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He pulled up beside the house and cut the engine. “Since they appear to know we’re here, I say we all three go inside. It’ll be safer if we all stick together.”
“I was just about to suggest the same thing,” Darren stated as he opened the passenger door and exited the truck. He helped Reese out next as Buster came around from the driver’s side.
There was safety in numbers. He and Buster flanked Reese, ignoring the ominous feeling. This place gave him the creeps.
As they stepped onto the porch, the front door cracked open.
“Mrs. Archer, I’m Buster Wren.” He stretched out a hand as a gray pit bull let out a low, throaty growl from her side.
“He’s not friendly,” Mrs. Archer said, referring to the dog.
Out in these parts with the house tucked behind a metal gate, Darren wondered what the need for an angry pit bull might be. He understood needing protection for cattle, but these were beekeepers not ranchers.
“I’m Darren Pierce,” he said when her gaze shifted to him.
“And my name is Ree—”
“You’re a Hayes,” Mrs. Archer said in a disgusted tone. “I know who you are.”
That tone sent a cold chill racing up Darren’s back.
“We’d like to talk to you and your husband, if possible,” Darren said. There was no way to get a peek inside the place with how little the door was cracked. All the brothers could be back there standing behind the door for all Darren knew.
Another thing occurred to him. The family had no storefront. They sold to businesses. And businesses needed deliveries. Darren would bet money Aiden and his brothers did the driving. There was a bigger question looming. Was this a family affair?
Chapter Twenty
Reese took a step back and to her right. Darren seemed to understand what she was doing when he brought his shoulder forward and tucked her behind him.
“What can I help you with?” Mrs. Archer said. The older woman looked hard. A couple of her teeth were missing, and her sun-worn skin was wrinkled, especially around the eyes. Hers were an intense shade of green, piercing and distrustful. Her mouth was bracketed by deep grooves. This was not a kind face. This was not the face of a good person. This was the face of someone hardened by life.
Mrs. Archer’s strawberry-blond hair was in a messy pile on top of her head. Her clothing was a flannel dress, which oddly suited her. She kept her right arm hidden behind the door. Reese would bet money the woman was gripping a shotgun.
“Is your husband home?” Buster continued. Being the eldest of the group, he would command the most respect. His voice was calm but stern.
“I never said he wasn’t,” Mrs. Archer replied. Yeah, her responses were firing off warning shots left and right. A part of Reese wanted to head back into the truck, get inside and keep driving until she could no longer be tracked.
One thought kept her from turning around. Was Tandra still alive?
The feeling of pure evil was thick despite the cool breeze that said winter was gaining ground.
“Could we speak to him?” Buster continued, unfazed, but he had to be feeling the same thing as Reese. She could tell by Darren’s tense muscles that he did.
“I’ll see if I can find him,” she said after a long pause. “Stay right here or Tyson will get nervous.”
The door closed. While they waited, she figured it might be a good time to check out the place a little.
The porch was lit up. Seeing much past a small area was next to impossible since there were no other lights on the property. At least, no others that were on. Insects chirped, giving Reese a bad case of the willies. She might have been born in ranching country, but she never liked the thought of insects crawling on or around her. Field mice used to get inside the house occasionally and those really freaked her out. So, yes, she was on high alert.
Not to mention the possibility of coming face-to-face with a man who wanted to kill her.
Reese involuntarily shivered.
The door swung open wide. A tall man in suspenders she assumed to be Mr. Archer filled the space.
“What the hell do you want?” he grunted. “You have about ten seconds to tell me what you’re doing on my property before I tell you to leave.”
The door opened wide enough to give a glimpse of a shotgun. Reese had no doubts the man was prepared to use it.
