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Silence came from the other line.
“Next time we’re together, we’ll tell you everything about what we do. In the meantime, don’t listen to Seth. Talk soon, alright?”
“Alright.”
I hung up, right away feeling guilty about what I’d said.
Then again, what if Seth was right? Sure, he was a scumbag, but his claims only highlighted the fact that I didn’t really know that much about the guys’ work. They had just returned from a secret mission to Europe they couldn’t tell me about. And money had most certainly never been an issue.
I shook my head and told myself I was being ridiculous. With the way all of them made me feel and how much they loved and doted on their niece and nephew there was no way that they could be what Seth said they were.
So why was I still bothered?
Chapter 29
Adam
“If he’s here in the states,” Tyler said, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed, “he sure as shit didn’t come for a damn tea party.”
I didn’t have much time to think about the phone call with Aubrey. The email that chimed in my inbox seconds after talking to her was enough to make my blood run cold, to push aside thoughts of anything else.
It was from Todd Sharpe, a merc I knew based out of the New York region. After the mission with Balaban, I’d spread the word among my contacts to keep an ear to the ground for any signs of movement from him. We’d given him a black eye, after all, and Balaban wasn’t the type of guy to take that lying down.
Subject spotted near NYC. Pictures are from a private airfield this morning.
Attached were two security footage shots of a team of men stepping off the back runway of a cargo plane. One of the men was tall and bald, his face covered in scars, his body built like a tank.
It was him.
Without needing to think about it for a second, I’d sent a 911 text to all of the guys. We’d gathered in the office; Tyler having returned from dropping off the phone and picking up the kids. He’d made sure to set the kids up with a movie and snacks in the den, so they were far from the conversation we were about to have.
Mac laid out the pictures that I’d printed out. “He’s here for us, no doubt about it.”
Marcus, a tight expression of anger on his face, leaned forward. “Then it’s simple – we kill him. If he’s fine with coming all the way to America to get his revenge, then we’re not going to be safe until he’s deep underground, buried in his grave.”
None of the rest of us said a word. While the idea of doing that particular kind of work on our home turf didn’t sound appealing in the slightest, the truth of Marcus’s words was clear.
“Aubrey,” Tyler said. “He might know about her.”
My hands clenched into fists. Just the thought of Balaban coming near her or the kids…
“How would he know?” Marcus asked.
“Balaban’s a ruthless son of a bitch,” I said. “But he’s not stupid. He’s not going to enter into America blind. Knowing him, he found some way to track down our location, then did a little recon in the town. Wouldn’t take much more than one of his goons asking around to find out where four brothers all lived together in the area – and who they lived near.”
Mac nodded. “Then we’re going to need to bring Aubrey over here, her and Aggie.”
“Already made the offer,” Tyler said. “She wants to stay there to make sure the animals are taken care of during the storm.”
Something about his words, in spite of everything going on, brought a smile to my face. I shook my head.
“What’s so funny?” Marcus asked.
“Just thinking about what Tyler just said. That’s one of the things that’s great about her, right? She’s got a sense of duty, a desire to take care of those animals and everyone else she cares about. And she’s as independent as they come. Just some of the things I love about her.”
Smiles broke out among the guys, as if they were thinking the same thing.
Tyler, however, furrowed his brow and cocked his head to the side.
