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“You might not have a choice. But here—here there are tons of us. I can call Mel. She and Alex will drop whatever they’re doing to get back here to help, I know they will. Alex is one of the top P.I.s in the country, Jimmy. He’s good at what he does. And Mel is no slouch. Besides that, here you’ve got Caleb and his father, Cain. A lawyer and a retired senator, with all the power and influence that go along with that. You’ve got Wade, the toughest guy I know. You’ve got Mom and Maya and Edie and Selene.”
“I can’t ask you all to—”
“You don’t have to ask.” She shook her head. “Hell, you won’t be able to stop them from getting involved in this once I tell them. And Iamgoing to tell them. And you’ve got me, too. I’d do anything for Tyler. I... I love him, Jimmy.”
He stared at her as if considering what she said. Thank God, she thought.
“If this goon is out on bail, awaiting trial—” she said.
“He is.”
“Then he isn’t supposed to leave the state, is he?”
“No.”
“The authorities know he’s here somewhere. They’ll be hunting for him here. Let us help keep Tyler safe while they do. If you go elsewhere, they won’t know where to look for the guy. But if you stay here and he’s really around looking for you, then he’ll stay, too. And they can get him back behind bars where he belongs.”
“I don’t know...”
“We can have people watching Ty twenty-four, seven, Jimmy. If you go off alone, who’s with him when you’re sleeping? Or in the shower? You can’t do this alone. Not the way we can do it here.”
“I just... I can’t believe your family would really do all that.”
She smiled a little. “It’s a Brand family tradition. When one’s in trouble, we all come running. Hell, if things get scary, I can call in the Texas branch of the family.”
He smiled, and she saw some of the tension leave his eyes. “And how many of those are there?”
“Eighteen, not counting the kids. Let’s see, there’s a sheriff, a martial-arts expert, a Comanche shaman—”
“Okay, I get it.” He lowered his head. “You’ve convinced me. If your family really is willing, then...”
“Her family is more than willing,” Maya said from somewhere behind them.
Jimmy swung his head around. So did Kara. Maya was standing near an open window, her husband close beside her.
“Did I mention,” Kara asked, “that my family is also terribly nosy, snoopy, rude and intrusive?”
Maya nodded hard. “We are, Jim,” she said.
“They really are,” Caleb agreed.
“Because we love each other.” Maya slid the window closed and came out through the door, Caleb at her side.
Caleb said, “Jim, everything Kara told you about the Brands is dead-on accurate. No one’s gonna get within ten miles of your boy with us on the job. I guarantee it.”
“Come on, Kara,” Maya said. “Let’s call Mel, then we’ll fill in the others.”
Kara looked back at Jimmy.
Caleb said, “Go ahead, sis. I need a minute with Jim anyway.”
Jimmy nodded, telling her with his eyes he would be fine. She had no doubt he would, but she also knew Caleb wasn’t going to pull any punches. And nothing she could say would be likely to dissuade him.
Sighing, she went inside with her sister. As the door swung closed behind them, Kara heard Caleb’s voice, speaking low. “If there’s anything else you’re keeping from her, pal–”
“There’s not”
“There had better not be.”
