When the police call the slaughter of his mother and brother a home invasion gone bad, Mika doesn't believe it. Because he has no way to prove otherwise, he closes down, refusing to talk about what happened.<br><br>That is until Buck, a bouncer at a local bar Mika visits, convinces Mika to open up to him. When he does, Buck not only learns about the murder, but also that Mika grew up living off the grid until his father died, two years previously, at which point his family moved to the city.<br><br>They begin to bond as they try to figure out the reason behind the murders, which may revolve around the family property in the mountains. All they have to do is prove it, without being killed in the process. Only if they can will they take a chance and move their growing friendship on to something more.

Hunting a Killer

“I think I’ve been there, a long time ago, right after we moved to the city.” Mika gathered up the wrappers from his meal, stuffed them in the empty cup, and stood. “I’ll see you Sunday.”


“Great. Don’t work too hard tomorrow.”


Buck watched Mika walk away, wondering why he’d suggested they go to lunch. He was fairly sure he knew the answer. He needs a friend. He also needs help if he’s going to try to find the killers. Hell, he’ll need more than help. He’ll need someone to protect him if he does. At least I’ve got the brawn, if not the brains. He should start by going through the scrapbooks he mentioned, and maybe the letters, even though I suspect they were written years ago. I wonder how his father died. I’ll have to ask on Sunday.4


As soon as he got home from work Friday evening, Mika made a sandwich and coffee, and then settled down to go through his mother’s scrapbooks.


Chapter 10