Molly was grateful for his support. “And that’s why you’ve got Ty on the case?”

Hunter nodded.

Molly’s gaze darted toward the upstairs where Jessie had closed herself off to the family. “Jessie must be beside herself.”

“She is. Which is why Robin should be here by tonight. Your father thought maybe Jessie would open up to her.”

Molly nodded. “They are close.” But tonight was hours away. “I wonder if she’d talk to me. We are making progress in our relationship.” She bit down on her lower lip.

The last thing she wanted to do was force Jessie to clam up even more or upset her to the point where she remembered she hated Molly for invading her home and her family. But if Seth was out there and scared, upsetting Jessie might be worth the risk.

“I think that’s a good idea.” Hunter’s eyes lit up at the notion. “She’s starting to idolize you and maybe you can reach her.”

“Idolize?” Molly let out a laugh.

“Hey, don’t minimize your impact on her. She didn’t want that yellow sweater for no reason.” He grabbed her hand and led the way upstairs.

“So now you’re an expert on child psychology?” Molly asked.

“I think I’m becoming an expert on your family.” He stopped in front of Jessie’s room. Music pounded from inside, echoing into the hall. “Are you ready to do this?”

She’d been running on autopilot since getting the news about Seth. Heck, she’d been running on autopilot since the day of her father’s arrest for murder. Another difficult conversation with her half sister should be a piece of cake. So why did she have butterflies in her stomach and the beginning of a dull, throbbing headache at the base of her skull?

She turned her most confident smile Hunter’s way. “Of course I’m ready to do this.”

“Liar,” he said softly. “But you can do this and probably even get answers, which is all that matters.” He cupped the back of her head in his hand, pulled her close and sealed his lips over hers.

He took her breath away. The warmth of his kiss, the solidness of his touch, the pure raw male sexuality he exuded was potent and powerful. Molly closed her eyes and savored the strength of his mouth and the sure sweep of his tongue as it tangled with hers.

Too soon, he stepped back. His eyes, though glazed, were filled with a depth of emotion.

Her stomach churned and flipped with sudden nerves that had nothing to do with her sister in the other room. “What was that for?” she asked, gently wiping the moisture from her lips.

“For luck.”

Her pounding heart felt it was so much more, but she couldn’t think about it now. Instead, she treated him to a short incline of her head. “I am going to need it,” she murmured, placing her hand on the doorknob.

“Meet me back in your father’s office when you’re finished,” he told her.

She nodded. “Here goes nothing.” Molly turned the knob and stepped inside.


***

HUNTER HAD a bad feeling about Seth. A really bad, gnawing sensation in his gut. Years of experience had taught him to trust that feeling, and now it told him Seth hadn’t run away because he was overwhelmed with emotion. Seth had run away because he was guilty. The boy had seen or heard something about the murder that could implicate someone he cared about, and with the hearing coming up and everyone on edge, he’d panicked and run.

What other explanation could there be?

Pacing the small office that had been his home for more than a week, Hunter racked his brains for another reason a fifteen-year-old kid would take off in the middle of a crisis like this one.

Damned if he could think of one, but he mentally listed the possibilities anyway. Seth’s mother was a mess, and the only other support she had-the general-was charged with the murder. She needed her son and Seth was smart enough to understand that.

So school was rough? School was rough for every teen and a mature kid like Seth could handle it, Hunter felt certain.

His father was dead? All the more reason to stick around and see justice done. Seth had made it clear that he didn’t believe the general was guilty. He would want Frank’s name cleared and the real culprit found.

Remembering himself at fifteen, Hunter knew that if he were in Seth’s place, he’d be snooping around on his own for answers. Unless he already knew something.

It was the only scenario that made sense. Hunter wasn’t sure what information Seth had about the killing, but his trusty gut told him they were at a turning point in the murder case.

Whatever Seth knew could change the dynamics of this family forever.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

MOLLY THOUGHT she’d gotten used to being around a teenager, but every time she was in Jessie’s room, it was an otherworldly experience. The walls were papered with white-and-black swirls and hot-pink stickered decals for color. There was a corkboard with photos of her friends and framed posters of bands and movies. A mirror sat on the desk surrounded by more makeup than even Edna had used in her lifetime and her iPod blasted from the corner of her room. And Jessie lay on her bed, facing the wall.

She hadn’t even realized she had a visitor.

Molly chose the chair by the desk so as not to invade the teenager’s personal space by sitting on the bed, and pulled it over to the edge of the mattress. She made herself comfortable, drew a deep breath and tapped Jessie on the shoulder.

“Ack!” The teen yelped and rolled over to face Molly. “Geez, I didn’t even hear you come in.”

“I’m not surprised. Can I lower it?” Molly gestured to the iPod speakers.

Jessie nodded. “I guess. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to talk about Seth.”

“What makes you think I’m going to ask you about him?” She wasn’t a psychologist any more than Hunter was but she wasn’t above trying some reverse psychology, either.

Jessie wiggled back against the pillows and sat up higher, wrapping her arms around her waist. “Then what are you doing here?”

“Your best friend’s missing. I’m sure you’re worried and I wanted to check on you, that’s all. It’s something sisters do for each other, like sharing clothes.” Molly drew a deep breath. “I thought we’d reached that point. Or am I wrong?”

Jessie shook her head. “I kind of like you now.”

Molly warmed at Jessie’s words. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“I think I do. I met your mother, remember?”

Despite herself, Molly laughed. “So how are you?”

Jessie leaned her chin on a bent knee. “Worried. Scared.”

“Let me ask you this. You’re Seth’s best friend. You have to know more than you’re letting on. So just tell me one thing. Is he somewhere safe?”

Jessie nodded slowly.

“Well, that’s good.”

“Now let me ask you something.”

“Go for it,” Molly said.

“If you knew something that could hurt someone you loved but could help someone else you also loved, would you tell and hurt the one person but help the other?” Jessie stared at Molly through solemn eyes.

“That was the most convoluted question I’ve ever heard, but I think I understand.”

“You do?” Jessie blinked back tears.

Molly leaned toward her sister. “You know something and if you tell me, you’re going to betray your best friend’s confidence.”

“It’s worse than that. If I tell you, Seth could really get hurt.” The teenager bit her bottom lip. “But if I don’t tell you, someone else could get hurt. How much do you trust Hunter?”

Molly shook her head. “This wasn’t just a teenage change of subjects. I’m confused. You need to tell me, Jess. Everything. If you don’t, Seth’s out there alone and nobody can help him.”

“I didn’t think of it that way. So I can tell you and not feel bad because it’s in his best interests?” Jessie pulled a pillow onto her lap and hugged it.

“Listen, there was something I didn’t tell Hunter and I should have and he blew up at me. It took a while for him to forgive me.” And sometimes she caught Hunter looking at her in a way that led Molly to believe he still didn’t quite trust her completely.

Jessie scrunched her nose in thought. “And you’re sorry you didn’t tell him?”

Molly nodded. “I am.”

“What if I tell you, and Seth never forgives me?”

Good question, Molly thought. “It’s a risk you’d be taking. But you’re doing it because you care about him. I didn’t tell Hunter because I didn’t trust him enough. I was wrong. You wouldn’t be.”

“Why are you so nice to me?” Jessie asked out of the blue.

“Because I like pint-size brats?” Molly shook her head and smiled. “No, seriously. Because you’re family. And I’ve never had a family before.” Molly shrugged, suddenly feeling self-conscious in front of her half sister. “I just want you to like and trust me.”

“No shit?” Jessie scurried to her knees. “You really care what I think of you?”

Suddenly, when Molly looked at her half sister, she saw herself, insecurities, fears and all. No wonder Jessie had acted out when she first arrived. For all that Molly thought she’d understood Jessie’s feelings, she realized that she’d had no clue. But now, not only did she get Jessie, Molly liked her. A lot.

“Talk to me, Jess.”

“Do you promise you won’t repeat it unless I say it’s okay?”

Eyes wide, Jessie took a deep breath and said, “Seth said he killed his father by accident. He was just protecting his mom and he counted on Hunter getting Dad off, and then we heard Hunter say it’s going to be tough, and the hearing got moved up and Seth must have panicked and run away.” She expelled the words on a rush of air.

Molly tried but couldn’t swallow. “Say that again? No, wait, do not repeat it. Not at all.” She held up a hand and tried to catch her breath. “I need a minute to take this in. I really do.” She dragged in a long gulp of air.

Seth killed his father? Oh. My. God. “We have to talk to Hunter. Not just for Dad’s sake, but for Seth’s.” She didn’t question her words as they tumbled out of her mouth.

“No!” Jessie waved her hands frantically in the air. “You can’t tell him. You can’t tell anybody.” She grabbed on to Molly’s arm and squeezed her tightly. “Promise me?”

Molly couldn’t make such a promise without betraying everything she believed in. But she had promised Jessie she wouldn’t reveal her secret without permission. Molly bit down on her bottom lip. What would her father do? Molly wondered.

The general, if he knew the truth, would no doubt take the blame if it meant protecting Seth. As honest as Frank was, he’d put his family first. That was his code of ethics. In her heart, Molly understood it.

But everything inside her shouted for her to run screaming the truth to everyone in the house. Justice demanded it. Honesty demanded it.

Hunter would demand it, Molly thought.

Her gaze fell to Jessie’s hand, still gripping Molly’s arm. Slowly, she raised her stare, focusing on Jessie’s tear-stained face. The face of the young girl who’d finally turned to Molly with the ultimate trust and faith.

Loyalty to someone in her family or honesty and trust in Hunter. Once again, Molly was faced with the most difficult decision of her life, except that this time she knew what she had to do. And doing it would probably destroy the family that meant everything to her and the life she’d worked so hard to build.

“You won’t tell?” Jessie asked.

Molly sighed. “I won’t tell,” she said, meeting her sister’s gaze and lying to her face.


***

HUNTER RUBBED a hand across his eyes and let out a yawn. He was exhausted but he knew the worst wasn’t over yet. He stretched out in the chair by the desk in his borrowed office/bedroom and made a list of things to do, starting with requesting a postponement on the hearing. Nobody in this house was up to dealing with the general’s life-or-death situation while Seth was missing. He picked up the phone and called his office, telling them to get the papers together ASAP.

“This family can’t catch a break,” he muttered after he hung up.

“Breaks are for sissies,” Ollie squawked.

Hunter jerked toward the birdcage in the corner. “I forgot you were even here.”

“Live here, live here,” the macaw said.

A knock sounded on the door and Molly stepped inside. One look at her pale face and Hunter knew something was wrong. “What is it?” he asked.

She gripped the door handle behind her, leaning against the wall for support. “I’m going to be sick.”

He rose and walked to her. Clasping her hand, he led her to the couch. “Talk to me.”

She drew in a shaky breath. “If I do, I’m going to betray Jessie’s confidence and destroy not only what little progress we’ve made in our relationship but probably any hope for any future relations, forget any sisterly bond.”