Conner was damned tired. He'd been sent out on assignment into the jungles of Peru looking for the cartel's newest set-up, which he'd found, and then pulled out before he could accomplish his mission. He'd been hustled back to the States with no information, saying only that he'd be told what was going on when he landed.

General Promo met him.

"Major Kincaid." The grim set of the general's mouth made his gut twist. The general was his liaison for all the military branches, essentially his handler.

"Sir." He nodded his head as he picked up his duffel and followed the general outside the small airstrip to the waiting SUV.

"There's a problem."

"One that needs my special skill set?"

"Three of your brother's team from the BAU have been murdered over the last few days."

Conner stopped moving, a rage surfacing he normally kept checked. "Did they hurt him?"

The general flinched away from him. "No, your brother is fine. He understands the situation and is taking the necessary steps to keep himself and his family safe."

"I was brought home to protect him?" His tired mind stepped into warp drive, already working through contingencies based on the layout of Kade's office and home.

"No. Strings were pulled and favors called in. You're going to protect the only other surviving member of the team."

"No offense, Sir, but fuck that shit. If I'm going to protect anyone, it's going to be my brother."

"I understand your feelings, Major, but this comes from higher up the chain of command than either of our pay grades."

Conner let out a string of curses that would make the devil blush. Chain of command be damned. He'd resign if he had to.

"Kade is capable of protecting himself. He's surrounded by some of the best there is in the business. You're needed elsewhere."

Conner didn't agree or disagree. He'd call his brother and then make the decision on what to do. The general shoved a file in his hand as they walked to the waiting SUV.

"Your assignment is waiting at the Chicago filed office. Director Thomas is expecting you. Everything you need to know about the situation is in that file. Let me know if you need anything."

He nodded curtly and climbed into the backseat and scrubbed at his eyes. When the vehicle started to move, he opened the file and read all the details of David Sloan's case and his subsequent escape from a maximum-security prison that had never had a prison break in it's history. First time for everything, though.

The file, however, did not mention which members of the BAU team had been killed, only that two survived. He was thankful his brother was one of those, but he was also curious about who on the team had died. He knew two of them, one better than the other. He'd find out soon enough.

Pulling his hat low, he tucked the file into his duffel and sat back while they drove to the FBI field office.

The ten-story building made up of walls of windows was not the best place to hold the target of a serial killer who had serious sniper skills. He scanned the rooftops of the adjacent buildings as well as the windows he could see. The entrance with its generic glass door could have been on any office building in the world. It was that nondescript. One would think with it being a federal building, it would have a little more flare.

He got out and took careful stock of everything. Pretending to dust dirt from his fatigues, he took in his surroundings. People milled around outside, pedestrians strolled along the sidewalks, and the breeze smelled of rain. He didn't like how open it was. There was nowhere to duck should the sniper start shooting the minute they walked out the door.

A man caught his attention. He was leaning against a tree directly in front of the building. He had a baseball cap pulled low, and despite the August heat, he wore a hoodie. One couldn't conceal a rifle in a hoodie, but he could hide a multitude of other weapons.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, he nodded to security and informed them of the potential threat outside before he continued up to the director's office. He knew the man would be dealt with before he escorted his subject outside.

The young woman who sat at the desk outside the office greeted him. He gave her his name and said he was expected. She checked and then waved him back. In any other situation, he'd be flirting. Denise, as her name plate on the desk read, was his usual type. Dark hair, dark eyes, and lips made to wrap a man's dick. He was simply too tired and worried about his brother.

When he entered the room, he went stock still.

The green eyes that met his set off a shiver of butterflies in his stomach.

"Major Kincaid." Director Thomas nodded to him. "Please have a seat."

He dropped his duffel and slid into the seat beside Special Agent Jeremy Bradford. A man who had haunted his dreams on more occasions than he cared to admit. A man he'd honestly hoped to never see again.

"Director Thomas, Agent Bradford." He turned his full attention to the director. "I'm still getting up to speed on the situation. I was handed the file en route from the airport."

"Bradford can brief you on the unsub as he worked the initial case. Sloan's a highly skilled marksmen, but I'm told you are as well."

Conner didn't agree or disagree. "I was told only two members of the BAU team survived Sloan's escape?"

"Yes, sir," Thomas replied. Even though the man was twice as old as Conner, the director automatically slipped into the submissive role. Conner prided himself on being an alpha. He kept an air of authority around him whenever he had to deal with anyone who could cause him problems or argue with his commands.

"Your brother's fine," Jeremy said, his deep voice sending another shiver through Conner.

"I know. General Como informed me of Kade's status when I landed." His tone was abrupt and sharp. "Have there been any more deaths since last night?"

"We think the bullet that went through Bradford's arm was from Sloan."

He glanced over at Jeremy, noting the sling. "Are you sure? From what little I've read, Sloan doesn't appear to be one to miss his mark."

"The ballistics match," Thomas replied. "We think he missed on purpose."

Fuck. He did not need this. How was he supposed to protect Jeremy when his focus was split between him and his brother? Maybe he could take Jeremy to New York and keep an eye on both him and Kade. His mind adjusted quickly and started running though scenarios. It would be difficult, but doable.

"Is there anything you need from us, Major?"

"No." He stood and motioned for Jeremy. "If I should need something, General Como will be in touch. The priority is to get Bradford to ground quickly."

Jeremy almost balked at following Conner. His first thought at seeing him come in was fuck no. Hell. Fucking. No.

Only Conner didn't give off the same vibe as when they'd first met. He'd barely looked at Jeremy since entering the room, instead focused on the information Thomas was giving him. There hadn't been even a wink of impropriety from him. He was cold, distant even.

The soldier.

It was a little unnerving truth be told. Gone was the flirt who took pleasure in making Jeremy uncomfortable and in his place stood a man who gave off a very dangerous vibe. He was about an inch taller than Jeremy, but a lot wider. He had the body of the football player he'd been in high school.

The biggest difference though were his eyes. They were black chips of ice and full of rage, but not the kind of rage that prompted men to do stupid things. This rage was calculated, designed to cause the most havoc and reap the best results.

"Let's go." The gruff command brought Jeremy out of his thoughts and he looked to see Conner standing impatiently by the door. "I need to call my brother."

Shit, he'd forgotten Kade. He stood and nodded to Thomas before following Conner out the door. They stopped at the front desk while Connor spoke to security. He was wearing full on fatigues from the jacket to the hat to the military grade boots. They were covered in dirt. He must have been on assignment when they called him back.

Conner went out first, blocking his exit while he studied the area.

"He's not going to be stupid enough to try something outside the FBI building." Jeremy pushed at Conner's back, but it was like pushing an elephant. Unmovable.

"While I am your security detail you will do as you're told and let me do my fucking job which means I clear an area before you are allowed into it."

The bite in his words shocked Jeremy enough to shut him up.

It took him only a minute to nod and move directly to the SUV parked in front. He opened the door and waved to Jeremy to get in.

Sighing, he glanced around himself once before moving quickly into the SUV. Conner gave the driver an address and then pulled out his phone, sending off a text. When the answering text came back within seconds, Conner grunted and slouched down in his seat.

"Kade?"

Conner only grunted again in response and pulled his hat down low over his face.

Okay, so he wasn't in a talkative mood. That was fine with Jeremy.

The longer the ride took, the more Jeremy's gaze flickered back to Conner. He could almost assume the man was asleep, but he knew better. His body was too tense. He had a good week's worth of stubble on his face which only made him look more dangerous.

But he also looked tired.

Jet lag or just general exhaustion or a combination of the two?

"Sir?" the man driving the SUV spoke up. "Are you sure this is the right address?"

Conner sat up. "It's the right place. Let us out here."

The right place looked like some kind of warehouse district with more abandoned buildings than actual businesses. The property they were sitting in front of was surrounded by a fence made not of chain link, but of steal beams that went at least twenty feet high and hid the building that lay behind it. Barbed wire lined the top of the fence. Security cameras scanned from every available perch he could see.

Conner got out and he scrambled to follow him, still not sure why he was following him. He could have refused. Hell, he should have refused. He didn't need a damn babysitter.

"Don't take the same route back," Conner told the driver and waved him off. He went over to the gate and pressed his hand to the keypad before entering a code. Once that was done, he stood while a retina scanner engaged. Man had some serious security.

When the gate opened, he wiped the fingerprint scanner clean and then walked ahead with Jeremy trailing behind. The same setup waited for them to get into the brick building with the windows blacked out. The bottom floor was a parking deck that housed several vehicles. The elevator at the back of the garage was an older one, the kind that had the doors you had to pull down like in a storage unit. The hum of the engine purred like new, though.

The studio apartment was very male. Dark, exposed brick made up three walls, while the other was done in a light gray. The front room opened up into a large kitchen. The stairs on his right led to the upper floor. A small, almost hidden hallway was off the kitchen. The furniture was comfortable, but the place gave off a very modern feeling.

"Nice place."

Conner grunted and tossed his duffel down. Kicking off his shoes, he went into the kitchen and grabbed a beer. "I'm going to take a shower and call my brother. Help yourself to anything in the fridge and the remote for the TV's on the coffee table."

Jeremy frowned as he watched Conner head upstairs. He seemed as pissed to be on this assignment as Jeremy was to have a babysitter.

Shaking his head at the whole fucked up situation, he grabbed a beer out of the fridge and wandered over to the windows. Had he not seen the black tint on the windows he'd never had known it was there. The view from in here was crystal clear. Conner had some serious security measures in place. Jeremy wondered why he felt all this was necessary? It seemed like overkill.

The water turned on upstairs and an image of Conner stepping under the spray flashed through his head and he spewed his beer. This is why he shouldn't be here.

He was not going there, he told himself sternly. Instead of dwelling, he pulled out his own phone and started making calls to get his mind out of places it shouldn't be.

Fucking Conner Kincaid.