. He could have her around for dinner, but he refused to