“Do you think this is it?” Jamie whispered. She gripped Michael’s hand tightly. They’d stopped in front of a dingy, tan mobile home, flanked by some large firs. The bushes and plants in front of the home were neat and organized but lacking in color. Jamie didn’t see any indication that a child lived here. She was glad they hadn’t tried to find it in the dark last night. The roads weren’t marked at all.

Michael honked his horn, making Jamie jump. She glared.

“The sheriff said not to sneak up on him. I’m just letting him know someone’s here. It’s pretty early in the morning for some people.” He squeezed her fingers in reassurance.

“I don’t see anyone. Or a vehicle.” Michael scanned the area with a hawk-like intensity, still holding her hand. “Let’s give him a few minutes. I’m gonna honk again.” He laid on the horn as the words came from his mouth. At least it was a partial warning.

Jamie took a deep breath and forced herself to sit still. She wanted to leap from the truck and pound on the door, demanding to see her nephew.

“Relax. Your brother is going to be happy to see you, and your nephew will love you on sight. How could he not? Look at the beauty you’re going to bring into his life. He doesn’t know how lucky he is.”

She turned toward Michael, distracted by his words. He was smiling, his gaze studying her face, making her lips tingle as if he’d touched them. She was discovering that he often said random things, indicating their brains were on different wavelengths. She was worrying about her brother, and Michael was giving compliments. It was slightly disconcerting but also slightly erotic.

“You’re not thinking about Chris,” she stated.

“Nope. I’m thinking about you. Us. Last night. Awesome.”

Yes, last night rocked. “I’m thinking about Chris.”

“No, you were thinking about Chris,” he corrected. “Now you’re thinking about last night because I can see your cheeks are pinker. And your eyes are glowing a bit. You don’t fool me. You’ve got sex on the brain again.”

She laughed. She couldn’t help it. His words were constantly unexpected and so refreshing. She’d never met anyone like him. His brain was quick and nimble, and his thoughts were always miles ahead of hers on different tangents. But it was all good. Sometimes, he slowed down and savored the moment. Like right now. He was still looking intently at her, and his attention made her feel beautiful.

He wasn’t the type of guy to deliver a line, hoping to hook a woman. He simply said exactly what he was feeling and thinking. She’d been suspicious of his blunt talk before, but now she knew it for what it was. A man appreciating what was in front of him. She was even getting used to being called “princess.” No one else could get away with it. Michael Brody could because he made it sound like pure tenderness.

“Are you excited to see your brother?”

“God, yes. I’m excited, worried, and nervous all together.”

Michael looked at the house, his intensity shifting to the little building. “I totally understand. I’ve got some questions for your brother. And I plan to get some answers. Good answers. I’m not going to accept ‘I don’t remember.’”

“But he doesn’t remember.”

“Yes, he does. He knows something. That’s why he’s living in the middle of nowhere and impossible to find. I suspect he’s avoiding the man who broke into your house.”

What? “No, you don’t under—”

“Your brother behaves like a man hiding,” Michael said emphatically. “Not a man trying to avoid people. I’ve got neighbors I’ve never seen because they rarely come out of the house. That’s how someone acts when they want to avoid people. They don’t move to the middle of nowhere and keep their kids out of school. That’s a man who is scared…protecting what’s his. By keeping you out of the loop, he thought he was protecting you. Instead, you got the crap beat out of you, and it could have been a lot worse. You bet I have some questions for him.”

Jamie’s mind spun. Did Chris remember? But why not tell someone? Why hide?

“Why hide the truth?” Her voice rose. “If he knows who killed all those kids, why isn’t he telling?” She shook her head. “That makes no sense at all.”

“I agree one hundred percent.” He nodded. “No sense at all. I’ve thought this through backward and forward and inside out. But the only person who can tell us the truth is Chris or Mr. Tattoo.” He squeezed her hand. “Let’s go meet your nephew.”

In his green gaze, she saw complete support. Michael might be there because he had questions for Chris, but he was also there for her. She squeezed his hand back and slipped out of the vehicle.

Michael pounded on the front door of the home. They waited. And he pounded again.

“Well, we’ve made enough noise to not be a surprise.” He stepped to a window and cupped his hands to peek in.

“Michael—”

“Jamie, get back in the truck. Lock the doors.” Michael ducked away from the window, keeping his back against the wall of the home.

She froze. “What—”

“Do it. Someone’s trashed the house. Go, now!”

“But—”

“Now!” He turned a razor-sharp gaze her way, and she stumbled backward. Sweat instantly dampened under her arms, and she reached out a steadying hand to grip the rail to the steps.