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“I just don’t want you guys to get caught in the dragnet.”
His brothers on SWAT deserved to move to better positions. He prayed about that now—and about everything else. He’d spoken to his mom this afternoon and cleared the air about her hiring Vanguard. He wasn’t mad about it now that he’d heard how unsettled she’d been for years.
She’d either kept it from him so he wouldn’t worry, since there hadn’t been anything he could do without damaging his career, or he hadn’t listened when she’d spoken about it.
He probably got his need to safeguard the people in his life from her. She hadn’t wanted him to be affected by her worry if the accusation came to nothing. Turned out hiring Vanguard was a good idea.
He glanced over at Gage. “I get it.”
“You mean, why you hesitated to tell them things were changing?”
He nodded.
“So tell me what you figured out.”
“I found something with you guys.” He glanced at the rearview, then at the lieutenant. “A family like what I had in the Marines.” Even if a lot of that had been his connection with Roxie. “Something I didn’t want to lose.”
Gage reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “Things will change, but we aren’t going anywhere.”
Jasper sniffed. “He loves us, Blake. He really loves us.”
“Yeah,” Liam said. “Like the two irritating little brothers I never knew I needed.” He had two brothers, and these guys in the vehicle were closer to him than them. Sometimes life just worked out that way. He should call Rory and check in since it had been a while.
Blake chuckled. “I have a few feelers out, but I got a visit from McCauley.”
“Yeah?” Gage turned. Captain McCauley was his half-brother, something Gage had only found out recently. He was also over the major crimes detective squad.
Liam had figured one of them would. Blake and Jasper would end up in solid positions—especially with brass that they all respected headhunting them.
“What about you, Jas?” He pulled the vehicle up to the curb in front of the house where Gage lived with Clare. “What’s on the horizon for you once you make detective?” He shut off the engine and turned to his friend.
Jasper didn’t speak right away. Was that what he wanted? Finally, Jasper said, “Not sure. I have an idea about something else even, but I need to chat with a couple of people first. See what they think.”
He wanted to keep things close to his vest? That was a good idea if he wasn’t sure what the outcome would be.
“Good for you.” Liam nodded. “Whatever it is, we’re behind you one hundred percent.” Jasper had to know that. His father might be an aloof state senator who thought affection meant buying Jasper another sports car, but they could be there for him.
“Good.” Gage reached for his door. “Now that we’re done with the lovefest, let’s go.”
Liam got out, scanning the street just in case those guys in the Hummer showed up again. By the sound of it, the Vanguard employees had shot one and perhaps wounded a couple more before the Hummer fled the scene.
A silver sedan in the drive didn’t belong to anyone he knew.
Gage went in first, calling out, “Honey, we’re home!”
Clare crossed the expansive living room. “I see you brought the kids with you.” She kissed her husband.
Liam nodded. Clare assessed him, then looked at Blake and Jasper. Behind her, he saw the living room was full of people. Two female FBI agents chatted with Russ. The male Northwest Counter-Whatever guy stood with his arms folded, the dog at his feet. The female Homeland Security agent, Special Agent Dakota Pierce, strode in from the direction of the restroom, wearing her clothes from earlier but carrying a pair of gold heels and a piece of material that couldn’t possibly be big enough to be a dress.
The male special agent, Josh Weber, said, “Shame. I liked that outfit.”
She shoved his shoulder, then stuffed the clothes into a duffel on the floor.
“Something happening we need to know about?” Liam glanced around in time to see Russ Franklin—the police commissioner—walk in with a mug.
The commissioner lifted his mug in a salute, apparently making himself comfortable.
Clare said, “You’ve walked into a joint operation, with private support.”
