Chapter 70

70

Daniel studied the occupants of the room. They'd finished in the Colesons' garage and just ended up inside. It smelled like apple pie…and women. Inviting. Beautiful. This was the kind of place a man would never want to leave.

Mason Barratt refused to leave, though he lived just seven or eight blocks away. He apparently didn't trust the TSP to keep his daughter safe again. He said as much too. Right to Gunnar's face. He was still beyond angry at what had happened to his daughter.

Daniel winced at that. Not that he blamed Mason for how he felt now—but it hadn't been Gunnar who had screwed up.

It had been Daniel.

Rafe had checked on Heather—and Hope—and told them to get Heather back to the hospital if the two Colesons who were doctors said to. That he would handle the bill if the TSP wouldn't. He had glowered at Daniel after he'd said it. That man was almost as frightening as Miguel when he wanted to be.

Heather had thanked her nephew and then told him they didn't take charity. Rafe had told her it wasn't charity. It was just the way it was.

Heather had turned stubborn.

Rafe had lost with the declaration that Heather was ten times as stubborn as Zoey. To which Heather had replied, "Just where do you think my niece gets it from? You are being very rude to your auntie Heather, young man, do you need a time-out again?"

She'd won. Rafe had admitted defeat. A miracle in itself.

Which had been bound to happen eventually, just…did it have to be in this situation? Daniel wanted that woman back at the hospital, with a legion of doctors and nurses and security guards to watch over her.

Daniel wanted her safe and protected, and damn it, it hurt to see the bruises on her face, to see how she winced, just trying to hold her little girl.

Rafe had taken off after that.

"So why are they actually here ?" the teenager, Crispin, asked, coming in with another teenager who'd apparently just shown up. The one who had kicked Daniel before. He couldn't help it—he pulled his legs back when that girl walked by this time. "Meg caught a ride from campus with someone she met there."

"Who?" Heather's brother-in-law asked, a dark expression on his face. Daniel studied him for a moment. He was almost as big as Miguel and about ten years older. He had shaggy blond hair with a small bit of gray at the temples. There were tattoos running up and down both arms and just visible in his collar.

The guy just felt menacing. His name was Norm.

"Relax, Daddy. Bella's dad works with Aunt Joy. We're in the same math class, and it got out early. He's the really hot surgeon dude who fixed Aunt Hope's arm. He picked Bella up, and she told him I needed a ride to Hughes Heights and who I was. He said it was obvious I was related to Aunt Joy and Samia and he offered to drive me here on their way. No big deal."

Norm went into a lecture about her calling when her plans changed. No matter what. Daniel studied him for a moment. He was a junior high school English teacher and married father of four.

Daniel had learned a long time ago not to judge a book by a cover, but this was a damned intimidating cover.

His wife was a cross between Heather and the teenagers who were staring at Daniel now and that wicked little woman-beast Cashlyn.

DNA was strong in the Coleson family. There was no denying that.

DNA. Coleson DNA. He was reminded too damned quickly of why they were really there. "We have some questions for Heather. And some of the rest of you, actually."

"I must say, Commander, you have confused us," Bonnie said quietly. She just sort of perched on the couch near Heather as if she was going to jump up and fuss over Heather at any moment. She reminded him of a fragile little bird, sometimes. All big dark eyes and hurt.

"Yeah, no kidding. Spill, McKellen. Spill. You have dragged this out long enough," Hope told him from the couch next to Heather.

"Would it be possible to speak with just a few of you?" Daniel asked.

Heather snorted and smirked at him. He would freely admit it—the spirit in her eyes reassured him a little. "You haven't figured us out yet? It's one Coleson, all Colesons, McKellen."

She waved one hand.

Every Coleson in the room—with the exception of Zoey—said it in unison. " Una Coleson, Omnes Colesons ."

"It's the family motto, man. Our creed. Words to live by, even. Una Coleson, Omnes Colesons —never leave a sister behind. Sister by blood, or a sister by choice." Hope looked at him like he was a complete idiot. From where she sat next to Heather. Miguel stood behind their couch, guarding like a gargoyle or something. "No matter what."

"Okay, then," Daniel didn't know how to begin. He waited until all of the adult Colesons in the room sent the kids that were just coming in from everywhere into the kitchen with the teenager Maris.

Megan refused to leave, stating she was an adult now. She and some of the other women literally sank to the floor and just sat there—staring at Daniel. There were beautiful women, and a man named Norm, staring at him now.

Gunnar and Powell, Miguel, Zoey and Murdoch, Jarrod and Haldyn, all waited for Daniel to speak. Powell's father and two brothers stood in the archway, silently listening. Daniel had tried to argue that it was an ongoing investigation and should only be discussed with those who were absolutely necessary.

Powell's father had made it clear—he and his boys weren't going anywhere. Daniel had lost when Murdoch, Miguel, and Gunnar had told him to just deal with it.

"We've identified the DNA on Heather's sweatshirt and pants."

"That's what this is about?" Heather asked. "I assume you found something probative. Or you wouldn't be visiting our Coleson Castle. Unless you just miss me around the TSP that much?"

"There are over two dozen distinct profiles on the sweatshirt," Daniel said. "Ashlie identified the ones she could. We need help identifying the rest. Eliminating…some."

"Whose?" Heather asked. "I'm going to assume mine was on there—big surprise."

She had that look in her eyes he'd seen before. One that said she was getting curious. Wanting answers. And there was a fire and anger.

"Powell's was found along on one side," Gunnar said.

"Probably the left. We sat next to each other," Powell said quietly. "I fell asleep for a bit, while Heather…watched them."

Guarded. Heather had guarded. Daniel wasn't stupid. Heather had had her arm around the smaller, younger woman. Protecting her.

Probably instinctively.

Just like she'd shifted in front of Hope. Protecting her baby sister from the biggest threat in the room.

From Daniel.

"Go on, McKellen. Just rip off the Band-Aid. Nothing you say to us now is going to shock us, considering," Heather said, shifting her sleeping baby in her arm gently. "Just get it out there so we can find the bastards who did this. I really want to make them pay right now. Every time I move, actually. So just get on with it."