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So yeah, she wanted to go back.
But should she? Her gaze fell on Lia’s peaceful face, curled up on her lap. Would it be safer to take this bus to wherever it was going and start over? Drew had reassured her that Paul hadn’t found her. Adrian being arrested in Baltimore was just a fluke.
The bus exited the interstate. “Stopping in Knoxville,” the bus driver announced.
A small whirl of hope fluttered in her gut. Paul wasn’t after her, and they were going back home.
CHAPTER
TEN
Technically, Tank shared an office with Marshall. But there were few things Tank despised more than sitting at a desk. There was no question that he preferred action. Which was why he avoided paperwork at all costs and spent most of his time in the gym, the shooting range, or reviewing intelligence while sitting on the sofa in the office.
Which was why he was currently trying not to doze off in the corner of the black leather sofa, trying to put together the scraps of intel they’d received from Strickland during their interrogation. Tank was ready to go home, but he also needed to finish reading these summaries from the intelligence team.
He glanced at the clock again. Three o’clock.
“It’s been less than two minutes since you last looked,” Marshall said dryly from his desk across the room. Whereas Tank sported a steel-blue polo, Marshall was in a crisp, white button-down shirt. His suit jacket neatly hung on a hanger, resting on a coat hook on the back of their office door.
Marshall liked to be prepared for anything, including an impromptu meeting at the White House. Tank preferred to be comfortable. But he had a suit and tie in the small closet in the corner of the office as well. He also had a ragged leather jacket and a pair of jeans, because you never knew where you’d need to blend in.
Tank grunted at his friend, but Marshall just chuckled.
“Just go home, dude. Is your girl there today? Got some home cooking waiting for you?”
Tank felt his cheeks tighten, a hint of heat flaring in them. It seemed that Marshall loved to give him a hard time about Kaylie. Tank had made the mistake of mentioning that he’d walked them to the bus stop, and his friend had latched on to it.
Thankfully, Tank’s phone rang, and Joey’s number flashed on the screen. “Sorry, gotta take this.”
Marshall rolled his eyes and waved a hand.
“Whatcha got, Joey?”
“Can you come to my office? I think this’ll be easier in person.”
“On my way,” Tank replied, already pushing himself off the couch.
“Tell Joey I really need that updated financial deep dive on Summit Capital.”
Tank nodded, though he probably would do no such thing. Joey hated to be reminded of things she already knew were her responsibility. Which was why Tank hadn’t pushed her on the information he’d asked for about Kaylie. He had to trust that she was working on it as quickly as she could. If Marshall wanted to nag her about his own intel, then he would be the one to pay the price.
Joey was waiting for him, and Tank was surprised to see several pictures of Kaylie on the screen.
She didn’t waste any time. “I’ve got a meeting in ten minutes, so I’m sorry this will be quick. I wanted to tell you as soon as I could, though.”
Tank nodded, and Joey took it as a sign to continue. “Kaylie Richards, who I greenlighted to be your housekeeper, is clean as a whistle. No arrests, good recommendations from former clients.”
Tank frowned. “I know all this.”
Joey nodded. “What you don’t know is that Kaylie Richards is actually Kaylie Hawkins.”
Tank’s eyebrows flew upward. “Why?”
Joey tipped her head back and forth. “When you asked me about her a few months ago, I made the connection. But Kaylie Hawkins is also clean as a whistle. No arrests. Former foster kid in New Jersey. It looked like she was looking for a clean start and found one here.”
Tank’s fist tightened. “Why didn’t you tell me, Joey? She’s been in my house for months!”
Joey’s face remained completely still. She waited until Tank relaxed into the chair. “Look, I was trying to protect her privacy. I figured she was running from some sort of domestic situation. It didn’t impact what you needed to know, so I let the girl keep her secrets.”
