“They should be behind bars, not allowed to roam free.”
I wheel over to join him by the window. “Doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance?”
He shakes his head. “You’re as soft as Joel. They broke the law. They should be punished.”
“Wearing those bright orange overalls is punishment enough.”
He grunts. “They’re roaming around in the fresh air. Where’s the justice?”
“Perhaps it’s about reform.”
He shakes his head. “Nah. Look at them. Look at her.”
He points to a woman who’s hanging back from the crowd. She looks to be in her early twenties, with mousy brown hair pulled up into a high bun on top of her head. Her hand is out by her side, and it brushes against the flax bushes. Her face is tilted up to the sun, and her eyes are half closed as she meanders down the path.
“It’s as if she’s on a garden walk, not doing community service. Meanwhile, the gang she’s a part of continues to move stolen goods all over the county.”
I glance at Hudson with surprise. “She’s part of a gang?” She doesn’t seem the type, but Hudson seems transfixed by her.
“Got caught with a package of money and stolen goods.”
I glance at the woman again. She’s away from the rest of the group and making no move to talk with them. “It can’t have been too bad if she’s not behind bars.”
“First time offender, and she took a plea deal.”
Hudson’s glaring at the woman a little too hard, and I wonder what’s got him so worked up about it. “You seem to know a lot about it.”
“It’s my job to know.”
Joel comes down the path to the group, and the woman smiles when she sees him. Hudson tenses as Joel stops to speak to her.
“How do you know what she’s here for anyway?”
He doesn’t take his eyes off the woman. “You think I’m going to let a bunch of criminals walk around the retreat and not know what they’re in for?”
That seems extreme, even for Hudson. “They would’ve been vetted before going out on community service.”
Outside, Joel moves down the path, and the woman is left on her own again, away from the group. “My sister and nephew are here. I need to know what the risks are.” He turns to me briefly before returning his gaze to the group outside. “If you want to start thinking like a father, you need to know too.”
I huff out a breath. I get protecting those you love, but this seems a little extreme. Joel believes in helping others, but he wouldn’t have let in anyone who posed a threat. Although I’m wondering how Hudson knows all this.
“How did you get the details? Isn’t that confidential?”
“I have my ways.”
I bet those ways involve Marcus and his canny ability to track down information that isn’t on the public record. But I don’t ask any more questions; it’s best not to know.
He glances at me and jabs a finger in my direction. “You need to start thinking like this, Ryan. I’m taking a job out of town, and I’ll be gone at least a week. Paige and Noah’s safety are your responsibility now.”
His words make me sit a little taller. He’s right. Paige and Noah need my protection. I’m an elite fucking warrior. It’s who I am on the inside, and losing one leg won’t change that.
“They’ll be safe with me.”
“Good,” he mutters, and his gaze returns to the woman. “What the hell is she doing?”
The woman leans over one of the flower bushes and picks a bright red flower. “She’s stealing from the garden. I told Joel this was a bad idea.”
She tucks the flower into her hair and seems pleased with herself as she jogs to catch up to the group.
