Elissa’s voice came through the speaker, quieter now. “Colin, how much does Maren actually know? Has she said anything else to you at the safehouse?”
“About Mira?” Colin exhaled. “Nothing. She didn’t know Sean existed until the message. She didn’t know Mira was involved in anything. She sincerely thought her sister died in an accident.” His jaw tightened. “She’s going to ask about what we’ve learned.”
“I know.” Kyle met his eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck. “And this time, she gets answers.”
Colin went still.
Kyle leaned forward. “Maren’s clean. Flint and Elissa have proven that beyond the shadow of a doubt. She’s family now. She’s ours. We’re going to do everything we can to protect her, and I’m not protecting her by keeping her in the dark.”
Gina’s eyes flashed, but not in anger.Was that pain?Colin caught it, but Kyle didn’t seem to.
“Tell her what she needs to know,” Kyle continued. “Maybe not every technical detail. We don’t need to dump a federal corruption map in her lap before we know what’s real. But the broad strokes? Yes. Mira’s LRH work. The encrypted account. The likelihood that whoever came after her thinks she has something. She deserves that much.”
Colin blew out a breath. “Thank you, boss.”
“Elissa,” Kyle said, “keep working the caller. I want a name.”
“You got it.”
“Flint, LRH. Employee records, financials, subcontractors, anyone who puts Warren Voss or his people in proximity to Mira during the window around that encrypted account.”
“On it.”
“Gina, you?—”
“I’ll run the threat assessment,” she said. “Defense contractor with deep pockets, possible NCIS compromise, possible body count, and a woman and child who may have accidentally become leverage. This isn’t street-level.”
“No,” Lachlan agreed. “It’s not.”
The silence that followed wasn’t comfortable.
Kyle looked at Colin. “How’s the safehouse?”
Colin smiled despite everything. “Juni threw a tea party. In my honor.”
Elissa snorted over the speaker.
“For you?” Flint asked. “The guy who’s allergic to kids?”
“For me. Seems I’m not so allergic anymore.”
“And Maren?”
“Holding up.”
Kyle didn’t look away. “That’s not an answer.”
Colin looked down at his hands, then back up. “She’s scared. Angry. Trying not to show too much of either because Juni watches everything she does. She wants to trust us. She’s still not sure she can, or that we trust her.”
Gina’s gaze settled on him.
Kyle nodded slowly. “Then we make it easier.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Arden was heading over today with Ellie and Star. And I think it’s about time we had Maren and Juni up to the ranch. In the meantime, Colin, keep them both safe and comfortable. That’s the priority.”
Colin stood up. “Yes, sir.”
