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“I’m so glad you both are okay,” Journey’s mom said as she placed a kiss on Laz’s cheek.
“Thanks, Ivy. Me too. It’s good seeing you,” he said honestly. His parents had passed away many years ago. Ivy and Logan, Journey’s father, were his bonus parents. They lived a couple of hours south of Atlanta and visited often. Having them there made it feel like a typical weekend.
Right now, he needed normal.
Laz stepped onto the porch. Beads of sweat graced his hairline, and his breathing came in short spurts as if he’d run around the block a few times.
“Here, give her to me,” Logan said and nodded at Arielle, who was starting to stir.
The big man didn’t wait for a response, and Laz gritted his teeth to keep from protesting when Logan took Arielle from him. Usually, he and his father-in-law got along well, but right now, the man was pushing it. Laz wasn’t ready to let go of Arielle, and Logan didn’t seem to care. The way the old man’s eyes analyzed Laz’s reaction; it was as if he dared him to say something.
“You need some rest so that you can hunt those bastards down and handle them,” Logan said as he walked back into the house with his granddaughter in his arms.
Nowthatwas the Logan Laz knew and loved.
Before retiring from Atlanta PD, the old man’s reputation wasn’t as ruthless as Laz’s, but everyone knew that Logan didn’t take shit from anyone. For the most part, he had done things by the book, but the man was intimidating as hell. That was saying a lot, coming from Laz. While working for Atlanta PD, Laz had been aby-any-means-necessaryguy, using his badge to scare criminals into submission.
Logan was different, and it wasn’t just his size. There was an arrogant air about him that demanded respect…and maybe even a little fear.
When Laz made it inside the house, his father-in-law still held Arielle, and her eyes popped open. She stretched her neck back to look at Logan.
“Hi, Papa.” Her gaze went to Journey’s mom, and she squirmed in Logan’s arms to sit up. “We—we go to see Minnie Mouse now?” She still sounded sleepy but also hopeful. “Collin!” she screeched when seeing her cousin.
As the four of them headed toward the back of the house where the kitchen and family room were located, Arielle sounded wide awake. Laz heard her start talking about Disney World while also giving a convoluted version of what occurred earlier. From what Laz could hear, Arielle didn’t know she’d been a part of a shooting. She only talked about the loud noises she heard.
Thank God.Hopefully, that was all she remembered.
Still in the large foyer, Laz breathed in a cleansing breath, glad to be home. Before he could head to the stairs that would take him up to the bedroom, Geneva strolled over. She slid her arm through his and laid her head on his good shoulder.
“I’m glad you’re going to be okay. Especially since I’m sure you want to go after the assholes who put a bullet in you. Let me know if you want backup. I’m right there with you if needed.”
Laz couldn’t help but chuckle. He didn’t have any sisters, only a brother, but if he had one, he’d want her to be just like Geneva. According to Journey, her sister was his female equivalent, and he could definitely see the similarities in their personalities.
Though Journey had plenty of sass and didn’t let anyone walk over her, Gen took being a badass to another level. Whoever came up with the term “ride or die” was talking about his sister-in-law. She was fearless, loyal, and always ready to throw down. Marriage hadn’t changed that. Like some of the men Laz knew, Geneva was a fight-first-and-ask-questions-later type person. The woman was scary as hell, and she was probably serious about having his back, despite being hugely pregnant.
“Thanks, Gen.” He kissed her forehead before she lifted her head from his shoulder. “You’ll be the first person I call if I need help. But just a heads-up. Your husband is on his way over here, and he doesn’t look happy.”
“Aww, hell. Let me go and smooth things over. I was supposed to be at home like a good little wife,” she said as she strolled away.
Laz had just started up the stairs when Journey came from the living room area. Just as she reached him, Kenton and Angelo strolled into the house.
“Guys, thanks so much for everything you’ve done for us today,” Journey said. “I know you’re probably tired and ready to head home. We can take it from here.”
“They’re not going anywhere,” Laz said, with more bite behind his words than intended. This was why he had to get the hell out of there before he made the tension between him and Journey even worse. “You’re going to have a security detail until further notice. At least two guys at all times.”
“Laz,” she started, and that one word held a ton of frustration.
“This is not up for negotiation.” He didn’t care how mad she made him at times. Her safety was at the top of his list of priorities, and until he knew who or what they were dealing with, he wanted her protected. “I especially want someone around since I won’t be here.”
Journey’s perfectly arched brows scrunched together, and she jammed her hands onto her hips. “What are you talking about?”
“I’ll stay in one of the crash rooms at work for a few days.”
When his boss Mason Bennett had purchased an old warehouse to house Supreme Security, he had converted it into a state-of-the-art facility. In addition to tech-smart meeting rooms, a cook’s kitchen, a gym, and a weight room, he’d had the foresight to include several rooms similar to studio apartments. Some of the security specialists, especially those who lived outside of Atlanta, used the spaces to grab a nap in between assignments instead of going home.
“Whenever you’re at work or too busy for our daughter during that time,” Laz continued, knowing he was being an ass, “one of the guys will bring Arielle to me.”
“First of all, how are you making these decisions without discussing them with me? Secondly, Arielle is going to Florida with my parents as planned.”
