Someone had been in her home. Searched her place. Touched her things. She wrapped her arms around her middle, and fell to her knees at the thought, because it could only mean one thing.
They’d found her.
Antonio pulled up in front of the sheriff’s station and killed the engine. He’d spent the better part of the morning and early afternoon going over the files SAC Williamson gave him. After spending most of the night with Brody until the wee hours, he wasn’t any closer to figuring out what ate at his brother, though he wasn’t about to give up. As long as he stayed in Shiloh Springs, he planned on doing a little digging into Brody’s problem, because he couldn’t stand to see his brother hurting. Whatever it took, he’d find a way to make things better. Because that’s what family did.
He still had a hard time wrapping his head around what he’d discovered in the Berkley files. Big Jim’s case was pretty straightforward. He was a thug and a terrorist with delusions of grandeur. The world was lucky he’d been caught and thrown behind bars before somebody was seriously hurt or killed. He’d been escalating his attacks, and it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened. The only surprise was the feds hadn’t caught the bully sooner. But it was the other file, the one on Sharon Berkley, throwing him for a loop.
The second he’d opened the file and looked at the picture of Sharon Berkley, the bottom dropped out of his world. Recognition flared instantly. She’d changed her hair color. Changed the style. Even the color of her eyes was different, easy enough nowadays with colored contact lenses. But there was no disguising that face. The face he saw every night when he closed his eyes.
His Serena.
The woman who’d moved to Shiloh Springs. Made herself part of the community. Part of his family. There was no disputing the facts—Serena Snowden was Sharon Berkley, the woman being hunted by WITSEC, the FBI, and countless others. If he was to hazard a guess, Big Jim Berkley probably had a passel of hired goons searching for her too. She was the key who could bring Big Jim’s kingdom tumbling down around him once and for all.
A rap on his window broke him from his thoughts, and he stared at the man standing outside his door. His brother, Rafe, leaned downward, with a smile on his face. He motioned for his brother to get in the car. Once seated, Rafe swiveled to face his brother.
“What’s up?”
Antonio drew in a deep breath before answering. “We need to talk.”
“Okay. Business or family?”
He knew exactly what his brother meant. If it was business, Rafe would do what he could within the limits of the law to help. Being in law enforcement himself, Antonio understood and appreciated his brother’s stance. If the problem was family, there were no boundaries to what Rafe would do. All the Boudreau brothers had an ingrained sense of right and wrong, taught from the moment they stepped through the doors at the Big House, the Boudreau family homestead. Loyalty, honesty, integrity—traits lovingly taught by Douglas and Ms. Patti. These things became embedded into the lives of each Boudreau. Wasn’t to say a few of the boys who passed through their home didn’t make it. Sometimes the foster system failed, no matter how hard those working to give a helping hand tried. Circumstances couldn’t always be overcome, and sometimes, no matter how hard everyone worked, people had free will and made wrong choices. Then it was up to them to pay the consequences of the choices made.
The one thing they’d been taught, from the moment they walked through the doorway until they left, was family came first. No matter what, family always helped family. In times of need, family stepped up, no questions asked, and did whatever it took to help out a brother in need.
He pondered his answer for a long moment. “Business. Family. I don’t know—both maybe?”
“Wanna go inside and talk?”
Antonio shook his head. The more he thought about it, he realized he didn’t want an official investigation on the part of Shiloh Springs Sheriff’s Department. The FBI was already going to have problems with him handling this case, probably be screaming bloody murder about conflict of interest, since he knew Serena—Sharon—personally. He’d come to get his brother’s opinion, off the record, because he honestly wasn’t sure what to do. As an FBI agent, he knew his job. Knew he should head straight for Serena’s place, and take her into custody for her own protection. As a man, he wanted to do the same, protect her and keep her safe from everybody, which included Big Jim and the government. He knew he didn’t have his head on straight, and needed a second unbiased opinion. An added bonus, he knew Rafe could keep his mouth shut.
“Can you take a break? I’ve got a case I’d like to get your opinion on, but it’s a bit…sensitive.”
Rafe eyeballed him, and Antonio met his gaze straight on. Finally, Rafe nodded his head and opened the car door.
“Give me a second to let Sally Anne know where I’ll be. Be right back.”
A couple minutes later, Rafe slid onto the passenger seat again. “Unless there’s an emergency, I’m yours for the rest of the afternoon. Now do you want to tell me what’s got you wrapped up so tight you’re about to bust?”
Reaching beside his seat, Antonio pulled out the file on Big Jim Berkley, and tossed it to Rafe. When his brother simply held the file and quirked a brow, Antonio laughed. His brother understood him so well.
“Caught a case out of the Austin office. You know
