“I can do one better. I sent the reports to your cell phone five seconds ago. They’re encrypted so no one can trace it to you, or back to me, for that matter. But if I know Tyler, he’ll figure it out.”
“Damn, I'm glad you’re on our side.”
“That’s because I like my freedom, thank you.”
“Wait, you knew I was going to call you, didn’t you?”
“Yeah,” Chance answered. “I was in earshot when you were talking to your brother, and don’t worry he has no idea yet that I sent this to you, so I’m good for now.”
Lucas sighed. “Thanks, Chance, you’re the best. Do me another favor, stay safe, okay? I can’t lose another one of my friends.”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t forget you owe me big-time.”
They hung up, and just like Chance said, there was an email waiting for him. He paced his bedroom waiting for the mail to load. There were so many things going through his mind as to what else his family was keeping from him. He couldn’t ask his mother before she left a couple of days ago. He would call Tucker, but he’d promised his husband that he was going to stay far away from the case. Pulling on his nerves, he closed the email and called his father. Jefferson was like a brother to Asher, and he must be crushed to have lost a friend.
“Lucas, what’s wrong?”
“Um . . . nothing is wrong per se, I’m calling about Jefferson, I just heard the news. I’m sorry, Dad. I know how close you guys were.”
His father was silent for a few minutes. “Thank you, Son, he was a very good friend, and I will miss him terribly.”
Lucas closed his eyes and really hated the strain in their relationship.
“Are you all right? Do you need anything?” Asher asked.
“Only to come home.”
“We’re working on it, Son.”
“Easier said than done.” Lucas closed his eyes holding back his emotions, trying not to scream or act like a selfish idiot. His dad was hurting after losing a friend, and all he could think of was what he wanted.
“I know,” his dad finally said.
They hung up without saying "bye" and Lucas felt as if his heart was going to break. Needing to distract himself, he reopened his email scanning the information. Just as Tyler said, they had nothing much on Gianni’s whereabouts. He paused when he saw the message at each scene except for Jefferson.
Forcing them out of the shadows.
Sighing, he threw his phone on the bed looking around his room.What the hell does it mean?
* * *
Tucker staredat the papers on his borrowed desk and his temporary New York office trying to put the pieces together. Despite what he told Lucas a couple of nights earlier, he felt as if they were getting nowhere. He looked up when the door to the conference room opened, and Jaxson walked in, he could tell something was wrong from the look on his face.
“What is it?” he asked
“What do you want to hear first?”
“Just tell me,” Tucker said, he had no time for games.
“Damn, you’re touchy without your husband around.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose completely frustrated with his agent. Everyone who knew about the case was working just as hard as he was but they got to go home to their family at night while he was in hiding. “Jaxson, I swear I will shoot you where you stand.”
“You do know you can go and see him, Marilyn went and saw him.”
“What?” Tucker snapped his head up to look at his second-in-command. “When? Why didn’t anyone tell me? Why didn’t Lucas?”
Jaxson shrugged. “He must have thought you knew, and do you seriously think you can tell Marilyn Hamilton what to do when she has her mind made up about something?”
