Page 1 of The Hunt

1

Chad Fields wasa man on a mission.

A determined man.

One who would not fail.

He was going to get Genesis Hiller. It was as simple as that. One way or the other.

She was his prey.

She had the information he was looking for.

His baby sister was missing. Chad was using every skill he had gained through his years working in medicine to not let the panic show. Chantal had been walking from his parents’ ranch to this one and had disappeared between them. And then the text had come. The threats. Someone had taken his sister to get back at their older brother Charlie—a cop. No one knew where she was now. But Charlie and his team were looking for her.

He adored Chantal. She’d been his shadow for most of her childhood. Until he had left for college when she was just ten. They had grown apart then—but it didn’t change the fact that she was one of the two women in the world he loved more than anyone else.

Chantal and his mother.

His mother was quietly freaking—something the fiery Jane Fields was not known to do. He didn’t know how to make it right. For any of them.

Instead, they just sat where they were in the Hillers’ damned living room. Waiting.

Except… for Genesis Hiller.

His sister’s friend. She was still dressed in the same pale pink scrubs she’d worn that day in the Barratt County Gen ED, and she was more agitated than he had ever seen her. Which was saying a lot.

Genesis was dramatic. Passionate.

About everything.

Now she was just terrified.

Well, so was he. But… she was hiding something. He was sure of it. Chad knew the little witch was holding something back. And they didn’t have time for that.

He waited until she wasn’t surrounded by her brothers.

That’s when he struck.

When no one was watching. Chad definitely wasn’t stupid—and there were four of the five Hiller brothers right there.

The fifth was missing. With Chad’s sister. Everyone thought Gene Hiller was out there with Chantal. Somewhere. In trouble. Or dead.

Chances were high Gene was dead. But that was something no one was ready to put into words. If Genesis knew something… he was going to get her.

It was so easy to do. She was small, lightweight, and never expected him to do it.

Chad wrapped his hands around her narrow waist and just lifted the girl he’d known her entire life right off her ridiculously little feet—and carried her into the small hallway powder room. He had her now.

It was a tight fit—but he managed.

She wasn’t very big, after all.

Exactly what he’d wanted—her. Not able to escape. He trapped her against the back wall—right there between the toilet and the sink. Eyes of the purest hazel he had ever seen widened behind plastic-rimmed glasses, and she just stared up at him. Gawking.

“What… are you doing? Have you finally lost it? I mean, Chantal and I were certain you would eventually but… ”

“Shut up. I have questions.” He knew he was big and intimidating—he’d heard it before. And he was definitely coming on too forcefully at the moment. But… “My sister is missing. And there is something you aren’t telling me.”