Sea Haven 02 - Spirit Bound

become.
    “This one is injured,” the deputy said as he helped Shariton to his feet.
    “Secure him in the squad car and take his statement. I’ll talk to these two.”
    Jonas Harrington was a man with a few secrets of his own. His energy, hot and bright, reached Stefan well in advance of the officer. Tall with sun-bleached hair and very focused, sea blue eyes, he crossed to them with long, confident strides. He looked a man to be careful around, but more, he felt like a man to be cautious around and Stefan always paid attention to his warning system.
    Stefan recognized Jonas’s deputy immediately, from the papers years ago in their homeland, although they’d never formerly crossed paths. This man had grown up in the state-run home with the youngest Prakenskii. He’d been a formidable police detective in Russia and later, like Ilya, had worked for Interpol.
    Aleksandr Volstov had midnight blue eyes and dark wavy hair. Stefan read lethal all over him. He glanced at Lev with a raised eyebrow. Lev shook his head, indicating he hadn’t met Volstov as of yet, but recognized the man from his pictures in the newspapers in Russia when he’d worked as a detective.
    Volstov’s gaze sharpened when he saw Lev, his gaze flicking quickly to Jonas. Harrington gave a small shake of his head, but Stefan caught it.
    He recognized you, Lev. He’s from Russia.
    I know. Let it be.
    “Sir, I’m going to put you in my car just while I talk to Levi.”
    Stefan didn’t respond. He concentrated on remaining passive. It took discipline to walk to the car and slide into the backseat. He’d been a prisoner more than once, but he’d been young and much more trusting back then. One betrayal had been a man he’d considered his best friend. He would have turned on his trainers before he would have followed the order to outwit and kill his friend, yet Uri, no more than a boy—a teenager—had waited until his back was turned and struck. At the last moment, Stefan had seen the attack coming in the reflection of a window. He had thrown himself to one side and still carried the scar where the knife went in deep.
    He stared out the window at his brother and the cop. He could read lips and, with the lights still on, he could see both men easily.
    “Tell me what happened, Levi,” Jonas instructed Lev.
    Lev shrugged casually, his expression completely closed. “Judith invited a stranger over and I watched him.” He was unapologetic. “Just to be safe I was armed. I didn’t really know much about him so I waited until he went to leave and struck up a conversation. We were walking, talking about his business and we spotted a man hiding up on that small knoll just above Judith’s house, hiding in the trees there. He was making a racket, must have gotten spooked by the owls nesting there. He’s all torn up.”
    “The birds living on this property are particularly vicious,” Jonas observed dryly. “This isn’t the first time someone’s had a problem with them.”
    “He shot at us,” Levi continued, ignoring the comment. “I can show you where one of the bullets hit.”
    “Just once? One shot?” Jonas asked.
    Levi shook his head. “Three at Vincent. Two at me. Five all together. His gun’s over there.”
    “I’ll need to swab your hands for residue. You know the drill. I’ve got the GSR kit in the car. Let’s get it done and then I’ll talk to Vincent.”
    “Shariton has a camera with a lot of pictures of Judith on it,” Lev added.
    The expression on Jonas’s face changed. He walked with Lev to the car, pulling out his kit. “My partner will swab Shariton’s hand and get his story.”
    While he was talking, he was looking Stefan over. Stefan was very grateful he’d taken after his mother in coloring. While he had his father’s height and bulk, a fighter’s solid muscular build, his eyes and hair color differed significantly from Lev’s. The sheriff’s eyes were just a little too sharp.
    He seemed satisfied with the results of his test and removed Levi’s cuffs. “Wait over there while I talk with your friend here.”
    He opened the door, allowing Stefan to step outside the vehicle. Pushing down the need to remove the cuffs, Stefan complied, breathing in the night air.
    “Your name?”
    “Thomas Vincent.”
    “Tell me what happened here.”
    “It all happened fast. I was visiting with Judith Henderson and when I went to leave, I ran into Levi Hammond there. He lives on the farm and is married to one of