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As Graham tapped the letter against the desk, his expression creased with worry. “You’ll break her heart, Brom,” he said, meeting Doogan’s gaze again. “She doesn’t deserve that. She’s a good kid.”
“Better a broken heart than what Westfield would do.” He pinched the bridge of his nose wearily. “If he arrests her, he’ll send her straight to Gitmo or a black site outside the U.S. to be held before anyone can stop him. By the time Matthews showed himself and she’s released, she wouldn’t be the same. You know what would happen to her, Graham. She’d never be the same woman who was taken.”
“And if he tries it anyway?” Graham asked, knowing the war that would erupt if anything even approaching that scenario happened.
“Then he’ll receive a similar order to yours,” Doogan informed him. “This operation is top-level covert and under not just my direction but also my command. If he tries anything after that, then I get to kill him myself.” He stared back at Graham with icy determination. “And I will kill him.”
Collin Westfield’s vendetta against the Mackays was becoming a problem even the director was concerned with. It was getting harder and harder to block his bullshit and keep knowledge of it from reaching Dawg, Natches, or Rowdy Mackay. Their contacts in the law enforcement field were far reaching and went even deeper than the director knew. So far, between himself and Bryce, they’d kept the other agent contained. That wasn’t going to last much longer.
The Mackays’ strength, loyalty, and dedication to their county and country had changed the face of several once-suspected small, emerging family-backed militias. And not just in Kentucky. Those clans were now allies to the agency. If it appeared DHS was betraying the Mackays, then they’d lose far more than one family’s loyalty.
“Westfield’s not stupid, Brom. He’s already prepared,” Graham mused. “He wouldn’t have expected you to take the assignment yourself, though. He’ll be trying to figure out a way to work around you.”
Doogan drew in a heavy breath. “Be careful, Graham, because someone close to the Mackays is funneling information to him. Just before I headed out he went to the director with a request to come to Somerset to follow up on a contact’s report regarding questionable Mackay activities. Bryce set his ears back with an ass chewing that’s only going to hold him back so long.”
“You think it was Eli?” Graham’s fingers closed into a fist where one arm rested on the desk.
“Actually, no, I don’t.” Sitting forward once again, Doogan narrowed his eyes at the security camera to watch Eli edging closer to Graham’s sister Kye. “But someone’s trying to make it appear it’s Eli. His animosity toward me is well known, and Eli doesn’t always watch his back properly. Perhaps we should partner him with someone we trust. Someone who will watch his back.”
Graham sat back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling for several moments before straightening and nodding slowly. “I know who I can use. Eli’s assignment has been Zoey, but I’ve been thinking . . .”
“Take him off Zoey, Graham,” Doogan ordered him softly. “I’ll kill him if you don’t.”
Graham grunted in reply but shook his head. “I don’t think that’s how we want to do it.” He sat forward slowly, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “How much do you know about Eli’s interaction with Zoey?”
“That he fucks that bike up to keep her from winning.” A dumb move on the kid’s part. “She’s ready to kick his ass.”
A small, rueful grin tugged at Graham’s lips then. “I assume you’re going to fix that?”
Doogan merely stared back at him blandly.
“That’s what I figured,” Graham chuckled. “Look, let me put him with a deep-cover contact here in town. He’s working with another DHS agent that only Bryce knows about. He’s older and he’s damned good with younger agents. He’ll make sure whatever changes you make on the bike stay. Eli trusts him, Doogan, and Zoey does as well. Let’s give it a chance.”
“Who? It won’t work if I don’t know who he is.” He loved getting to know the black agents Bryce kept hidden on the books.
“Zoey’s landlord,” Graham admitted. “Lucas Mayes. He’s former SEAL and he’s been working with me ever since an injury sent him home. I’ll talk to him, apprise him of the situation. He knows how to keep his mouth shut with the Mackays too, but he’s damned protective of all of them.”
It could work. If Eli didn’t learn to contain his animosity toward Doogan and the director learned of it, the repercussions wouldn’t be pleasant.
“We’ll try it.” Doogan nodded. “Let Mayes know I’m aware of his status. And he has my contact info.” He grinned. “I’ve known of him for a few years now.”
“Figures,” Graham snorted. “Now, how ’bout dinner tomorrow?” An amused glint filled his friend’s eyes. “Come on, you have to meet the twins before they’re grown. You never stay long enough to see them. You’re going to be their godfather.”
Doogan just stared at him for a long moment.
Godfather? Hell, he could feel his guts burning with the onset of acid reflux already. Godfather to a Mackay? He just barely contained a shudder.
“I must have misunderstood you . . .”
“Nope. Godfather.” Graham rose to his feet. “Come on, Sam just arrived and Kye’s getting pissy. She’ll start a fight.”
“Uh, Graham, about that . . .” Doogan was a bit slower to rise.
Godfather? No, that simply wouldn’t work.
“Brom.” Graham turned, his look somber now. “They’re my kids. My soul. You’d protect them if the worst happened, I know you would.”
“But . . .”
