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The drive to BTS headquarters was tense, and Tank never let his guard down. The last thing he wanted was to have another run in with the people who’d invaded his house. He breathed a sigh of relief as they rolled through the reinforced gates of Black Tower Security and let them close behind him.
This place meant safety. BTS was also the closest thing to a real family Tank had known. The Olson family? Cruel and political, that family was all about self-preservation and power. But Black Tower was about strength in unity, self-sacrifice, loyalty, and trust. And while the team at Black Tower hadn’t planned on adding two people to the resident roster, they wouldn’t hesitate to bring Kaylie and Cecelia into the fold.
They’d care about Kaylie and Cecelia simply because Tank did. And they’d protect them because they needed protecting.
Once they were safely inside, Tank led Kaylie and Lia to the wing of the building that was permanently set up as living quarters for any of their clients who needed to stay. Miranda was waiting for them in the shared living room area, which just as often served as a place for much-needed decompression after a mission or Black Tower staff movie nights. The room held four large couches and a scattering of recliners, plus a television that filled one wall. There was a full kitchen in the back corner, which Tank knew Hannah Stone had made use of on more than one occasion while she stayed here after the assassination. The girl could cook, he’d give her that.
The edge of the space was lined with rooms, numbered one through five.
“Hello,” Miranda greeted them softly. “I’m Miranda. You must be Kaylie.” She shook Kaylie’s hand before turning to Cecelia. “Hey, sweet girl. Remember me? I’m Tank’s friend.”
Lia nodded shyly. Kaylie flashed him a questioning look.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Miranda babysat for a bit while you had the flu so I could go get Lia’s blanket from your place.”
Kaylie narrowed her eyes at him, but he quickly looked away. No doubt she would have thoughts to share later about that particular revelation.
“Tank?” It was the first word Tank had heard Cecelia say since the attack at the house.
“Mr. Anthony,” Kaylie clarified for her daughter.
Miranda flashed a look at him that he knew meant they would be discussing that later. No one called him anything other than Tank.
“Oh yes,” Miranda agreed. “Anthony.”
“Hi,” came Cecelia’s quiet, but polite, response.
“Ta–Anthony let me know you’d be coming, so I’ve got your room all ready for you. You’ll be staying in Room #2, since it is our biggest room, with a queen-size bed for you to share. I hope that’s all right. We don’t have any with two beds.”
“We always share anyway,” Kaylie said absently.
Miranda smiled knowingly. “Well, here. Let me show you. I’m sure the two of you are eager to get settled in.”
It couldn’t have been more than thirty minutes ago that he’d told Miranda they were coming, but she’d worked her magic already. Room #2 was made up with a purple bedspread. Tank was certain the last time he’d been in here it was dark blue. There were little girl clothes hanging in the closet, and a table with blank paper and some crayons and stickers was set up in the corner.
“Your bathroom is right through here.” Tank spotted bubble bath and a handful of mermaid toys through the open door.
“This is too much,” Kaylie immediately protested, but Miranda dismissed her objections.
“Please, it was my pleasure. This was way more fun than making sure these guys have their groceries delivered when they’re on a stakeout.”
Miranda did far more than that for the team. As their logistics expert, she handled travel, lodging, and supplies for missions all over the country. Once, after an especially impressive delivery of emergency insulin for a client to their location in the desert of New Mexico, he’d asked her how she pulled it off. Miranda had just flashed him a smile and claimed that a magician never reveals her secrets.
And she must be a magician, because Kaylie and Cecelia had already relaxed under her ministrations. He hated to leave, but his first priority was getting to the bottom of the attack and finding a way to get Paul Moreno out of the picture.
Then there was the meeting with Senator Collins. He still had to prepare for that so they could figure out how to derail the senator’s plans for the defense appropriations bill.
Tank got Kaylie’s attention while Miranda showed Cecelia the craft supplies she’d gotten. “I need to go. I’ll be back soon, okay?”
He could see the apprehension on her face. “You’ll be safe here,” he added, trying to reassure her.
Kaylie nodded. “We’ll be fine.”
With one last look over his shoulder at Kaylie, Cecelia, and Miranda, Tank walked out of the small apartment. They were safe. As much as he wanted to stay with them and erase every wrinkle of worry and fear from Kaylie’s face, he couldn’t right now. He was going to find Paul Moreno and do whatever it took to get him out of their lives—permanently.
Leaving Kaylie and Cecelia in Miranda’s capable hands, Tank’s first stop was at Joey’s office. He avoided eye contact with the few people he saw in the hallways, and they all wisely chose to stay out of his way.
“Tank! Hey, hold up.”
