Page 136 of The Defiant Curse

They still had Jet’s funeral, and they had so much on their plates, and were now down two spouses.

This was a tough week because while they’d handled Devon Slater, it left a bad taste in ALL of their mouths. The fallout had been spectacularly nightmarish.

Only, someone needed to be the voice of reason here.

“Elizabeth needed a break. I got her a jet and money to get out of here,” Chris said, owning it.

Gene shrugged.

“I stalled to get her in the air and get her out of here,” he stated. “She needed her family to have her back, and that’s exactly what we did.”

Callen just laughed.

“I didn’t do anything, but I would have. She didn’t ask me for help, but I would have smuggled her out on Demeter’s back if need be.”

The big man grinned.

“I do love Mom. I would have done it too. Don’t be a bitch, Ivan.”

The other man pointed at him, but Gene stopped him.

“Ivan, DON’T.”

Then, he focused on Callen, and outed Elizabeth in order to keep the family intact. It was crystal clear that Ethan found her, and that meant it was only a matter of time.

“For the record, Callen, you did help. She’s in Scotland at the castle. Right now, she’s with Michael and his husband, the Black Watch soldier. She’s safe. I’m going to say Ethan is currently there with them now. If he is, then, he is safe too.”

They all looked at Raphael, and he nodded but said nothing.

Ivan sighed.

“I have a migraine.”

Yeah, no one doubted that since they all had one.

When Demeter opened his mouth, AGAIN, Chris shook his head in warning.

Someone had no sense of self-preservation. Ivan was firing people left and right, and he’d love to send Demeter packing.

Now was definitely not a good time. Ivan was one step away from a trip to the ER and stroke protocols.

“Don’t do it, Son. He’s not in the mood,” he warned.

Once more, he closed his mouth.

But Ivan didn’t.

“How did Ethan find out where she was? If everyone helped her get out of here, how did he figure it out? Because if he did, someone else can too.”

Gene knew.

There was only one way, and he was the weakest link—apparently. He should have taken his phone into the shower instead of leaving it on the nightstand.

None of them kept secrets, and they could all access each other’s tech, even Elizabeth’s—even though she had a higher work clearance level.

Trust was trust.

“It was me. I was in the shower, and Michael texted me. Ethan must have seen my phone sitting on the nightstand. Normally, it’s with me, but I put it down.”