Duke walked out of the county jail at three in the afternoon, squinting against the sunlight like a man emerging from a cave. Valentina rushed to him, but he'd already spotted Connor leaning against a Mercedes sedan, arms crossed, smile perfect.
"Connor." Duke's voice was flat. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Saving your ass, little brother." Connor pushed off the car. "You're welcome, by the way."
The brothers faced each other across ten feet of parking lot. Same height, same build, but everything else was different. Duke, rough and raw in yesterday's clothes. Connor, polished and expensive in his designer suit.
"I didn't ask for your help," Duke said.
"No, but you needed it." Connor's smile didn't waver. "Two hundred and fifty thousand is a lot of money for a small-town mechani
