Page 53 of Breached

“What?” Mia’s voice was shocked as she looked around the room, then her gaze landed on Savannah, who hadn’t moved. I knew they were friends. I knew Liza was friends with almost everyone here and had been for a long time. I knew she had been special to Keith.

Keith put a hand on his chest. “I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t let Liza—” The pain was evident in his voice, and Savannah stood and drew him into a hug.

“No, Keith, don’t go there,” she said. “We all liked her.”

The scars were still raw from the terrible loss and the awful fallout of what happened that day at Zack’s, but no one would ever blame Keith for it.

“I think I speak for all of us when I say this, brother.” Cole’s voice cut through the room. “Don’t ever let your head go there, because ours never would.” Murmurs of agreement came from everyone. “You were targeted. They used your vulnerability because of what had happened with Lexi against you. If not you, they would have found another way to target our family.”

Keith nodded and pulled himself together and smiled warmly at Cole then Savannah then sat heavily in his chair.

I felt their pain, and my heart almost burst with the bond these people all had with one another. Even in the face of all that had happened, the loss of their beloved relatives and Easton’s terrible injury, they wouldn’t cast blame.

Cole rubbed his temples, then wrapped an arm around his wife. I knew she was his rock. “So, now what?” He looked around the room, his gaze stopping at each of the wives. He even found me and locked eyes with me. I could feel the pull of this man and knew why everyone was so loyal to him. He seemed to connect with your soul. “We need to share something with all of you, now and, in honesty, you’re not going to like it any more than we do.”

Oh, boy, here it was.

“What’s worse than what we’ve already been through?” Cat asked. She sat next to Sloane, and they held hands.

“Famous last words,” I whispered. I felt Paul move next to me, and he pressed himself against my back. His hand brushed my hair off my shoulder, then he placed that very warm hand around my waist. The gall of him.

“I’d like a word with you after this.” His breath set off the nerve endings in my neck as he whispered.

“No.” I stood straighter and tried to shake off the effect he had on me. I fought to focus on Cole’s words—terrified at what he was about to tell us.

“To preserve everything my father built, that we’ve built, that we want to hand down to our children, grandchildren, and so forth, we need to come at this enemy from here—on our home ground.”

Savannah looked down at the table, and I knew that Cole had already talked to her. I saw Mia lock eyes with Mark.

“Meaning?” Mia voiced what we all wanted to say.

“Meaning,” Cole pressed his lips together and then said, “we’re going to bring the fight here to the safehouse.”

Shock was a bitch to navigate when you slapped a room full of people straight across the face with it, but once the panic settled and the plan was laid out, we could all see what the men had—it made sense.

The plan was Paul, as Eric, would lure Bruno and his men here to the property, where they would be in unfamiliar territory. He would feed them inaccurate information, and our guys, who knew every nook and cranny of the land around us, would be ready for them. The attack would be far from any civilian witnesses to avoid innocent casualties.

“I know you’re all afraid, and you have every right to be,” Cole continued. “But we can do this. We have to do this. Remember, we’ll have a lot of help. Our goal here is not just to take down one of the largest tiers of the Cartel on our soil, but to hit several different locations at once.”

It was a strategic plan they had put together, and as I listened, my reporter brain kicked in. I could imagine it all happening and almost see the headlines afterward.

The decision was made that all of the wives and children would head to Washington, since it was the newest safehouse built and was deeply embedded in the heart of the state. It was also the safest place with military headquarters so close by. The staff would be taken out just after to various destinations of their choice.

“Not to be a bother here.” Dr. Roberts spoke up after the discussion about who would leave and when was over. He had been standing quietly in the far back corner of the room. “But I will stay here at the house until the fifteenth.” He did not meet anyone’s eye, and his comment stunned the room.

“Why?” Ivy asked as she looked at the doctor in confusion.

“I don’t want to explain it, but I promise you I will leave directly after,” he reassured everyone. His voice was firm as he looked around the room. “I just don’t want to leave before that. Sorry if it adds undue pressure on anyone, and I understand that my staying on for an extra two days may change things regarding transportation, so I will drive into town myself and stay with Zack before any of this happens.”

“No.” Cole rubbed his head as if the stress of the world sat on his shoulders—maybe because it did, at least in our world, “I can’t allow that, Doc. I need to know that everyone will be out in plenty of time. The family stays together. They need you, Doc.”

“I understand your concerns, Cole, but please understand mine. I simply cannot leave here before the fifteenth.” That his decision was final could be read in his expression.

Cole let out a deep huff. “All right.” He nodded. “Chamness and Quinn will head out that afternoon. You will not leave here on your own. You’ll get a ride with them.”

“I appreciate that.” Dr. Roberts held Cole’s gaze.

“I’ll stay with Doc Roberts,” I said, and all eyes went to me.