Page 68 of Mountain Refuge

Jack turned towards me and held out his arms. “Kitten, you look good.”

I smiled and accepted the hug from my old friend. I never asked why he always called me ‘Kitten’ and I probably never would. I loved the pet name. It gave a fatherly feel to our relationship, which is something I sorely lacked in my life since my own father’s betrayal. “Jack, you’re looking old.”

He chuckled, stepping back to chuck me on the chin.

Then he rolled his desk chair over towards the cots andgestured for me to take a seat. Since it was the only chair in the room, I glared at him and held my ground until he sat down himself. I didn’t know Jack’s exact age or even his birthday, but I placed him in his mid-sixties. Like hell I was sitting down while he was forced to stand, even if chivalry demanded it of him.

“Josie, I’d like you to meet Brooke and Elijah.”

Her eyes passed me over and landed on Elijah. Jealousy was a new emotion for me. As the only woman not related to Elijah in some way, I hadn’t experienced it before in our relationship. I’m not even sure I had during my marriage to Tyler and wondered if that was because I’d been secure in our relationship or blind.

It took me a second to realize that Josie’s appraisal of Elijah wasn’t sexual. It was calculating and assessing. Like she was trying to determine if he was a good guy or a bad guy.

“Wasted a lot of time and money looking for you, Mr. Greene.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Elijah’s wince. “I don’t go by that name anymore.”

Josie nodded once. “For good reason. Even if Jack gets you cleared of all charges, you’re still going to have a bounty on your head. A lot of people blame you for Gunther’s downfall.”

“I hear that trophy belongs to you,” Elijah parried back. “Took a lot of guts to take Gunther on like that.”

“Yeah,” Josie scoffed, and then winced in pain. She put a hand to her ribs, making me think she either had a fractured or bruised rib or ribs. “Guts aren’t something I’ve ever lacked.” She lifted her casted hand up slightly. “Two working hands, though, seem to be in short supply around these parts.”

My eyes landed on Trenton, who was still slumbering, as I’m sure Elijah’s did. “How is he?” I asked, my voice low and full of concern. Even in sleep, I could see he was in pain.

I recalled seeing pictures of Sebastian Gunther from mytime on the force. The man was short and stalky. Trenton, though, was tall and lanky. Like someone had taken a younger version on Gunther and stretched him like aGumby.I couldn’t see his eyes as he slept, but he had the same obsidian hair as his father.

“The doc Owen took us to was able to reattach all but the one finger we couldn’t find.” There was a detachment to Josie’s voice that made me believe she was trying not to think about how much the kid was suffering. From what little I knew about Josie, and how I knew I would react, she was likely blaming herself for his condition. “Jack was able to get a dentist to come to the clinic too. He was only able to reattach two of his teeth. In time, he’ll be able to get partial dentures if he wants. After everything else, his broken nose almost seems anticlimactic.”

Elijah approached the cot where the young man lay. He knelt down, gently running his hand through the man’s blonde hair. “He’s braver than I ever gave him credit for. He took a bullet for me the night we escaped.”

I saw Josie’s brows furrow. “I never knew that,” she said softly.

Trenton muttered something in his sleep but did not wake.

I turned to Josie. “How areyou?”

Her face hardened, as did her voice. “I’m fine.”

I didn’t believe her. Neither, apparently, did Jack. “You have a fractured hand that required reconstructive surgery, Josie. You are notfine.”

“I amfine,” she snapped back at him. “My hand is nothing in comparison to what those bastards were going to do to me. If I had my way, they’d still be alive so I could teach them a lesson.”

The venom in her voice was palpable.

Jack’s own face darkened. “While I agree with you, and I wish I could provide them to you to seek your own justice when you’re mentally and physically ready, you know that Owen hadno choice but to dispose of them as quietly and as quickly as he could.”

Josie turned her face away, looking like a petulant child who had just had her favorite toy taken away. It was hard to tell in the low lighting and with her bruises, but I guessed her to be a few years older than Elijah and me.

“I understand your anger,” Jack told her softly. “All I can offer you is a piece of Gunther when I finally find him.”

Josie glanced over her shoulder at him. “Just a piece?”

“He owes a lot of people blood, Josie.” Jack’s chuckle had a hint of malice to it I had never heard before. “You have to share, but you’ll have your turn.”

That answer seemed to satisfy Josie. She even grinned as widely as her split lip would allow.

“Do you have any news on Gunther?” Elijah asked from behind me. “Anything at all.”

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