Page 81 of Tied Over

“I’m Duncan Stiel, Commander of the Eighteenth District in Chicago.”

“Oh, yessir, you’re friends with my boss.”

“And you and Ian Doyle got sent out on some shady missions to help find Sam Kage’s son a place to live.”

I exhaled, calming, and it was strange because Stiel and I weren’t friends, but he was like a safe port in the storm, and I was very thankful. I didn’t want to get loud or mean, and I was saved from having to be that guy who made a scene. “Not shady, but yeah. Some of the places we looked at—in our off time, I might add—were a bit sketchy.”

He chuckled, and I had the real urge to hug him.

“This is my husband,” he announced as the real estate mogul and philanthropist Aaron Sutter joined us. “Aaron, this is Josiah Redeker. He works for Sam.”

Sutter’s expression, which had been flat, devoid of emotion, cold even, was suddenly bright, and I was treated to the smile that was all over the internet and graced magazine covers like Barron's and Forbes. His whole face came to life, and the man was stunning. “Pleasure to meet you, Deputy US Marshal,” he said, extending his hand.

I took it and found his grip firm and warm. “The pleasure’s mine, sir.”

“Whatever are you doing so far from home?”

“My partner and I were—oh, here he is,” I said as Bodhi reached me, his hand going immediately to my back. “Mr. Sutter, this is my partner, Bodhi Callahan.”

“Marshal Callahan,” he greeted Bodhi, taking his hand next. “I was just asking your partner what brings you to Seattle.”

“We were visiting, sir. But we’ve been recalled, and our boss wants us at the airport right this second, so we have to—”

“Oh, well, please, let us be of assistance,” Mr. Sutter rushed out. “If you’re going back to Chicago, you can hitch a ride with us, as we’re leaving shortly.”

Bodhi cleared his throat. “Sir, we don’t want to impose on—”

“No, no, no, it’s not an imposition in the least,” Mr. Sutter insisted.

“It’s not. Really,” Stiel stressed, and I got the feeling that us needing to leave was the best news he’d heard all night. I had to wonder what a career cop from Chicago—and I was aware, as was everyone, that he’d come up through the ranks; not to mention, people everywhere were enraptured with the story of the cop and the billionaire—was doing at whatever high-class function was happening at the Burdine home? “We don’t want to make Sam Kage wait.”

“Who is Sam Kage?” Emily asked sharply.

“He’s our boss,” I told her. “The Chief Deputy.”

“We accept your gracious offer,” Bodhi told Mr. Sutter. “Could you wait while we grab our things, sir?”

“Absolutely. We’ll leave as soon as we see you by the front door.”

Bodhi took hold of my bicep, led me through the crowd toward the arch, and then down the hall.

“I want to ask you all about your conversation with Hayden, but—”

“No, I know. Tell me.”

I was going to, but my phone rang then, and since I could see it was our office, I put it on speaker just as Bodhi and I reached my room. “Hello?”

“Jed,” Miro said, and I heard how shaky his voice was. “We have Ian.”

“Oh thank God,” I husked, my phone falling from my hand to the bed. I dropped down beside it, my knees going out on me. Funny how you had no idea what someone meant to you until you were faced with losing them. Somewhere in the time I’d been in Chicago, Ian Doyle went from being my boss to my friend. I wanted him to stick around a long time.

“What’s going on?” Bodhi demanded, picking up my phone and holding it between us as he took a seat beside me.

Miro said, “I…wait a sec while I…while—”

“No, go get into the ambulance with him,” Chris Becker instructed him.

“They won’t let—”