Easton's Claim (Colebrook Siblings Trilogy Book 3) by Kaylea Cross Page B

face in his soft fur. “How’s my little sweetheart doing, huh?” she crooned, kissing and cuddling him and basically turning the little guy into a puddle of mush in her arms.
    Easton didn’t blame him, although he wasn’t proud of being jealous of a damn dog. What he wouldn’t give to have her be that openly affectionate with him, hug and kiss him without reservation. He wanted all of her.
    “He’s doing great,” Wyatt said, beaming like a proud father as he stood there grinning at them. “He told me he missed you so he wanted to come over too.”
    Piper snickered and looked up at him. “Uh-huh. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that you can’t bear to be apart from each other?”
    “No, of course not.”
    Austen snorted. “Whatever. They’re ridiculous. Inseparable. I swear I don’t know who’s more in love with Wyatt, me or the dog.”
    Wyatt shrugged, his lips quirking. “What can I say, I’m just a loveable guy.”
    “Yeah you are,” Austen said, and stepped over to plant a kiss on his lips. “Big softie.”
    Wyatt grimaced. “Not in front of everyone,” he complained.
    “Oh please, like it’s any kind of secret to the rest of us,” Piper said. Grinning, she kissed the brown spot on the top of Grits’s head and set him down. The dog immediately went across the room to greet Charlie, then Easton.
    “Any more pieces from your grandma here?” Easton asked Piper as he scratched Grits on the chest and lifted his chin to avoid the lizard-like tongue trying to lick him.
    “Just a couple of prints that I now have to get reframed, and a jewelry box.” She pushed to her feet. “There’s nothing hidden in it. I emptied everything out of the furniture and packed it all in boxes before I put it in storage.”
    Was worth taking another look, just to make sure she hadn’t missed something. When it came to searching for hidden contraband, Easton was an expert. He did it on pretty much every mission his team went on. “Can I see the box?”
    “Sure.” She led him into her bedroom and picked up the art deco jewelry box that had been dumped onto the floor. The air in here smelled faintly of her perfume. “All my jewelry is still here,” she said, gathering up the earrings and necklaces strewn on the carpet. “It’s weird. Greg and whoever attacked him couldn’t be that hard up for money if he didn’t take any of this, right?”
    Just means whatever they’re after is worth a whole lot more than your jewelry. “They weren’t after jewelry.” Her face fell and he changed the subject. “We should go down to your storage locker later and have a look at what you’ve got in there. After that we can check out the stuff in the shed at my dad’s place. I’ll help you.”
    “Okay.” She continued gathering up her things from the floor. Jewelry, sexy lace bras and panties he’d fantasize about seeing her in from now on, and other odds and ends from the dresser. He picked up whatever he found and placed it on the bed for her to sort back into the drawers. Piper was obsessed about organization.
    A few minutes in, her phone chimed. The insurance company, or maybe the cops? Easton only paid partial attention to her as he continued cleaning up the items on the floor but when she gasped he tensed and jerked his gaze to her.
    “Oh my God,” she whispered, her face full of horror, one hand flying up to cover her mouth.
    Oh, shit, what now? “What is it?” he asked, stepping close to her.
    Face so pale the freckles stood out on her nose, she handed over the phone without a word. Anger punched through him when he saw what the caller had sent. An image of Greg, bound to a chair with his hands secured behind him, face badly beaten. And below it, a chilling message.
    Give us what we want or he’ll die a slow, painful death.

 
     
     
Chapter Six
     
     
    “He was doing so well this time. Every time I spoke to him on the phone this past month, it was like talking to the old Greg. I really