Caught by Red Garnier

do.”
    â€œDon’t piss him off, Cody,” Zach warned.
    Cody charged to his car and yanked open the door with a glare. “You should’ve said that to him .”
    As he drove full speed in the direction of the national forest, he told himself he was focused. Focused on one and only thing: Ivan. And getting both Ivan and himself out of Megan’s life forever. He was not thinking of what Ivan could be doing to her now—no, he couldn’t function if he considered the possibilities.
    He was not thinking of how well her body fit to his last night. Or how hard they’d moaned.
    Or the fact that he was completely, indisputably in love with her.
    Yeah, this morning his mood had been perfectly morose. Even the guys at the station had wondered why he wasn’t joking today, or ribbing someone, or acting like all was well.
    Because it wasn’t well.
    It hadn’t been well for fifteen years.
    And it would not be well until his brother was out of their lives. Until Cody no longer posed a threat to Megan—a danger.
    He had, what? Like two hundred and twelve homicide cases under his belt? So why did he continue to feel like the foolish teenager who’d been too engrossed in his cock to see what was happening in his own home?
    Because that woman makes you a nitwit! Now focus!
    He pulled over into an empty parking spot, expecting Ivan to be waiting in the shed by the clearing. In the vast rocky terrain, there was plenty of space to hide a body or two.
    Was that what Ivan planned?
    Disturbed by the thought, he yanked open the car trunk, armed himself with as many weapons as he could without them being too obvious, then let the trunk slam shut behind him as he made his way through the dirt path.
    To the right the clearing led to a lake, which usually allowed for campers to park their RVs, toast marshmallows by a fire, and dip their toes into water. But this afternoon the space was flat and empty, and the lack of noise lent a gloom to the area that Cody found quite the match to his mood. In fact, a morgue was quite the match to his mood.
    He spotted Ivan sitting down on a red boulder, dressed like their mother used to dress them to go to Mass: in suits and ties.
    Except Ivan was wearing Cody’s suit and tie.
    So not only was his brother a murderer and a kidnapper, but he was a thief, too. A fact that Cody had noticed the day Ivan had broken into his home, but had not dwelled upon until now.
    Yeah, in that silky blue tie that happened to be Megan’s favorite, Cody could tell Ivan thought he was the man. Cody planned to knock him down a peg or two.
    â€œNice tie, asshole.”
    Ivan smiled. When he did, he looked regal. Decent. Exactly like the man that stared back at Cody from the mirror. “I hope you don’t mind it when I strangle you with it,” the bastard replied.
    â€œGame on.” Cody took a step, flashing him a dangerous smile. “Now where’s Megan?”
    Ivan signaled to his right, and Cody saw her, arms and legs tied, bundled inside a net and hanging from the branch of a mountain mahogany tree. “You all right, baby?”
    She nodded, squeaked, and squirmed inside that net like a little fish.
    â€œYou know, I’ve heard my wooing tactics need a little softening,” Cody grimly told his brother. “I’ll bet yours need a one-eighty turn.”
    A crimson color spread up Ivan’s jaw and neck, turning his face red.
    â€œIt’s over, Ivan,” Cody said, counting his steps to her— eighteen … nineteen … twenty … “ She’s not for you, man. And she’s not for me. She’s too good for both of us, so if she’s the reason you escaped, I suggest you do your time and reflect on what you did.”
    â€œYou made me do it!”
    â€œBullshit.” Hearing it, Cody realized that it was bullshit. He shook his head. “We were stupid boys, with hormones for brains.”
    Ivan spat.