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I waited for him to continue, but he gave me no further details. No name, or why was I protecting a child.
“When do I start?”
“Now.”
I watched him more carefully and he’d done good so far in hiding any emotion, but the swirl of dread that swam around his eyes grew the longer this short conversation unfolded, slipping through.
This must have been an important task for him to be concerned, maybe his job was on the line. Maybe he was trying to prove he was the right man for the new position he was now filling. But it was a small team. Too small if it was only him and me, and maybe another officer, which only kept me wondering, why me? And why were they trying to keep this as tight as possible? The severity of danger the girl was under had to be the reason. I wasn't the most qualified officer for this, but I no longer gave two shits. I would always protect a kid, this was no different. No point in dwelling on the why.
“Anything else?” I asked.
“She’s been through some trauma, so tread carefully, please.”
With a slight nod, I rose from the chair as he grabbed a small piece of paper, holding it out for me to take. The address.
“Low profile,” he said as my eyes scanned the paper, memorizing the address. Once I did, I dropped it down on his desk facedown.
He took a deep breath and ran his hand over his scrub. “Don’t use your patrol car or your uniform. Keep your badge and gun hidden on you.”
This meant they didn’t want anyone knowing the house was being guarded. Easier to fool people with a normal next-door neighbor vehicle than waving a red flag—a cop car. The invitation to come right in because they’ve found what they’ve been looking for.
“Anything else?” I asked.
“No, you are dismissed to your new task.”
With a nod, I shook his hand. “Chief,” I said as a farewell before walking out the door, and out of the police station, happy to be able to go home and change out of this stuffy uniform.
My phone vibrated again, and I reached into my pants pocket, gripping it the same moment I unlocked my black Dodge Charger. I answered Viktor as I climbed inside the cab.
“Yeah.”
“You didn’t answer Lucca’s call. Then Arlo’s, so now I have to reach my baby brother because he can’t do something as fucking simple as answer his damn phone.” His agitation was not lost through the line. I took a small, calming breath and shifted my car into reverse, driving away from the station.
“Out of us four, you should be the one to understand I can’t answer when I’m around the men in blue.”
“A text will work too.”
“What’s so important, Vik?” I asked.
“When are you off?”
My eyes steered away from the busy streets of Miami toward my dashboard, it was noon. “I have an hour right now.”
“See you soon,” Viktor said before the line dropped. The location wasn’t needed, I knew where I had to go.
There was no time to stop by my place with the change of plans, and I couldn’t show up where I was heading in uniform either. I parked my car in an empty lot and grabbed the duffle bag I always kept in the back seat. I slid my seat far enough from the steering wheel to make room as I changed into dark jeans, combat boots, and a white tee.
I sped away from the lot and headed to my eldest brother’s house—Lucca’s.
Before taking a right turn onto the road that would lead me to the house, I checked my rearview mirror. Once I was sure no one had followed me, I made the sharp turn.
Lucca’s house was more than just a house, more than an estate or even a mansion. It was a fortress; a compound with heavy security surrounding the perimeter. Not only were cameras installed without any blind spots, but there were men guarding it at all times, hidden.
My car rolled to a stop, my window lowered, and I pressed the keycode to get access through the gates. Only Lucca, Arlo, Viktor, the head of security, and I had the code, anyone else had to be let in upon arrival. The heavy gates opened, and the armed guy attending the corner post nodded as I continued to drive past him.
I shifted the gear into park behind Viktor’s sports car and grabbed the black cap that laid on the passenger seat. Once my cap sat low on my head, I stepped out of the car and made my way into the terracotta roof and stucco mansion.
The door was unlocked; it usually was during the day. With the amount of people that came and went, it would be impossible to stay locked during the day. Lucca didn’t bother with the thought of someone breaking-in, no one would get far enough to touch the front door.
