Page 105 of Broken Wheels

Chalmers blinked. “We need your help. Didn’t I just say that?”

Sam sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Of course. It couldn’t be because you wanted to meet up for dinner or something. That’s how it always is with you. The job takes precedence over everything—and everyone—else. You only seem to care when you want something.”

Chalmers grunted. “This from the man who works eighty hours a week and forgot my mother’s birthday dinner.”

Grady gaped at him. “Oh my God, will you let it go? I apologized to her, bought her a lavish gift she went absolutely crazy over, and you’re still busting my chops about it.”

Chalmers narrowed his eyes. “Sure, you were great to her. I gotta ask, though. Did you think about how I felt? Sitting there with my brothers and their wives, with an empty chair next to me. You know, the one that was supposed to be yours? You should’ve seen the looks I got from them, full of pity. And you couldn’t even be bothered to answer your phone.”

Dix leaned in closer, trying not to smile. This drama was better than dinner and a show. All it needed was popcorn.

“You both lead busy lives, we get it,” Doc snarled. “Meanwhile, out here in the real world, people are dying. One of them was almost me.” He glared at both men. “Can you two work together or not? If the answer is no, then there’s the door. Thanks for stopping by.”

Chalmers and Grady jerked their heads in Doc’s direction. They appeared as though they’d forgotten where they were.

“Dr. Malone…,” Grady began.

“Josh, please. I prefer it.”

“Okay, then. Josh, I’m very sorry. That was unprofessional of me. Please accept my apologies. Yes, we can work together.” He glanced at Chalmers. “Right, Jeff?”

Chalmers gave a brisk nod. “Yes, we can. I’m sorry too. I’m the one who asked for his help, so I should have been more grateful he could come in the first place. I’m sure you realize we have history.”

Dix suppressed a snort. “Naw, never crossed our minds.”

“Dixon!” Doc groused. “Stop goofing around.”

That voice, a growl crossed with a snarl, was all kinds of hot. Dix hadn’t realized Doc had it in him.

Down boy. There was a time and place to play. This wasn’t either of them.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Dix smirked at Chalmers. “Later, then.”

He got a grin in return. “Deal.”

Grady shook his head, then focused his attention on Doc, who seemed to be the adult in the room. “So, tell me what’s going on. Remember, this is unofficial only. I can’t be giving you advice on something that might or might not be criminal, but I can talk to you in broad terms.”

Doc laid out everything they had, holding nothing back, starting with getting caught hacking to being forced to work for the government, then his discovery of the files and his departure from his “service.” Through it all, Grady sat, his eyes wide, and listened. When Doc got to the parts about the men who’d tried to kill him, Grady muttered something.

“What was that?” Dix asked.

“This isn’t the government. It can’t be.”

“And yet, it was,” Doc argued.

“No, I’m not talking about you being given the option to work for them. That’s totally government. I mean what’s happening now.” He leaned back in his chair. “If the government wanted to get rid of you, they would have grabbed you and tossed you into the deepest, darkest hole they could find. The fact that you were able to essentially blackmail them into stopping was both brilliant and scary.” His brow furrowed. “Whoever is doing this now isn’t government.”

“I think it’s Aaron Spencer,” Doc said. Then he launched into what he’d proposed earlier.

When he finished, Grady seemed less than impressed. “Spencer’s a billionaire many times over. He’s spent hundreds of millions cleaning up things that the government fucked up or places that Mother Nature tried to wipe from the map. He’s received more Humanitarian awards than anyone else. Why would he do this?”

Doc looked to Dix, who nodded. Doc squared his shoulders. “I think he’s using this as a platform to the presidency. I can’t say why, but that’s the feeling I’m getting.”

Grady rubbed his chin. “And there’s the problem right there. You can’t use feelings as a reason to accuse someone.” His lips twitched. “The courts won’t allow it as an acceptable excuse to provide a search warrant either.”

“Maybe he’s right, Doc.” As soon as the words slipped from his lips, Dix regretted them. The glance Doc gave him spoke of hurt and betrayal, and Dix hastened to make amends. “I’m not saying you aren’t right, but we need proof. Right now, all this would be considered supposition. You can’t toss out an accusation like that and not expect retaliation. If what you say is true—and believe me, my faith is in you—then Spencer has the means to hire the best and brightest. Why would he need to try and kill you?”

“Because he… he….” Doc hung his head. “I don’t know.”

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