In the days that followed,Maren learned what happened after they’d left the parking garage. Lynn Carr had survived the trip to the hospital and gone into surgery with Malcolm waiting outside like a grieving relative, which sounded absurd until Maren remembered the way Malcolm had lowered himself beside them in the garage, taken over pressure on Lynn’s wound, and told them to get the hell outta here like he was ordering lunch. The man had everything under control, and what he couldn’t touch, Elissa and Gina smoothed over.
Voss did not fall with gunfire. He fell with paperwork.
The first call came the day after they got home. Colin’s stern expression told her everything before he said a word.
“It landed.”
Maren stood from where she’d been sitting on the couch.
“Rivera verified the recording is real. The financials line up. Lynn gave a statement before Watchdog stashed her away in a safehouse.”
Maren pressed a hand to her chest.
“And Voss?”
“Picked up for questioning as he was trying to flee the country. The contract is suspended pending investigation. Several people on Mira’s list are already being isolated before they can coordinate stories. You got him, baby.”
Maren closed her eyes.
Mira. We did it. We actually did it.
Colin’s hand settled at her waist. “Ray’s going to be reviewed, too. With everything Lynn’s already said, he’s going to be cleared.”
That was the news that finally made her cry again.
Maren leaned into Colin and he wrapped her in a hug. “He should have lived to see it,” she whispered.
“He should have. But he saved lives, and now people will know he was a hero.”
Two days after that, Maren was in the middle of making plans to move their things from San Diego to Colorado when her phone buzzed.
“Arden, hey.”
“Sorry to bug you, Maren, but there’s something up at the ranch you and Juni need to see.” Arden sounded tired, maybe a little winded.
“Is everything all right?”
“Yeah, great! But you two need to get up here.”
“Okay…we’ll be there in twenty minutes.” She hung up and found Colin and Juni watching cartoons.
“Arden wants us up at the ranch. I’m not sure why.”
Colin’s smile faded. “Then let’s go.” He swept Juni up and flew her like an airplane to her room to get her shoes.
When they walked in the door, the first person they saw was Gina. Maren couldn’t help it—her heart sank and dread filled her.
Gina looked very pleased with herself.
Behind her came two men who made Maren’s heart stop.
Reid, her oldest brother, with his stern mouth and watchful eyes. And Beckett, broader through the shoulders, serious expression already cracking.
For one second, she couldn’t move. Her brain refused to make sense of them standing in Colorado, in Arden and Kyle’s home, wearing civilian clothes that still somehow looked military because her brothers could not help themselves.
“Mare,” Beckett said.
Then she was moving.
