“Copy that. Is this a private meeting, or should I call in the team?”
“Just you and the boys.”
“The J-Squad it is,” John said with a chuckle. “ETA?”
I glanced at the directions displayed on Gibson’s phone. “Give us ninety.”
As I waited for my uncle and cousins to sit, I swallowed the bitter pill that was my pride. “We found a key in Nina’s teddy bear, and we’d like your help figuring out where it goes.”
Three identical grins appeared on three very different faces as three sets of eyes turned to John.
His lip twitched as he fought back the grin his sons had inherited. “So I guess this is no longer above my, our, pay grade?”
“It is. By several orders of magnitude, but that’s why you’re perfect for the job.”
And I could trust them.
“Are you in?”
“Boys?” John asked.
“I’m in,” Jamie answered first, followed by Jack.
“Oh, I’m in alright,” Jay said. “It’s been a hot minute since I’ve played with the alphabet soup.”
God, I hate working with spec ops guys. They were egotistical and loved being pains in my ass. Present company included.
“This is way off the record. How secure is your system?”
“Doug will be insulted you asked,” Jack said.
“Don’t expect me to apologize.”
I set down the rules: no discussing the case over the phone, and only use laptops connected to the secure network. “And remember, you can’t tell anyone what we discuss.”
“What happens in the conference room stays in the conference room,” Jay joked.
John shot him a corrective look before saying, “Mary knows something’s up.”
“What did you tell her?” My harsh question sparked his irritation.
“Nothing you didn’t give me permission to tell her.” He stood, his irritation obvious in the set of his jaw. “We know the rules, so quit wasting our time. We have a business to run.”
Right. I was asking them for a favor, and they were disrupting their business to help me. I owed them more than formality and disrespect.
“You’re right. I’ll pay you for your time.”
John sucked in a deep breath, held it for two seconds, and released it. “Austin, your family and—”
“We take care of our own,” Jay finished.
“This isn’t about me.”
“Not directly, but you’re helping Nina, and Mary and Beth adore her.”
I nodded, knowing I wouldn’t win.
“Now, tell us what you found.” John said after he sat down.
