Riley (The Kendall Family #3) by Randi Everheart

Riley’s house was off limits until further notice because it was an active crime scene. By the time they arrived at Quinn’s house, all of Riley’s siblings and Sophia had gathered in the large living room used as a home theater and party room. Both Ryan and Tiger went home.
    Seeing the bag of clothes in Riley’s hand, Quinn asked, “Did Ryan kick you out overnight?”
    “No, the CSIs did. Indefinitely,” he replied, sitting on the arm of a recliner and gesturing for Jordan to sit in it, which she did, the leather creaking under her butt.
    “You can stay here,” Quinn suggested, standing near the doorway.
    “I know.”
    Kris shook her head from where she stood across the room. “But not her.” Riley frowned at her but didn’t have a chance to speak before she added, “I know you need her help and all of that, but no one who’s tried to kill one of us stays in this house. Ever.”
    The Marine sighed. She had a point and he wasn’t in the mood to argue. “Fine. We’ll stay elsewhere.”
    “I’d love to help,” began Tristan, the youngest of them, “but with a pregnant Victoria back at my house, I’m not really comfortable with her staying there. I kind of need to get home.”
    “Yeah, I understand,” replied Riley. Even though he was sure—mostly—of Jordan, imposing on a young family was a little much even without the circumstances.
    “You can come stay at the inn,” suggested Connor, second youngest of the six siblings and often mistaken for Tristan’s twin. He ran the family B&B with some help from his girlfriend, Sophia, who now sat beside him on the couch.
    “Not there either,” interjected Kris, eyes hard.
    Connor shot her a look and squeezed Sophia’s hand. “Our call, not yours.”
    She replied, “That was our parents’ first house, so same rule applies.”
    “And what rule is that?” the normally docile Connor challenged. “You’re just making it up. And it’s my house now, the same way this one is Quinn’s.”
    Kris’ glare deepened. “She’s a threat to any one of us and I won’t feel everyone’s safe with her in the same house.”
    “No, I’m not,” Jordan said, her tone unchallenging despite her disagreement.
    “Stay out of this,” snapped Kris.
    Jordan sighed and slowly rose, turning to Riley and making to go. “I don’t want to come between you and your family.”
    “Too late,” Kris said.
    “Quit it,” Riley said to her, his own gaze hardening. Then he took Jordan’s hand, as she’d started for the door. “You’re not going anywhere without me. At the least, it would look strange, and now that I think about it, Kris, the police might be suspicious if we didn’t stay here or at the inn.”
    His older sister folded her arms while his younger sister spoke up.
    “He’s right,” said Chloe, sitting beside Sophia and Connor on the couch. “And it makes more sense for them to be here than the inn, which has guests, so if you’re worried about anyone being in danger, we have liability at the inn if a stranger gets hurt as opposed to one of us here. Not that I think that’s an issue.”
    Scowling intensely, lips set in a firm line, Kris turned and stalked out of the house without another word, her riding boots like hammer blows on the hardwood.
    After a moment, Chloe said lightly, “Was it something I said?”
    “She’ll lighten up,” said Riley, amused.
    “Somehow I doubt it,” said Jordan, sitting back down.
    “It might help,” began Quinn, “if you tell us more about you and why you do...what you do.”
    Jordan exchanged a look with most of those present before turning questioning eyes to Riley, who said to all of them, “Everyone knows the real reason Jordan is here, but that knowledge is never to leave this room. Nor is anything else she tells you. And it is her decision to tell you anything.”
    She put a hand on his leg. “I think the decision’s yours. Maybe this is old fashioned, but there was a time when, if you saved someone’s