“Coming from the man who didn’t hesitate to get an emergency foster parenting license when Megan returned home with Rebecca,” Jameson added.
Julio smiled like a proud dad. “You know why Megan’s special. As soon as Rebecca told me about her, I knew they came as a package deal.”
“Do you plan on giving her a brother or sister anytime soon?” Matthew asked while he booted up his computer.
“No, not yet. Becca’s not ready for more children. She’s focused on getting Megan the therapy she needs, and she’s still recovering. Plus, the CIA has kept her busy lately,” Julio said, pulling files from the table beside him.
“We have two women who went missing in Dallas. The bureau asked us to consult with the police. They think it might be linked to trafficking locally,” Julio said, passing the files around. “They resemble each other. Both worked as nurses on the night shift at hospitals. Mac, since you’re helping us, Riley will take over when she returns. Line the men up for the next week. I want you and Matthew to track down the leads. Jameson, stick with Caroline. You can give her some space while Victoria and Ivan stay here. Nobody will get within their radius. If she decides to move into her father’s, we’ll work out security arrangements. Our new hire, Caden ‘Spider’ Renner, will start next week once Garrett and Riley return from their honeymoon.”
“Didn’t we agree to vote as a team?” Jameson argued. “Why did you hire him on without consulting with us?”
“It’s my doing,” Matthew volunteered. “He met with Leo to interview for a job with Serenity Securities. Recent events with his family have led him here. Leo sent me his file, and I jumped on it.”
“What’s special about him?” Mac asked.
“He’s a Ranger. Spider belonged to a sniper team, underwent specialized training, and completed some high-stakes missions I can’t talk about. With Jameson’s cover blown, we need someone else to infiltrate the trafficking ring,” Matthew explained. “I have two other men we’ll vote on after I get their background searches.”
“If he’s this talented, why does he want to join our team?”
Matthew glanced at Julio, who nodded, giving him permission to share the information.
“Spider’s wife and daughter died five years ago in a car accident while he went on a crucial mission. They couldn’t pull him out at the time. When he returned, he discovered his wife and child already buried. One of Leo’s friends asked him to speak with Spider. When Leo called, he said the man needed a purpose. He’s spent the last five years doing odd jobs. His family owns a ranch outside of Embers. His mother became chronically ill, and medical bills have eaten most of the profit. Spider needs the job to help support them.”
“Damn,” Mac said. “It seems none of us will get a break. The poor man has gone through the wringer.”
“Let’s help him get settled when he arrives in the next couple of days,” Julio ordered. “Jameson, how did Caroline handle you taking her to her father’s house today?”
“It went fine. She’s still processing what I told her. I bought her a car to give her some freedom from me. I can follow her and ensure she’s safe.”
“You don’t think saving her life was enough for her to get over who your father was?” Mac asked. “Buying her a car seems like a risky move. James Stanton used money to make problems go away. What message do you want her to get from this grand gesture?”
Jameson swiped his hand through his hair. “Caroline thinks it’s a company vehicle. We can’t have two people always shadowing her. We’re still building the team. At least this way, she won’t have to ride with me every day.”
Matthew leaned forward. “Don’t do it, brother. You’re pulling away before she can make a choice because no one picks you first. This boils down to your childhood and your history with the Serenity Securities Team. What you refuse to get through your thick skull is Leo gave you a second chance by sendingyou here. You know if Spider walked in the door and lied about who he was, we’d never trust him again. This gives you a second chance.”
“All my life, my father’s name has determined my acceptance and closed doors. I took a bullet from James to save their family, and they barely visited me except to ask questions. The women sent packages. We both know Kassie Winters pushed Leo to give me this job.”
“I’m the one who determines who works here,” Julio said firmly. “If I didn’t trust you, you’d be gone. Caroline has spent the last six years fighting for her life because of your father. The way I see it, you have two options. You can pull away and miss out on something special, or you can help her see the man in front of her. The one who went days without sleep, dropped everything to follow up on a lead, and feared for her. If she doesn’t see it, it’s her loss.”
Jameson didn’t respond. He became used to never getting chosen. His mother made it clear she didn’t want him. She named him Jameson to slight James Stanton’s current wife, Victoria. As his mistress, she didn’t have access to all the finer things in life. James sent Phillip to several first-class schools, while Jameson attended public ones. When James discovered his mother dead, he asked one of the servants to tell him. It started the long, slippery slope of people unwilling to accept him. How could he expect Caroline to feel any differently?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Caroline poured a third cup of coffee, trying to wake up from a long night of restless sleep. At one point, she dreamed James Stanton found her and dragged her to the mansion where Cain waited for her. It sent Caroline screaming and bolting from the bed. Spending the rest of the night huddled in the closet, where she woke every twenty minutes.
Glancing at the clock on the stove, she gulped down her last jolt of caffeine and headed out the door to the cute car the ranch loaned her. Caroline stood in the driveway, gazing at all the other cabins where not a single car sat parked. Why did they provide her with one?
Starting the engine, she slowly made her way to the farmhouse while figuring out which knob controlled the wipers, the lights, and the windshield washer fluid. Her heart raced as she drove closer to the home searching for Jameson’s vehicle. He told her he wouldn’t be there, but she didn’t like walking into an unknown place alone. She put the car in park, shut off the engine, and stared at the front porch, scanning the multiple ways to escape if needed.
The door opened, and a woman with long red hair walked out to the edge of the stairs.
“Darling, I don’t bite, despite what they have told you. Do you plan on staring at the place all day? I’m here for a limited amount of time, and we have a lot of work to do,” the woman informed her.
Feeling like a big fat chicken, Caroline got out of the car and went up the steps.
The woman smiled and turned, walking back inside. Rebecca ran down the second-story stairs, appearing flustered.
“Hi, Caroline. I meant to greet you, but Megan woke up at three this morning, and I only got her down for a short nap now. Please have a seat in the living room, and I’ll grab us some tea and coffee,” Rebecca said, rushing past her.
