“No. I’ve got to get back to the hospital and check on my mom. Plus, I need to tell my dad what’s going on.”
“I’ll drive you,” Dakota said.
“I don’t think now’s the best time to meet my folks.”
That made him smile. “I’ll wait outside.” He kissed her. “I’m sorry I accused you of working with your brother.”
“I get that you have trust issues, but I’mnotthe bad guy. If you can’t trust me—really trust me—this isn’t going to work.”
“I willnevermake that mistake again.”
“You’d better not.” She paused. “My God, though, the sex. The sex.” Her joyful expression fell away. “Tell me how you know my brother.”
On the way to the hospital, Dakota filled her in on his run-in with Randy. “My dad brought Randy in as an ALPHA operative, then mentored his career.” Dakota explained how Randy had turned and Luther had suspected him of murdering Dakota’s dad.
“I’m sorry,” she interjected. “My brother is evil.”
“After my dad passed, Luther took over. It was at that point he solicited my help in capturing Randy.”
“But he never told you about your dad?”
“No. He knew me well enough to know I would have killed Randy. My dad and I were very close. I loved my parents a lot.” He stopped at a red light. “Luther was concerned there were other operatives who might have been on the take, but he trusted me.”
“So, you weren’t in ALPHA?”
“No, I was with Goode-Luck. Once I completed that assignment, I told Luther I wanted in.”
“How’d you get in without law enforcement or military experience?”
“I didn’t take no for an answer. When Luther gave in, I cut back on work, trained hard for months, then he mentored my career.”
“How did you capture Randy?”
“I posed as a criminal who used his real estate business as a cover. When Randy found out I had money, he told me he could ensure I didn’t get arrested if I paid him. I wore a wire during the payoff, he got arrested and ended up in prison.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Prison? He told us he retired from the Marines after serving twenty years.”
“That’s a lie. He got recruited into ALPHA after ten.”
“When did he get out of prison?”
“A few months ago. He’s back to blackmail me and set me up for murder. In the meantime, your folks were bankrolling him.”
Awareness flashed in her eyes. “He’s the one who broke into my condo, stole my Glock, and wiped out my account.” A low, rumbling growl shot out of her. “What a pig.”
Dakota pulled into the hospital parking lot. “Where is he now?”
“Where he always is…at my parents’ house. After I left the hospital, I stopped by to update him. He tried to hide his disappointment that my mom wasn’t dead, but I saw right through him. I lied and told him she’s in ICU, to ensure he won’t visit her.”
He pulled up at the hospital. “You’ve got a plan, don’t you?”
“I sure as hell do,” she replied.
* * *
Three days later, Providence entered her mom’s hospital room and found her sitting up in bed, her dad in the chair nearby. Though relieved, Providence knew the nightmare wasn’t over…yet. “You two look much better today.”
“You just missed the doctor,” her mom said. “He said I’ve turned a corner.”
