“Ready,” she said.
She hoped she was telling the truth.
CHAPTER 6
Reed pulled his SUV out of the hotel parking garage, checking his rearview mirror out of habit as they merged into Seattle traffic. Elena sat beside him in the passenger seat, her travel bag clutched on her lap like a shield. Even in the dim light from the dashboard, he could see the tension radiating from her every muscle.
“We aren’t going to the corporate offices tonight,” Reed said, making the decision as he spoke. “Tonight we’ll go to my home outside of town.”
Elena’s head snapped toward him, alarm flaring in her dark eyes. “No.”
Reed was already pulling out his phone, scrolling through his contacts with one thumb while keeping his attention on the road. “Yes. We have to meet with my brothers.”
“What?” Elena’s voice pitched higher, genuine shock coloring the single word.
He nodded, finding the group text thread he maintained with Walker, James, and Terrel. “Lucky for you, Walker lives here. And my other two brothers have been on leave.”
Reed’s fingers moved quickly across the screen:Emergency family meeting. My place, one hour. Bring your gear.
The responses came back almost immediately.
Walker: On my way. Everything okay?
James: Define emergency. Are we talking therapy session or tactical situation?
Terrel: I’ll be there.
Reed pocketed the phone and glanced at Elena, who was staring at him like he’d just announced they were flying to the moon.
“Reed, absolutely not,” she said firmly. “I won’t involve your family in this. It’s too dangerous.”
“My brothers are all former military. Walker was a SEAL, just like me. James and Terrel are still active SEALs, technically on leave but available for... consulting work.” Reed took the highway exit that led toward the lake district where he’d built his home five years ago. “If we’re going up against Webb and his resources, we need people we can trust absolutely. People who won’t ask questions or hesitate when things get ugly.”
“But they’re your brothers,” Elena protested. “Your family. I can’t?—”
“You can, and you will,” Reed said with quiet authority. “If this operation goes sideways, I want people watching my back who care whether I make it home alive.”
Elena fell silent, but her anxiety filled the car like a living thing. He understood her reluctance. Family was a weakness that could be exploited, a vulnerability that enemies could target. But family was also strength and loyalty that couldn’t be bought or broken.
Twenty-five minutes later, Reed turned onto the private road that led to his estate. The property sat on ten acres overlooking Lake Washington, close enough to Walker’s place that they could see each other’s lights through the trees. Reed had bought the land three years ago and spent two years completely renovating the 1920s hunting lodge into something that suited his tastes,keeping the quaint exterior charm while transforming the interior into a modern, masculine space with clean lines and state-of-the-art technology.
“This is beautiful,” Elena said softly as they approached the house, genuine appreciation in her voice.
Reed felt an unexpected flush of pride. He’d built this place with his own hands during weekends and evenings, needing the physical work to quiet the restless energy that had plagued him since Elena’s “death.” It was the first home he’d ever owned that felt like more than just a place to sleep.
They pulled into the circular driveway just as two other vehicles arrived—Walker’s pickup truck and James’s motorcycle, with Terrel riding passenger. Reed smiled slightly. His youngest brother had never met a vehicle he couldn’t convince someone to share.
Elena’s hands trembled slightly as she gathered her bag. “If anything happens to your brothers because of me?—”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” Reed said firmly. “These guys have been through war zones, counter-terrorism operations, hostage rescues. Whatever Webb throws at us, they can handle it.”
Elena nodded, but Reed could tell she wasn’t convinced.
They climbed the front steps just as the Star brothers assembled on the porch. Walker looked alert and ready for anything, James was grinning like this was the most entertainment he’d had all week, and Terrel was quietly assessing Elena with the same tactical awareness Reed recognized in himself.
“Well, well,” James said, his eyes moving between Reed and Elena with obvious curiosity. “When you said emergency family meeting, I was expecting corporate crisis management, not... this.”
“Elena Vasquez,” Walker said carefully. “I thought you were?—”
