“Of course not,” Ike responded. Hard was relative. Nothing he was doing to recover from his injuries came close to the pure hell he went through in STORM.
“Liar,” Sebastian said, leveling him with a frown.
“She can come in,” Ike said, motioning for Paloma to enter. “Not sure about the two of you.”
Lachlan and Sebastian laughed as they pushed their way into the house.
“What do I owe this surprise visit?” Ike asked, shutting the door behind them.
Paloma let out a deep sigh. “Well, I have good news, and I have bad news. What do you want to hear first?”
“Bad, always,” Ike said.
Her shoulders slumped, and the cutest pout formed on her face. “That’s not the right answer.”
“It is for me, and you gave me the choice,” Ike reminded her.
“I won’t do that again,” Paloma said, shaking her head.
“Go ahead, hen, tell him,” Lachlan encouraged her.
“I won’t be able to hang out with you this summer after all,” Paloma said, a slight quiver in her voice.
Now it was Ike’s turn to frown. He looked at Lachlan, then Sebastian, but got nothing but blank stares. Paloma’s visits, even the short ones, always lifted his spirits. He looked forward to having her around more now that school was out.
“And why not?”
Paloma broke into a huge grin. “Because Daddy is letting me go to Goat Scout Summer Camp!” She lifted her hands triumphantly, then ran around the living room dancing.
“That’s wonderful, dove,” Ike said, unable to hide his surprise. Lachlan had always limited Paloma’s activities due to the constant threat hanging over the little girl’s life. If he was letting up, something significant must have changed.
“The first day is tomorrow. I’m so excited,” Paloma beamed.
“How about you go into the kitchen and raid Ike’s candy jar to celebrate,” Lachlan said with a warm smile.
Paloma’s eyes grew wide. Then she took off toward the kitchen.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Ike beckoned the guys to join him on the couch. “So, what’s changed?”
“Titus Freeman is dead,” Sebastian said. “Confirmed by the FBI and PIIB.”
“No shit? Who’s behind it?”
“No one is claiming responsibility,” Lachlan said, leaning back on the cushions with a satisfied smirk. “I honestly don’t give a fuck. All that matters is Paloma can have a normal life now. I can say yes to everything she’s begged me to do. It’s the least I can give her since I’m the reason her mother is dead.”
“You’re also the reason she exists. Don’t forget you and Britt falling in love is why you have that amazing little girl,” Ike reminded Lachlan, rejecting the man’s guilt-laden memories of the past. Lachlan shouldn’t blame himself for Britt’s death. Thecar bomb wasn’t the first time her life had been in danger, and it wouldn’t have been the last. “How’d they get rid of him?”
“White phosphorus,” Sebastian said.
“That’s creative,” Ike said, impressed. “And severely limits the suspect list.”
“The island feds have been asked to help the FBI investigate,” Sebastian said, tugging at his t-shirt collar. “We had lunch with Micah and Wesley yesterday and got this intel. Looks like Wesley is leading the PISCO team working with the island feds.”
Ike bristled at the mention of Wesley Thomas, the bane of his existence from his years as a PISCO. The elite group of special operatives likely never saw and would never see again the level of competition that festered between Ike and the man—all fueled and instigated by PISCO Commander Franklin Galloway.
“He asked about you,” Sebastian said, then studied Ike’s face for a reaction.
Ike had learned a long time ago not to give one. “What exactly did he want to know?”
