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“The dog-napper? The one who said he’d get even for us destroying his lucrative but very illegal reselling of stolen priceless dogs?” asked Garrett.
Kaden laughed. “They can’t have been priceless because they were sold.”
“And you don’t know he didn’t love each of those dog and took them off their owner’s hands for the good of the animal,” Callie said as she tried to keep a straight face.
“Alright, but I want him checked out, anyway. I’ve got them all on here and we are going to divide and conquer on who we follow up with. Levi is here with Finley. Finley is here and help keep up with Storm.”
Monroe interjected firmly, “But no lifting him.”
Jac nodded. “What he said. Mallory, have you gotten your office set up in one of the rooms yet?”
“Not yet. I kind of thought I’d help you all for a while.”
“Okay, you and Monroe take this part of the list. You stay here in the house, though.” Jac’s tone meant business. He was more intense since someone invaded his inner sanctum. “If there needs to be someone leaving the property, it can be Monroe. Mark, as Jessica and Anora’s daytime bodyguard, is on duty. You grab a partner, do the local people and leave Levi withthe out-of-state ones. He can sit on the phone and take a break when needed. I’ll need to go to the office with my list.”
Levi grimaced. “Jac.”
“I know what you’re going to say, but I’ve already thought about this. I know that most of you just fall into your places without much conversation with me. You have your areas of comfort and expertise and I’m messing with that rhythm. Tough. Finley and Charlotte are going to split duties for Storm, and Jessica’s nanny will split duties with Jessie so she can get some work done. Mark will be in the street tracking down local ex-employees and trades people we have worked with.”
“That’s usually me,” Levi pointed out.
Jac nodded. “And now it isn’t. I don’t need you in the street. You can identify people.”
“That means I’m valuable to help find them.”
“Valuable, yes, but not in the street. That’s an order.”
Jac was calm. He was back in control, and his emotions were settled again. Cash knew he had to be worried, but this man had confidence in his team. Levi would understand he wasn’t sidelined because Jac had lost confidence in him, but he needed to ask. Cash waited for it.
“Jac,” his tone indicated that he wasn’t going to argue. “Have you lost confidence in me?”
“Hell, Levi. You have done what I expect my people to do, try to protect those around them. It was because of you that we got the information we did. It kept the men in blue off our backs so we could find Storm and Finley without interference. You have been tenacious. I let you participate when you had a concussion, man. I’m not happy about my weakness, but there it is. I am back in full control of things and I’m now taking care of you and Finley. It’s a good plan, and it doesn’t say anything, but I am taking care of my own. We good?”
Levi nodded. “We’ good.”
Jac walked off in the direction of what Garrett called the nursery brigade to greet Jessie’s nanny, who had just arrived. Jessie was introducing her to the few people she didn’t know and Mark seemed to be giving orders as keeping with his personality. Well, Finley would be occupied so the two bodyguards could handle the nursery brigade. Jac still didn’t stay too far from his son, and Cash understood completely.
Cash took note of who would be in the house and who would be off the property. In an alert or emergency, that information would be invaluable. He hated to leave her for even a moment, but she would be occupied and it was important to him to be part of the team when they discovered who it was and brought them down. No one messed with his people. Cash grinned at himself. Now he sounded like Jac.
Cash continued surveying the room to note the inhabitants. Finley sat fully engaged in the women’s conversation. Jac had given everyone the option yesterday of going home together at night, but only Ryker and Oakley had not returned this morning. It looked like all the team’s spouses came with them.
Callie seemed to fit in even though she was a full team member and his Finley did as well. Neither of the women were not the type who did girlie things like the other women would do. Finley, at thirty-two, was in the middle of the women’s ages, but even then, she seemed to silently control the area. She was more disciplined than all but Callie, and even then, Finley kept herself to herself, until recently.
Sharlee could ride on both sides of the fence as far as the women went. She took the lead as Jac’s spouse, and her professional abilities, put her above the rest, but when it came to being one of the girls, she was all in.
Cash wondered what had drawn him to her. She wasn’t the eternal sixteen-year-old like Ivy. Kaden went for that kind of woman and Cash was glad he’d found her. Callie was hard andall business-like except around Garrett and when they weren’t on duty. But she, like Garrett, was always on duty a little. The other women were professionals as well, but without the need to be “on” all the time. Sharlee and Jac were a couple like no other, so comparison was not possible.
Finley was hard, but she had an inner kindness. She loved little Storm, and her gentle side slid out for him. Her barriers were down, her shields put away, and she was loving, gentle, and even carefree. Before the incident, Finley had shown that side to him and Levi. Then the intruders had taken his girl and Storm. Suddenly he had lost Finley, not only his friend, but his woman. That’s when he knew it put paid to his bachelorhood and he knew Levi felt that reality slam into him as well.
Just then, she lifted her head and smiled at him. He immediately returned the smile. Yeah, he was going to keep Fin safe in spite of her resistance to that and he was going to help bring down the people responsible for kidnapping his woman and Storm. He didn’t even focus on Darcy. She was Jac’s problem, the team’s problem and now, the Colonel’s problem. But Finley? She was his. Theirs.
“Okay people, you all have your assignments. Finding the culprits and keeping our people safe is objective number one.” People dispersed.
Sharlee leaned over to scoop up her son and said to Finley, “Okay, I’ll put him in the play yard next to me and I’ll get some work done if you’ll keep an eye on him.”
“Got it.”
“Anora needs feeding and a nap,” said Jessie, “so I’ll put her down and Nanny Shay can take over. Then I’ll get some work done.” They went into Jessie’s and Mark’s room. When she returned, the bodyguard was doing his job with Shay and Anora.
