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Rowe chuckled and muttered under his breath, “Freaking Hollis. The guy’s still got great cop instincts. He must have told that Detective Martin to warn the jeweler that something was brewing.”
“Will that be enough to get your brother to walk away?” Royce asked.
“Nope. He might back off for another day or two, come up with a new plan, but he won’t walk away. Not once he’s decided on a target. His reputation is at stake. Nothing can beat him. At least that’s what he believes.”
Rowe narrowed his gaze on Dom. “What does he want from you?”
“He wants me to be his double again.”
“Join his gang?” Abe asked in horror.
“No, he doesn’t trust me or even forgive me for betraying him.”
Royce grumbled something less than flattering about his brother and his ideas of betrayal.
Dom swallowed down a snicker. He definitely hadn’t expected this kind of support. “He wants me to take the blame for the heist…or he’ll kill Abe.”
“What the hell!” Quinn shouted. Royce was already stepping over, putting a comforting hand on the young man’s shoulder, but Dom’s attention was on the small tremor that went through the hand resting on his thigh.
“I’m sorry, Abe,” Dom murmured. “I should have stayed away. Should have left you alone. If I had, you wouldn’t be in this mess with me.”
“Fuck that!” Abe snapped. “I wouldn’t change a damn thing. He’s not going to get anywhere near me.”
“What about the safe house?” Royce offered. Royce’s aunt had passed away and left him a ranch home on several acres of land out in the middle of nowhere. They’d used it a few times to protect their clients.
“I can’t disappear,” Dom said.
“Because your brother can frame you for anything he does unless we have solid proof that it wasn’t you,” Rowe added. He frowned at Dom for a minute, then gave a little nod as if deciding something. “You have to have someone with you at all times.”
“I’ll do it,” Abe quickly offered and Rowe grinned. Dom looked over at Abe in surprise, but before he could comment, Rowe was already speaking.
“Sorry, Abe. But you’re not my first choice. You’re a target too.”
“I’m not leaving him.”
Quinn stepped forward. “We can add more bodyguards. Have them both stay with Shane and me.”
“Shane’s place is a one-bedroom and you’ve got roommates,” Abe said.
Dom sighed. “That’s a little too cramped and putting too many people in danger.”
“My old place,” Royce threw out. “The security is top notch, and no one is currently living there. Plus your brother wouldn’t know about it. Keeps you hidden but close at hand.”
Dom sat up a little straighter, and a small grin spread across his face. “You finally moved in with Marc?”
Royce just grunted, barely hiding an answering smile. The man might not shout it from the rooftops, but he was utterly lost over Marc. Dom was sure that the official move was well overdue. Didn’t matter fast or slow. Those two were meant for each other.
Grumbling to himself, Rowe pushed away from his desk and paced behind it, rubbing one hand through his hair as he thought, leaving it standing on end. “Royce’s place is a start. I want you two to go straight there and stay,” he said, pointing at Dom and Abe. “I need to look at the schedule, but I’ll be sending over guards. At least one will be in the house with you at all times.”
He then turned his attention over to Quinn. “In the meantime, I want you, Gidget, and Cole combing the city to find James. Whatever it takes. I don’t wanna know details. Just get it done. We need to lay our hands on the bastard and his crew before they can frame Dom.”
“Got it, Boss,” Quinn said before scrambling out of the office and down the hall, likely in search of his two coworkers.
“I’ll go get the key for the place out of my locker,” Royce said, following behind Quinn.
Putting a hand against his bruised ribs, Dom slowly pushed back to his feet. His body ached, but the dull pain was easily overlooked by the heavy thud of his heart. He’d never expected this from his coworkers, his friends, but he was beginning to realize that maybe he should have. In the time that he’d spent with them, he knew that he would do anything for them. Risk his life to protect and help them. He should have known that they’d feel the same way.
“Rowe—” he started, but Rowe cut him off by holding up his hand.
“If your next words are ‘sorry,’ I don’t wanna hear them. I knew this day would come when I offered to hire you, and I didn’t hesitate. You belong at Ward Security. No question about it. We’ll catch this douchecanoe, and then you can tell me what the hell was going through your head to make you think you couldn’t tell me the second you learned he was in town.”
