“Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll stay. For now.”
Something unclenched in my chest.
“Good,” Logan said. “We’ll set up watches. Boone, you and I take first shift.”
“Actually,” I said, “you might want to grab a few hours while you can.”
“Why?” Boone asked.
A pair of headlights swept across the curtains.
“That’s why,” I said, nodding toward the driveway.
Everyone went still. My hand drifted toward my sidearm before I saw the outline of the SUV through the rain-smeared glass.
Impact rolled through my ribs like distant thunder. “Delta Five,” I said.
We stepped onto the porch as the doors opened. Three men climbed out.
Aaron Cole looked almost exactly like he had the last time I’d seen him—tall, muscular, eyes that missed nothing, wearing a jacket that probably cost too much but somehow still looked like gear. Miles Thorn followed, tattoos just visible under the sleeves of his T-shirt, gaze sweeping the tree line. Jace Dalton brought up the rear, hands in his pockets, easy grin not quite masking the sharp tension in his jaw.
Aaron took in the cabin at a glance, then his gaze landed on me. “Jensen.”
“Cole,” I said, stepping down to meet him. “Long way from Washington.”
“Cartel set up on U.S. soil,” he said. “President got… motivated.”
His attention shifted to Julia behind me. I felt her stiffen more than I saw it.
“Detective Marlow,” I said, glancing back. “This is Aaron Cole. He leads Delta Five. Miles Cruz, Jace Dalton.”
Aaron offered his hand. “Ma’am.”
She hesitated only a second before shaking it. “Julia. I didn’t realize the President was taking a personal interest in Copper Cove.”
“The President takes a personal interest in anything that looks like an undeclared war on his doorstep,” Aaron replied. “From here on out, this doesn’t leave this town unless he says so.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Meaning?”
“Meaning,” he said calmly, “whatever we find, whatever we stop, will be handled off the books and out of the headlines.”
Logan joined me on the steps. “How have you guys been?”
Jace snorted. “Carter, what have you been up to lately?”
Logan stretched out his hand. “Delta Division Brave Team.”
“Yeah, we’ve read the reports,” Miles said. “You guys have a habit of blowing things up.”
“Only the things that deserve it,” Boone muttered.
Aaron looked back at me. “We’ll get set up inside. I want eyes on every file you have, every name, every plate number. D.C. will feed us what they’ve got, but Copper Ridge is your backyard. We’re not here to take your investigation, Jensen. We’re here to make sure no one buries it.”
“And the leak?” Julia asked quietly.
Aaron glanced at her. “We have a shortlist of suspects based on access logs and call traces. We’re still narrowing it down. But I can tell you this much.” His gaze swept the woods, then came back to us. “Whoever they are, they’re scared. The sniper tonight was panic, not strategy.”
“How do you know about the sniper?” she asked.
