Page 34 of Long Past Deadly

Harrison cleared his throat. “I have a call pending to Barker, and your grandfather needs a phone call or he’s going to arrive on our doorstep.”

Quaid groaned. “Let me shower and talk to Alanna. I’ll get to the old man. Or have Elizabeth call him. She calms him faster.”

“She’s asleep on her sofa right now. And it’s your mess kid, not hers.”

Harrison defending Elizabeth was a new one, but he wasn’t wrong. How often had he left Elizabeth with the responsibility, and she let him? He needed to scrub these bastard tendencies from his habits.

Cait touched his arm. “Zephren always puts out a helping hand. It’ll be okay.”

“From your mouth to his ears.” Quaid nodded to Niles. “Give Frank the keys to the car. Do we have Alanna settled in 501?”

“Yes. And I placed the weapons from Lieutenant Commander Hunter’s in the armory along with three new burner phones. The clothes I’m afraid are not serviceable.” He took an envelope off the desk and handed it to Cait. “I believe this was from your household fund.”

Cait opened the envelope and gasped. “You borrowed money, too, Daniels?”

“You know I’m good for it, right?” He winked at her.

She eyed him. “How much did you take?”

“I didn’t count it.” That was the short truth. He didn’t pay attention to money. He didn’t have to.

Cait riffled through the bills. “You could have transferred to my bank account, you know? This is more than was in the whole fund, too. Did you take it all?”

“No, but let’s just call it even. I always pay my debts.”

Cait took his arm. “Sometimes friends just do for friends. You forget sometimes.”

Did he? Or was he just used to people wanting him for his money? His gut twisted. Fuck. None of the people in this room even cared about his wealth.

“I guess I do.”

“Well, stop it.” Cait kissed his cheek. “I’m glad you’re okay, too, but leave a girl a gun, will you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The office cleared, everyone’s assignments clear.

Quaid opted to call his grandfather first.

What did he say? Sorry, I blew up your hotel, but hey I’m alive?

Things had been broken with his grandfather for months. Not sure exactly how that had happened, he stared at his phone, trying to be honest with himself.

Zephren stepped in when Wylie had died in Afghanistan, and when Quaid had gotten hurt there the following year, Zephren arrived in Germany within hours. When both he and Elizabeth needed advice and backing for QM, he’d grilled them like the financial expert he was, then backed the project one hundred percent.

What was the way forward?

Honesty. Communication. Taking care with the relationship. Life slipped by. He knew that from Baxter’s death. He never took time to check in. His grandfather did that, too. Forging family with these people who meant everything was meaningless if he didn’t hold the real thing close and show respect for how he got to where he was.

He made his way to the chair Cait had occupied and groaned when his knees and back cracked as he sat. On his first day in the Marines, his body could pull off anything. He should consider his current age, all the injuries, and act like his body mattered, too. He fingered his phone. Fuck it.” He dialed the number and waited.

His grandfather answered on the first ring. “About time you called.” His gruff, edgy voice stirred the familiar and the comforting.

Quaid rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Granddad. I’m all right. And yes, an assassin blew up your hotel. I’ll pay you back.”

“I don’t care about the damage or the money, son. I care about losing you. Was the woman with you all right? Will she sue?”

“Yes, she’s going to be fine. Cait’s taking care of her. She’s one of ours, a partner of sorts. FBI. She was covering my ass. She won’t sue.”