“She has more powerful equipment. Besides, she has little kids, and I hate to take her away from them.”
“Even if Mom needs you?” Dev set down the gun and looked up.
Colin couldn’t let Dev guilt trip him. He needed to make a living because he needed to support their mother too. Always had. Their dad tragically passed away when Colin was nine, and Mom’s money had run out during his junior year of college.
Dev didn’t know Colin was currently footing her bills. He thought their father had left plenty of money for her, but the medical bills ate it up at a record pace, so once Colin was out of college and employed, he’d stepped in. As an agent, he’d been able to afford it and didn’t want to saddle his little brother with the costs, but with the survival business in startup mode, their salaries weren’t high enough, and things were tight now. Financially, it was a blessing to have his mom under the same roof.
“I’ve already arranged with Barbie Maddox to take my day shifts with Mom while I’m gone,” he said.
Dev tilted his head as he took in the information. Maybe looking for something to complain about since it was clear he felt like Colin was shirking his duties. But becoming members of Shadow Lake Survival meant they’d become members of the Maddox family, and that included being unofficially adopted by Barbie, the brothers’ mother, and their father, Hank. So they had a support system, and Colin wasn’t afraid to use it right now.
“Barbie works for me,” Dev finally said. “Mom will like spending time with her better than being with you anyway. She feels guilty about taking us from work, and Barbie is retired.”
“Plus, Barbie’s stories of living the flower-child life in the sixties are guaranteed to entertain her.”
“Not to mention, going to the Blackwell compound won’t be a hardship for you.” Dev shoved his hands into his pockets. “I discover something new about the place every time I visit. Especially new weapons.”
Dev was seriously into firearms, as was the Blackwell Tactical team.
Colin didn’t have a collection of guns like Dev did. Still, he could appreciate how a firearm could be used to save lives. “They do have all the cool toys.”
“I figure we will here someday, too, but Reid is just building the business.”
“I’m glad we got in on the ground floor. It’s rewarding to help build the business.” Colin resisted frowning. “At least when we manage to get to work these days.”
Their mom shifted on the sofa and guilt took hold of Colin. He shouldn’t ever put his work first. Their mother had always been there for him and Dev, and he needed to be there for her as much as he could. Plus, as the oldest, she was his responsibility.
But that didn’t preclude finding someone with the proper skills to stay with her so he and Dev could earn a living. Still, he wouldn’t just settle for someone qualified. The caregiver had to be someone she liked and respected too.
I know You haven’t given us anyone yet, but I wouldn’t be opposed to You letting the perfect candidate fall into our laps and making it happen soon.
2
Brooklyn didn’t pay any attention to Nick’s driving as he piloted the city streets until they hit the highway toward Cold Harbor. No need. Serving in the army had taught him how to handle weapons and defensive maneuvers, and he would keep her safe.
Thankfully it had given her time to delete her home doorbell videos that showed Nick’s arrival and their departure. If Kane managed to hack their account, she didn’t want him to see that Nick had come to her rescue. She couldn’t put his life or his family’s lives at risk. Maybe it was time for her to cut ties with him. Change her identity. Move to another state. The best solution, of course, was to figure out a way to take Kane down. But no matter her desire to do that, she hadn’t been able to find anything else concrete since turning him in three years ago.
Fat lot of good turning him in had done. He’d simply disappeared and vowed to get even with her, and now here she was homeless again. Now that she was safe, finding a home had to top her priority list. In a town or city where she could find another job and wouldn’t need a car. Short of changing her name, she’d tried to eliminate her electronic footprint, and that meant not being in the state database for a car registration andbeing selective when accepting clients in her freelance business. She’d also gone to using cash as much as possible and did her best to find an apartment without needing to fill out automated paperwork.
Unfortunately, most of the places that fit her criteria were owned by individuals offering listings on Craigslist or online ads. When Kane located her again, and she fled, he could try to get information on her from these owners and hurt them in the process.
And he would. Find her again. That was a given.
She sighed.
Nick glanced at her, the dashboard lights reflecting the sharp planes of his face. “Thinking about Kane?”
“Yeah. I need to figure out a way to expose him, but I don’t have a clue how to find him, much less get any evidence of his crimes.” She tried not to sound so down, but she was feeling down. “My top priority right now has to be finding a more permanent place to stay.”
“You heard Gage when I called, right?”
She nodded. “He said I can stay as long as I like.”
“Which is good, but I’ve known you a long time and know you’re far too independent to have to rely on him for housing for long.”
“Exactly.” Her stomach rumbled, and she wished that pizza had arrived sooner.
“I need to stop and feed you.”
