Chilled (Bone Secrets, #2)(47)

She shook her head, and Ryan’s face fell as he tentatively looked at Thomas. Ryan didn’t bother to ask.

“Wait. Collins gave me the number for Alex’s boss before Alex even showed up at base camp yesterday morning.” Jim had an odd look on his face.

“You want to try to reach him and ask for Alex’s number?” Brynn asked hopefully.

“No.” Jim paused, brushing at the snow on his pants. “I think its Alex’s number I have. Alex was the one who called Collins and talked his way onto our team yesterday morning. Not someone at the US Marshals’ office.” Brynn stared. “Why would he do that?” Jim had already pulled out his cell phone and was dialing. He ignored her question. “It’s showing a weak signal. One bar. Quiet.”

Brynn shut her eyes and tried to stretch her hearing. She heard Kiana’s tail swishing and the crunch of her kibble, but she didn’t hear a cell phone ring.

“Knowing him, it’s probably on vibrate,” Ryan mumbled. His face was long, his eyes red.

“Shhh.” Brynn heard the wind blow snow out of the firs, but she didn’t hear a ring.

Jim slapped his phone shut with a crack.

“Try again,” she urged.

He started to shake his head, but faltered as they made eye contact. She pleaded with her eyes, and he hit send again.

Thomas coughed. Brynn wanted to smack him for the noise.

Jim stood still, holding the phone to his ear, his face as blank as the snow.

Come on, Alex. Tell us where you are. This time she kept her eyes open, scanning the snow for any movement, any color.

“Damn it, Alex, answer your frigging cell,” Jim said into his phone.

Without looking at the others, Jim snapped the phone closed and dropped to his knees to dig. “I reached a voice mail, but it didn’t say who it belonged to.” Jim’s throat sounded tight. Kiana padded over and enthusiastically dug beside him.

“No food this time, girl.” He ruffled the dog’s fur.





Darrin’s stomach tied in knots as he watched the team dig. When they’d rushed the hole next to the woman and pulled out a backpack he’d been strangely disappointed.

Shouldn’t he be pleased to get that pain-in-the-ass ex-agent off his back?

Instead, he found himself pulling for the team.

He wanted another day to challenge Alex Kinton.

Another day to piss him off, watch the rage in Kinton’s eyes and the pain in the lines on his face. Darrin swore Kinton had twice as many lines around his mouth as when they first met.

He’d glimpsed Alex a time or two before the “accidents” at the group home. The resemblance between Alex and his retard brother had been startling. It was like the retard had suddenly been injected with brains, pounded by a personal trainer, and had his hair trimmed. But it wasn’t until after Samuel’s incident that Darrin got to know, really know, Alex Kinton.

After Samuel’s death, Alex had raged through the group home, upsetting all the residents and making the owner cry. He’d been something to see. Those gray eyes had become a shade of steel that burned, and the tendons in his neck had looked like taut bungee cords. He questioned every resident and employee multiple times, and he had harassed the homicide detective until the cop had ordered him escorted out of the home by a couple of uniforms.

When Alex cornered Darrin for questioning the first time, he’d felt the heated rush of Kinton’s rage flow across his chest. Heavenly. When he’d stopped Darrin in the hallway, nearly face-to-face in the narrow corridor, Alex had smelled like clean sweat and hot anger. The two men weren’t all that different. They were about the same height, but Darrin had ten years on the agent and Alex had a lot more hair.

“Where were you last night after nine o’clock?” Those steel eyes had been dagger sharp.

Darrin had put on his best worried face, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. “In my room. I always watch TV after the residents go to bed in the evening.” He’d inhaled slowly through his nose to get more of Kinton’s scent. All pissed-off male.

“What’d you watch?” The question was like a whip.

“Uh. That guy in the jungle. The reality show where the army guy survives wherever the show decides to dump him. Then the local news.”

“Did you see Samuel go to his room that night?”

“Of course. I’m usually the one to get everyone moving in that direction. Kathy doesn’t care to supervise bedtime, and I don’t mind. I saw Samuel leave the bathroom and close the door to his room.”

Kinton had worked his jaw as Darrin watched in fascination and decided to throw him a little piece of bait. “I did hear someone’s door open around eleven or so. I figured someone was using the bathroom again.” Darrin scrunched his forehead. “The sound did come in the direction of Samuel’s room. I can’t say for sure that it was his door.”

Kinton’s jaw had grown harder. “Did you hear the door close?”

Darrin had twisted his mouth. “No…I can’t say I did. I was only paying attention to the TV.”

“Why didn’t you get up to check? Why didn’t you make sure that person was back in their room?” Alex had leaned forward an inch, somehow seeming taller at that second.

Darrin had blinked and stepped back a little, his spine touching the hallway wall. “Well, usually the residents are great about returning to their rooms. Kathy has never had a problem with wanderers before.” He’d injected a small quiver in his voice and licked his lips. He hadn’t thought Kinton’s eyes could get any hotter, but they did.