Page 8 of Force At Third

Danny, Chloe, CeCe, Pope, and Whit all walk out.

Whit asks, “You ready to get out of here?”

“Hell yes, I am.”

“See you around, Gwendolyn York,” Leland says, and I can just picture the easy smile on his stupid face.

Inside the SUV, Chloe buckles in then turns back. “That was hawt!”

Danny starts the vehicle. “Guess I should add pick a fight with every guy who ogles my wife to my list of ways to stir her up.”

She playfully smacks him on the shoulder then looks at CeCe. “Also hawt the way Roman Hart was all?—”

“Nope,” CeCe cuts her off. “I am not talking about him.”

* * *

Chloe and Danny followed Pope and Whit to their place outside of town to pick up their daughter, Aggie, who stayed with Whit and Pope’s five kids and their nanny so we could have one adult night out before it’s time to really dig in, get past the hard talks, and then get to work.

Pope and Whit’s house is huge—this is not surprising for a family of seven, plus a nanny—but it still takes my breath away every time. For the past six years, I’ve traveled all over the country, chasing leads and meeting clients, staying at hundreds of hotels, and none of them could touch the comfort of this place.

Their home has four levels—four. Inside their massive house is a chef’s kitchen, eight bedrooms, nine full and three half-baths, a total of twenty-five rooms, all of which Marks and I wired with a security system that makes me almost as hot as baseball pants. They have a pool with a cabana, a putting range, a bowling alley in the basement, and a guest house where I typically stay. They also have an eight-car garage, which is home to Whit and Pope’s vehicles, both massive SUVs, which is required to travel with all their little ones, and Pope’s old Bronco that he won’t get rid of because that’s where he and Whit lost their V-cards to each other. The rest of the space is filled with kid's bikes, ATVs, skates, and all that kind of thing.

The home is situated in a gated community with just four homes, and it has twenty-four-hour security. No one can get in undetected.

I’m staying in the main house tonight so Whit, Pope, and I can chat to prepare them for the one Chloe will have with Whit tomorrow. This was Danny’s idea. He wanted to ensure Whit didn’t lose it, which would make Chloe do the same. She’s been through enough. Both she and her sister have been through so fucking much.

After a shower, I head down to the kitchen where we decided to meet for tea.

When I walk out, it’s just Whit, not Pope.

“He go to bed?” I ask as I sit down.

Pushing a cup toward me, she shakes her head. “He went to check on the team. Nora woke up when Danny scooped Aggie up.”

“Twelve, I cannot believe she’s freaking twelve.” I shake my head.

She laughs. “Me neither.”

“And five freaking kids.” I smile. “You were always an overachiever.”

“It was so easy with Nora and Bianca. When Gregory and Grant came along, that’s when we lost control.” She laughs. “Twins; who’d have thought?”

“Then we said fuck it; we’re already overrun, so let’s do it again,” Pope says, entering the room.

They smile at each other and say, “Chase,” simultaneously.

“If Danny and Chloe didn’t have to deal with infertility, they’d have more than us, and Chloe would have them all in a line, making me look like a hot mess of a mom.” Whit smiles as she leans back into Pope, who’s standing behind her, hands on the counter, caging her in.

“That’s a great lead into what I need to talk to the two of you about,” I say, placing my cup on the marble countertop.

“Please tell me she’s pregnant and doesn’t have to continue this round of fertility,” Whit says hopefully.

“You’d have heard that news first.”

“You’re freaking me out. Just spill it.”

“Okay.” I clear my throat and inhale deeply to prepare to tell them everything I’ve just learned about Chloe and CeCe Shaw. “Fifteen-year-old Eleanor Center was adopted by her stepfather, William, after he married her mother. Together, they had Allison. Her mother died when Eleanor was seven and Allison was three. For six years, William groomed Eleanor to believe she was her mother’s replacement. At thirteen, he began raping her.”

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