“Hello, sir. I’m Kata.” She held out her hand, praying it didn’t tremble.

Silently, she berated herself. If she and Hunter weren’t going to remain married for long, it hardly mattered whether his father liked her or not. But that logic didn’t smother her anxiety.

“Hunter’s bride?”

“Yes.” At least for the moment.

He took her hand and stared hard. Damn it, there was no way she would allow herself to feel inferior under that assessing glare. She lifted her chin and met his gaze, refusing to cower.

“She’s got spine, son,” he called across the room to Hunter. “I approve.”

Finally, a stiff smile crossed the man’s face, as if he knew she’d been holding her breath, then he guided her into a cozy den dominated by a chocolate brown sectional and a huge flat screen. Kata relaxed, but wondered . . . what had the Colonel expected?

Hunter settled her mother on the sofa and wrapped a blanket around her. The TV flickered mutely in the background. Kata sat beside her mother, holding her frail hand. Carlotta drifted off almost instantly. Between the illness and the medication, she was exhausted.

“Clearly your mother needs rest.” The Colonel stared at her mother. “I’ll make certain she gets it.”

Mamá didn’t like being idle, but in this case, it was good for her. “Thank you.”

He turned to Hunter with a scowl. “You say her husband wanted her to make dinner?”

“Yep. Was cranky that she hadn’t.”

“Fucker,” the Colonel said under his breath, then glanced her way. “Excuse my language, but my opinion of him stands.”

Kata shrugged. “You’ll get no arguments from me. He is a fucker. I hate him.”

The Colonel threw his head back and laughed. “She’s definitely not like those twits you used to spend time with. Logan still hasn’t learned his lesson. He’d been here all of five minutes when he started sexting with some local hussy begging for a dose of pain.”

“Give it a rest, Dad.”

Kata whirled at the new voice from the edge of the room. He had the same piercing blue eyes that his father and older brother possessed, the same large frame and intimidating stance. The similarities ended there. His hair was like midnight, his skin naturally bronzed. The cleft in his chin a throwback to another side of the family. This had to be Logan.

As if on cue, his phone beeped. He took it out, slid the keyboard open, and muttered as he typed. “I said midnight. Natalie definitely needs a spanking.” Then he pocketed his phone. “Hey, bro!”

With a laugh, Hunter crossed the room. “How the hell are you?”

The two brothers embraced and gave each other hearty slaps on the back. “Damn fine.”

“I thought you’d be in Dallas.”

Logan shook his head, peering around his brother to stare at Kata. “Wouldn’t miss meeting the woman who snared your heart.”

“Kimber called with news of your surprise wedding,” the Colonel said wryly.

Hunter rolled his eyes. “Our little sister needs to keep her mouth shut. God, why doesn’t she just send an announcement to the paper? Or plaster it all over Facebook?”

“I’m sure she’ll do both as soon as she’s recovered from childbirth,” the Colonel assured. “I saw her and Baby Caleb this afternoon. He’s got a fine, healthy set of lungs. And seems to have the Edgington eyes.”

“Agreed,” Logan threw in. “Precious baby. Deke is in love all over again.”

Wincing, Hunter admitted, “I meant to see Kimber and the baby this morning when I reached the hospital, but I got . . . sidetracked.”

By the sight of her sitting on Ben’s lap. Kata cringed. Being with Ben hadn’t been emotional or sexual for her, but the incident had caused an argument, forced painful revelations—and Hunter to miss seeing his newborn nephew.

Logan’s phone beeped again. He glanced at the screen, raised a displeased brow, then pocketed his phone.

“Who wants Chinese food?” Hunter’s brother asked, as if everyone in the room didn’t know that some impatient woman was dying for his discipline.

“Good idea,” Hunter agreed.

Twenty minutes and a straight-up whiskey later, Kata sat with the men at the round, utilitarian table, trying to stay awake. The eventful morning and hours in the car piled on top of the days’ worth of vigil in the hospital were catching up with her. Resting her head on her hand, she closed her eyes. What she wouldn’t give for a bed and eight uninterrupted hours of sleep.

Then Hunter mentioned the one subject guaranteed to rile all the other alpha males in the room.

“What do you mean, someone is trying to kill Kata?” Logan glared at his brother.

Their father followed suit, eyeing her protectively. “Suspects?”

Oh, she didn’t need more drama—or testosterone—right now. “No one has made a move against me since Sunday. Maybe . . . he’s given up. Or the hired killer who died in jail took his secret to the grave. Or someone realized they had the wrong girl.”

“Or maybe they’re hiring someone new as we speak. Between the fact that I’ve tried to protect you and you haven’t stayed in one place for too long, we’ve been lucky,” Hunter stated.

Kata wasn’t feeling acquiescent. “Really, who would be trying to do me in? So I pissed off a gang thug by issuing a warrant for his arrest. I’m a probation officer,” she supplied for Logan and the Colonel when they looked confused.

Hunter shook his head. “I don’t think a punk from some street gang has the kind of connections to hire an assassin with that kind of equipment.”

“Professional?” The idea looked like it pissed Logan off.

“All the way.” Hunter nodded.

“What do we know about this guy, except that he’s dead?” her father-in-law asked.

“Not much. He had no ink or affiliations that we could find. Guy was iced ten minutes after hitting lockup. They still haven’t ID’d the body.”

Logan whistled. “Quick work. Someone wanted their loose ends covered.”

“Yeah, and fast.” Hunter grabbed her hand, squeezed. “Jack knows all the local cops. As soon as they figure out who this John Doe is, he’ll call me. Maybe that will be a clue. For now, Kata can’t think of anyone trying to kill her, other than this Cortez Villarreal.”

“Something’s not adding up.” Arms crossed, the Colonel stared her way.

He looked like he wanted to interrogate her, and frankly, Kata wasn’t in the mood. “Damn it, no one else has cause to be angry with me. I don’t know who else would want me dead or why. If I did, I certainly wouldn’t be keeping it to myself.”

The Colonel raised a thick, tawny brow at her.

Hunter looked like he was repressing a smile. “Kata hasn’t had a good night’s sleep or a real meal in two days. This morning was particularly . . . demanding.”

Oh, he didn’t just say that, grinning with that cat-that-ate-thecanary expression. The second she got him alone, she was going to kick his ass. Still, she felt a flush crawl up her face.

As Logan’s phone beeped with a new text message, he grinned broadly at them. Even the Colonel had a knowing look in his eye. Kata glared at Hunter, the rat bastard, then excused herself. No one laughed—but they wanted to, she was sure.

She walked into the next room and sat on the sofa, taking Mamá’s hand in hers. A second later, the doorbell rang, startling her mother awake.

Logan grabbed the food and dispensed with the delivery boy in less than sixty seconds. Hunter set out paper plates, grabbed beers and bottles of water. The Colonel headed her way.

“Carlotta, time to eat. I’ll make you some eggs and toast.”

Mamá turned and saw all the little white cartons and the pile of fortune cookies on the table. “No need to trouble yourself, Caleb. Chinese is fine.”

“You’re taking heavy antibiotics. Spicy foods may upset your stomach.”

“Really, do not trouble yourself for me.” She reached out to Kata for a hand up.

The Colonel edged Kata aside. “I’m going to take care of you properly. No arguments.”

Before her mother could speak, the big man bent and lifted her mother into his arms.

Mamá looked Kata’s way, shock spreading across her face. “Caleb, I assure you, I can walk. I do not wish to be a bur—”

“Barely twenty-four hours ago, your fever was one hundred three. That’s a serious illness. You’re family now. You’ll find the Edgingtons take care of their own.”

Her mother gaped at the tight-lipped soldier. “My husband would not approve of you holding me this way.”

The Colonel’s expression turned even more grim. “With all due respect, Carlotta, any able-bodied man who expects a woman to cook for him hours after being released from the hospital doesn’t deserve the privilege of having a wife.”

True, but the Colonel was matter-of-factly making sure her mother didn’t exert herself . . . and not really hearing her discomfort. Kata winced.

Mamá’s mouth pursed. “I—I would prefer to walk.”

“When you’re stronger.”

“Colonel, I can help her. We’ll be fine,” Kata assured.

“Hunter says you’re only staying until tomorrow afternoon. It’s best that your mother and I get used to each other. I mean to take care of her until she’s well.”

End of conversation, at least as far as the Colonel was concerned. Mamá surely heard that tone, too; neither she nor Kata argued again.

If the man was going to insist that her mother eat something bland, like eggs and toast, then Kata could fix it and put her mother at ease.

As the Colonel set her mother at the kitchen table, then tucked the throw blanket around her, Kata headed for the kitchen. “Eat your dinner while it’s warm. I’ll make Mamá’s meal.”

Hunter frowned as he followed her into the kitchen. “Honey, you’re about to fall down. Sit, Kata. Eat.”

“Mamá needs my help, and I’m fine,” she lied as fatigue crept in. “The snack earlier helped.”

He grabbed her arm. “I’m willing to bet that you don’t last ten minutes. Stop being so stubborn and let me do this.”

Yanking away, she anchored her hand on her hip. “Do I need to get a string? You remember I told you that if you tried to control me outside the bedroom I would string you up by the balls?”

“Fine,” he said, his hands up, wearing a hint of a smile. “Let me help you at least.”

It went against his grain not to demand, and Kata appreciated his offer, but she wasn’t helpless. “Bacon and eggs aren’t hard. Really, I’m good.”

Hunter didn’t say a word. He merely watched as she rummaged through cabinets until she found a pan and set it on the stove with shaking hands. Exhaustion pulled at her.

“Do you think your mom will want juice?” Hunter asked, opening the fridge. “I can get you some, too.”

Hell, why hadn’t she thought that Mama might want juice? Worse, her hands wouldn’t stay still.

Right now, she didn’t have the strength to string Hunter up by the balls even if she wanted to.

“Sure. Thanks.”

Hunter poured the juice, setting a glass aside for her and giving the other to his dad, who stood waiting with a frown.

Ignoring them, Kata trudged to the refrigerator. Her legs felt weak as she withdrew the staples she needed. Gripping the door handle to keep her upright, she dug for the energy to lift the bacon and set it on the counter behind her, then grab the carton of eggs. She drew in a bracing breath.

As she made her way across the kitchen again, eggs in hand, her weary legs gave out for a split second, and she stumbled. Tears filled her eyes as she realized Hunter was right; she didn’t have the energy to do this.

Hunter was there to catch her with an arm around her waist and a hand under the eggs. His voice was a soft warmth on her cheek. “Honey, are you okay?”

Damn it, she didn’t want to admit weakness. “I’m just tired. Give me a minute.” She reached for the juice glass and gulped some. “I’ll be fine.”

The “family” face he’d been wearing all evening dissolved. The “Dom” face took over. “Don’t lie. Time for you to rest. Dad, will you take care of Carlotta? Kata and I are going to have a chat.”

With that, he dipped down and picked her up, bringing her against his chest.

“What are you doing?” she screeched.

Logan did his best to smother a laugh.

Hunter didn’t answer. Marching down the hall, he shouted, “Save us some dinner.”

Kata wriggled . . . but he wasn’t letting go. “Damn it, put me down! Don’t you dare embarrass me like this.”

No response. A dozen steps later, he kicked the door shut behind him, then dropped her. Kata felt the bed at her back. Her fury seethed. Was he fucking serious, dragging her away in front of everyone like a child in need of discipline?