“It hasn’t escaped my notice that your midsection is thickening. I won’t have Emerson Walker knocking down my front door because something has happened to his mate—and unborn child.”
Dash growled. “Emerson approves of me going on these missions.”
“I don’t think your mate knows how dangerous some of them have been. Should I enlighten him?”
Dash narrowed his gaze.
“This is who you are. An agent. A badass.” Jackson paused. “But you’re about to become a papa. And I can’t endanger you and your child by sending you on another mission.”
“Fuck,”Dash spat.
“I’m not taking you off the case. Your research and insight is invaluable. You’re just not going to be boots on the ground. Youcanhelp run the op from behind a computer, though. Give intel. Directions. Maintain comms. Keep the team safe.From afar.”
Dash considered that. “Ihavealways wanted to handle a team mission.”
Jackson grinned. “I know. So what do you say?”
“Am Iallowedto run an op as a consultant?”
“Already got it approved from upstairs. Along with an offer of employment, too.”
“I have a job. Running Keller and Davis Security.”
“Which Mason has practically been running solo while you work with us,” Jackson said.
“Once all of the alphas are found, then the job’s over?”
Jackson shook his head. “We’re building a field office here in Fort Seattle and the bigwigs think you’d make one hell of a handler for an ops team.”
A way back into the Black Guard? Did he really want that? “They called me a liability once. What’s changed?”
“You broke this whole thing wide open without the tools and intel available to an agent—one of the biggest cases in Black Guard history. A multi-province criminal and corruption case that might change the Palatinate as a whole. They see what you can do without them. They want you back.”
“I don’t know if I have the time and focus to do that kind of work after this baby comes.”
Jackson shrugged. “Think it over. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t. But the offer alone feels like an admission that they were wrong to force your retirement—and I hope that feelsreallyfucking good.”
“It does,”Dash said, grinning. “I’ll think it over, but know I’m leaning towards a no.”
“Wouldn’t be surprised if that was your final answer. Theydon’tdeserve you.” Jackson pressed his shoulder into Dash’s. “But I do.”
Dash frowned.
“Who do you think will be the station manager for the new Fort Seattle division?”
Dash grinned. “Congratu-fucking-lations.”
Jackson smiled broadly. “About time they put a man like me in charge. Of course, it’s all dependent on me getting the Red Guard in shape in time.”
“You’ll get there,” Dash said.
“No doubt.” He smiled softly. “I like this.”
“Like what?”
“This. It feels more like the way things used to be,” Jackson said. “I missed my friend, Dash. It’s good to have him back.”
Dash smiled. “It’s good to have you back, too. Especially now, knowing you’ll be based out of the province. We’ll get to see one another on occasion.”
