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“So Max didn’t give any clues about where he is?”

Kent went through the entire conversation with the sheriff, who gave her a reassuring look at the end of it. “Don’t stress too much about this, okay? We’ll find your brother and these guys.”

Okay, so maybe she wasn’t pulling off the ‘everything is normal’ thing as well as she thought. Ed gave her hand a final squeeze, grinning as Kent growled and glared at him.

She slipped her hand free and nudged Kent. “You can’t growl at the sheriff,” she scolded as Ed walked away.

“He held your hand too long.”

She rolled her eyes at his possessiveness. But she had to smile as well.

Fifteen minutes later, she no longer felt the urge to smile. “Him. It’s him.” She pointed a shaking finger at the photo of the man who’d approached her in the parking lot of the diner and grocery store.

“You’re sure?” Jace, the nice deputy asked.

“Yes. I am.”

Jace called Ed over. He stared down at the shot with a frown. “Well, shit.”

“What is it?” she asked with alarm.

Ed glanced at Kent. She didn’t understand the look they shared. “What?”

Kent nodded at Ed. “Tell us both.”

“That’s Dirk James. He’s an enforcer for a crime family in Seattle. Bad news. How did Max get mixed up with the Bartollis?”

She had no idea, but Max had a knack for getting himself into the worst sort of trouble.

“All right, we’ve got something to work on. Thanks for coming in, sweetheart. Why don’t you go and get some rest, you’re exhausted.”

Rest? How could she rest?

“I’ll take care of her,” Kent said quietly. “Thanks, Ed.”

Twenty minutes later, she gazed out the window as Kent parked the truck. What were they doing at Walmart?

“What are we doing here?” she asked. She could barely remember leaving the police station. She guessed Kent had helped her. She was still in shock over learning how much trouble Max was in.

Much as she hated him sometimes, she didn’t want to imagine him in pain or...or worse.

She bit back a cry at the thought.

“We’re going to get you a few things to help you relax,” he told her.

“I don’t need anything. I want to go home. I mean, your home.”

“You were right the first time, it’s your home too.” He undid his seatbelt.

“I’ll wait here.” She didn’t want to deal with people right now. She didn’t want to adult right now. She bit her lip, she wished she knew how to free her Little. She wished she could ask Kent for help doing that.

She didn’t realize she was chewing on her thumbnail until Kent rescued it from her mouth.

“You’re not waiting here. You’re not leaving my sight. Come on. You’re so stressed you’re going to make yourself sick.”

He climbed out of the truck then came around and didn’t give her any choice but to get down. She dragged her feet as they went into the store, but he didn’t seem to notice or if he did, he didn’t say anything. He kept a tight hold of her hand as they walked inside.

“Stay close to my side,” he ordered her as he picked up a basket, letting go of her hand. He moved down the aisle, picking up a few items and putting them in the basket. There were hair ties, bubble bath, bath toys. Things she might have been more interested if she had the energy to spare.