Page 15 of Guarded from Danger

“Yeah.” I grimace as I notice my teammates all watching me with worried expressions. “Sorry. I got distracted for a second.”

“It’s fine.” Dante lifts his chin. “I get it. If you want to go back in there?—”

I know Dante understands better than most, given what his girlfriend Sarah went through only a few months ago. Back then, it was Dante in the hospital waiting for news, with the rest of us supporting him.

But Sarah’s attacker was behind bars at that point, not still out there, some anonymous person working for a sick online game. Sarah wasn’t still in danger. Not like Lucy.

And that’s why I need to maintain my focus. So I know everything about Lucy’s case, what the police and FBI plan to do, and how Blade and Arrow is going to keep her safe.

We’ll keep her at the ranch, obviously. But that’s not enough. We need to track down those sick fucks and put them in jail. Make sure Lucy and any other innocent victims aren’t hurt again.

“I want to be here,” I tell Dante, holding his gaze. “I want to do whatever it takes to close this game down and catch the people behind it.”

He lifts his chin at me. “I know. And we will.” After a short pause, he adds, “I talked to Cruz, and he’s asked his boss to be put on Lucy’s case. So that’s good. With Cruz involved, I feel more confident about the FBI’s involvement.”

Cruz Livingston isn’t just our primary contact in the FBI, but also a friend. We met him through Cole, the founder of the original Blade and Arrow branch in Sleepy Hollow, New York. After Cole separated from the Army, he worked for the San Antonio police department for almost a year before quitting to start Blade and Arrow Security. It’s one of the main reasons our Bravo Team branch is located here, so we can take advantage of the connections Cole made.

But in the nine months we’ve been here, those connections have become more. Cruz, Quint with the San Antonio PD, Harley with the Sheriff’s Office, TJ with the highway patrol, Dax with the Rangers… they don’t just help us out and vice versa, but they’ve also become friends.

So I’m glad to hear about Cruz, but that doesn’t mean I want to step back from Lucy’s case. Meeting Dante’s gaze, I ask, “What’s their plan?”

“Well, they want to talk to Lucy, of course.”

“Now? She’s not ready.”

“Not now. But as soon as she can. I know it’s tough,” Dante interjects as I get ready to argue. “And no one wants to traumatize her more. But any information she can give is helpful.”

Rhiannon gives me a sympathetic look. “I know it sucks, Xav. But you know she has to.”

Shit. I know she does. “I know,” I grumble. “But I don’t like it.”

“I’m sharing everything I have with the FBI,” Matt says. “Hopefully it’ll help their tech guys find more victims. And I’m going to keep looking. Eventually, the people behind this will make a mistake, and we’ll be there to catch them.”

Dante nods. “And we’ll continue our own investigation in-house. I talked to Cole, and he said Leo’s making Lucy’s case a priority.”

“I’m going to talk to Leo later,” Matt adds. “Between the two of us, I’m hopeful we’ll find something that leads us to the group behind this.”

The band around my chest loosens a little. Matt’s our resident tech genius, and Leo holds the same role for the Sleepy Hollow team. With the two of them investigating, I can’t imagine them not finding some kind of clue.

“Once we can sit down with Lucy and get her story, we’ll make a more detailed plan.” Dante meets my gaze. “We’re bringing her back to B and A, obviously.”

“Of course,” I reply quickly.

“And do you want her in the client apartment?”

“No way.” It’s quick. Adamant. “Lucy shouldn’t be alone. Not after—” Swallowing hard, I pause before continuing. “I want her at my place. So I can make sure she’s getting enough food, rest…”

Rhiannon touches my arm. “Ask her first, Xav. I’m sure she’ll want to. But I think it’s important to give her the choice.”

I lift my chin at my teammate and friend of over six years. “You’re right. I’ll ask her.”

“So when is Lucy getting out of here?” Niall asks. “Jade’s been texting me, asking if there’s anything she can do. She and Sarah offered to go shopping, pick up some things to make Lucy feel more at home when she gets to B and A.”

“The doctor said at least two more days. Just to make sure all her levels are stable and the infection is under control. But if Jade and Sarah want to help…” I trail off as I try to corral my thoughts. “Lucy loves stuff that’s soft. She has this blanket, it feels like fur but it’s not… And she likes candles. Ones that smell like vanilla and cinnamon. Usually she loves to read romance novels, but I’m not sure about now…”

“That’s a good start,” Niall replies with a small smile. “I’m sure Jade will come up with lots of ideas.”

But that gets me thinking. How can I make my apartment comfortable for Lucy?

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