Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“Well, I’m definitely not calling him that,” Gable grumbled.
I snickered, then sobered just as fast as I remembered why I was seeing him in the first place.
It didn’t mean that he was done with whatever undercover work he was doing. It meant that he was skipping out because our sister had died.
Any and all humor that I’d felt slipped away, and once again sadness filled my soul.
• • •
KEENE
10 minutes earlier
“What the fuck are you doing here with her?”
Quincy Carter, hard ass police officer for Dallas Police Department, very protective brother of Ande Carter. Noted.
I offered him my hand and said, “The two of us met at DFW—Dallas Fort Worth Airport—when we were both flying to a job. We didn’t realize that we kind of sort of knew each other until just today when I learned about Addison.”
Quincy took it, his face shuttering at the mention of Addison.
“Oh,” he grumbled.
I offered my hand to the two closest brothers. “I’m sorry to say I don’t remember who’s who.”
“Garrett,” the one on my right said. “Your sister saved my life.”
“Well, I knew it was one of you. But you seriously all look alike. I know there’re two sets of twins and a set of triplets, but y’all all look like you could’ve come from the same birthing,” I admitted. “You’re looking really good, Garrett. Don’t even look like you were stabbed five years ago.”
Garrett flashed me a grin.
“Auden,” the one to the right of Garrett said. “This is my twin, Atlas.”
That one was sitting to the left of Quincy.
The other three were focused on their sister and didn’t notice that I was shaking hands.
I was focused on her, too, and trying really hard not to walk over there and rip her out of her brother’s arms.
I was guessing that one was the undercover one. Gable.
The way she acted at the sight of him let me know rather quick she hadn’t seen him in a while.
“So you’re dating?” Atlas asked.
I reluctantly looked away from the crying woman who was slowly stealing away pieces of my heart, and focused on her brother.
“We are,” I confirmed.
“Is this serious?” one asked.
I looked to the right to see the attention of one of the brothers I hadn’t had earlier.
“Very serious on my end,” I admitted.
“There’s still hope,” I guessed Quinn agreed.
“Quinn,” Quincy laughed. “Don’t start this tonight. She’s already in a very vulnerable state. She might very well kill you without meaning to.”
Quinn flashed a grin, and I said, “She’s done nothing but cry all day. So, I’d have to agree with him.” Then I looked at them all. “She was crying when I got there today. Had been for a while. Alone.”
I meant it just as accusingly as it came out.
The brothers ducked their heads, all of them who had heard, anyway.
“That was us not dealing well,” Garrett admitted. “We’ll do better.”
They could try to do better all they wanted.
That wasn’t going to change the fact that they’d left her when she’d needed them most.
“You still working with Winston?” Quincy asked.
I found myself looking at Ande to see if she’d heard.
She hadn’t, but she looked like her crying had slowed.
I looked away toward Quincy, but heard one of the other brothers say, “You work with Winston?”
Was that a note of surprise I heard in his voice?
“I’ve been working with Winston for years now,” I admitted. “I have no immediate plans to stop, either.”
Because crime didn’t stop just because you were tired.
“Heard that he’s got a new team,” Quaid said, turning away from his sister finally, but letting me know with his words that he’d been listening to every word. “I have a few friends interested in volunteering their services if you’re ever in need of some helping hands.”
I’d pass it on to Winston, but he probably wouldn’t take Quaid up on the offer. The less people knew about the stuff we did, the better. At least, that was his thinking.
I kind of figured the more who knew about the shit we had to shuffle through to get to the saving kids side of the stream the better. If more people knew the state of the world they were living in, maybe the dumb mother fuckers might watch their kids better. Maybe if they knew… but that was laughable.
The sheer stupidity of some of the parents out there who just let their babies do whatever they wanted, with little regard to their safety, was dumbfounding. Even when a lot of them knew there was danger lurking around every corner.
I nodded. “Something we always need.”
But also, we had to be able to trust the guys we were working with. Not just anyone would be able to jump in and help.
“I’ll give him your number,” I offered.
“Why do you need his number?” Ande asked, finally coming back online enough to see what was going on around her.