Free Rescuing Rory by N.J. Walters Page A

sexual either. Rory felt a connection to Kal that went deep. She cared for him and that was dangerous.
    “Fine. I’m not done yet but I needed a break and thought I’d give you a report on my progress so far.” That was good. She had to keep things professional and impersonal.
    Kal stepped aside and motioned her into the large room. When she passed by him, she could feel the heat of his body and smell his earthy scent. It permeated her senses and made her nipples tighten. She fought the urge to cross her arms over her chest.
    As she expected, the rest of his brothers were there. Flynn stood beside his chair, towering over all of them, his hands fisted on his hips. Impatience practically oozed from his pores.
    Rory dug deep and found the extra courage necessary to make herself take a step toward the captain of the ship. She spoke quickly, taking control of the conversation before Flynn could. Her father had always taught her it was better to assume command in a tense situation and never to let your opponent see you sweat. While he might not be an opponent, Rory knew Flynn wasn’t exactly her friend. “I created a file on Kal’s computer. I assume you can access it.”
    “On it.” Kal slid back into his chair and tapped on the keyboard in front of him. Seconds later, the list popped up on the screen.
    “Linegar Jones is the first man on the list.” Rory stepped over the screen, ignoring Kal when he moved to stand beside her. “He was on one of the supply ships the day your sister went missing. He’s a scumbag of the first order. It’s possible he took her but I don’t know how he would have hidden her on the ship. And his captain at the time was a good man who would have reported any stowaway. Still, it’s better not to overlook him.”
    Flynn strode closer and studied the picture on the screen. The promise of death gleamed in his eye. Garth also moved closer and Amos was right behind him.
    Rory felt hemmed in by all the testosterone. She’d been around rugged, rough-edged men all her life but never had she encountered a group like Kal and his brothers. They all exuded a bone-deep self-confidence, tinged with a large dose of menace and an aura of raw sex appeal. Even Flynn, though he was missing an eye and a hand, radiated a sense of power that couldn’t be denied. She started to move closer to Kal and made herself stop and stand her ground.
    “What else do you have?” Flynn demanded.
    “Avid Diamond.” She nodded to the next picture on her list. Where Linegar Jones had been old and mean, this man was younger and appeared almost pleasant in the picture. “Don’t let his baby face fool you. He uses his youthful, harmless appearance to his advantage and has a history of luring women.”
    “Son of a bitch,” Garth swore.
    “He’s that and more,” she readily agreed. “While no one has ever been able to pin anything on him, there have been rumors of women going missing.” She paused and added her personal opinion. “But not girls. Avid favors full-figured, full-grown women.”
    “So you don’t think he’s the one?” Kal asked.
    She glanced at him and shook her head. “I don’t. But I still think he’s worth a look.”
    Flynn rubbed his face. “Have you found any that you do think might have kidnapped Abigail?”
    Rory didn’t want to get their hopes up only to dash them. “I think all the men on the list need to be looked at. I’m not finished going through all the pictures in the file yet and there are six on the list so far. There could be more.”
    “Who?” It was the quiet brother who spoke. The tortured expression on Amos’ face made Rory’s heart ache.
    “Jasper Freeman.”
    Kal leaned forward, tapped a key and pulled up the photo to match the name she’d given him.
    Just looking at him gave Rory the shivers. He was a tall, good-looking man with a lanky build and dark hair, but there was something about him, something in his pale-blue eyes that bothered her. Her father had