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

“That looks wicked,” Buck said when Mika took one out to show him. “No way you could carry it in the city.”


“I can if it’s in the sheath so it can be seen. If it were concealed carry, I’d be in big trouble if a cop stopped me.”


The trail got steeper the higher they went until they finally reached the top. Ahead of them was a large clearing and then the mountainside—and the house.


“It’s still standing,” Mika said in relief. “A bit worse for wear thanks to punks who think vandalizing is fun.”


While the basic structure was there and in good shape, if weather-beaten, every window had been broken and the door was standing open. On one side of the door someone had spray painted graffiti. Mika couldn’t say he was surprised. It had been standing empty for two years.


Chapter 16