“Why do you think Eddie is the key tothis?”
He shook his head. “Honestly? I don’t know that I do, but right now he’s the only lead we have. The group broke up and spread out after the bust. Our intel tells us he’s gathering all the squirters back together. Whether he’s going to continue where they left off or take them back to what they were doing when he was VP or in a different direction, we don’t know. But we can’t risk them getting another foothold in this area and reestablishing their distribution lines. There’s too much atstake.”
This was important to him and she knew why, but there were chances she wasn’t willing to take again. “Are you mad I won’t go along with what the FBIwants?”
He moved closer and put his hands on the counter by her hips. “No. I know why you’re doing what you’re doing and I don’t fault you for it. Do I want to bundle you up and put you all in the safe house so you’re protected? Abso-fucking-lutely. But this is my job—notyours.”
She held his gaze, wanting to believe what he said was true. To believe inhim, but he’d said it himself. It was hisjob.
So much of what was happening now echoed what had happened in Iraq it was hard not to draw parallels. To not think the universe was doling out one major mind fuck. Maybe it was giving her a second chance to do it right this time. What if she made the wrong decision, though? What if she was making the wrong decisionnow?
No, she was in a better position in familiar territory than someplace she didn’t know with strangers whose motives she didn’t understand. She’d chosen a plan and she’d stick to it until she had to adjustcourse.
“I’ll take the kids to school and pick them up. No more riding the bus. They’re with me, my parents, or Bree. I know Bree will let us move in this week, even if it’s just clothes for themoment.”
He held her gaze for a moment. “When were you planning onmoving?”
“At the end of the school year to make it easier for the kids to adjust, but they really liked the school we toured and they can start nextweek.”
“They okay withthat?”
Denise smiled a half smile. “After what happened,yes.”
“Denise, honey,” her mom called from the living room, snapping her out of her thoughts. “They’re ready for you to read tothem.”
“Be right there,” she said over her shoulder. She pushed against his arms to move away from the counter. “I’m going to walk them out, then read to thekids.”
He followed her into the living room and shook hands with her dad. He got a double clap on the shoulder, which surprised her. That was her dad’s signatureI like this guygesture usually reserved for old Armybuddies.
She hugged her parents and told her dad to stop somewhere along the way and check for a trackingdevice.
“Who taught you what you know?” heasked.
All she could do was roll hereyes.
“We’ll be back tomorrow afternoon,” her mom said. “We can stay with the kids if you need to go back towork.”
Damn. She’d forgotten about work. Something else she needed to talk to Bree about. The rescue needed help. An office manager wouldn’t be a bad idea. They’d gotten big enough that she was having a hard time keeping up with the paperwork and thetraining.
She waited in the doorway until her parents turned the corner. The deadbolt seemed to echo when she turned it, locking Chris in the house with her. Even with all her doubts, it felt right having him there with her at the end of the night. If only she knew for sure he wasn’t there out of obligation to hisjob.
Chapter 20
Denise heardthe rustle of sheets and tensed. Cracking open an eyelid, she peered at Kimber crawling off the bed and kneeling down next to her on thefloor.
Relief made her muscles loose. Extra bodies was yet another thing she was going to have to get used to. She shifted onto her back and stretched her arm out, inviting Kimber to snuggle close. The little girl rested her head in the pocket of Denise’s shoulder and threw her arm across herstomach.
“Do we have to go to school today?” shewhispered.
Denise kissed the top of her head and sniffed the subtle watermelon scent of the kids shampoo they used. She’d had the same thought last night after moving them to her bed. She was stillundecided.
“Why don’t you want to go toschool?’
“It’s boring,” Kimber said. “I finish all my work really fast and then there’s nothing to do until the nextlesson.”
Truthfully, she’d rather have them with her all day even if it meant taking them to the rescue. “How about this? I’ll call the principal and ask for your and Kaden’s assignments for the rest of the week and you guys can hang out at the rescue with me during the day. After you finish your schoolwork, you can help me with thedogs.”
“Really?” Kaden hung his head over the side of the bed, staring down at them with a hugegrin.
