Page 27 of Lost Hope

“That’s exactly why I can’t come in. They’ll use you to get to me.” She swallowed hard. “I’m safe. Hidden. I’ve got ... resources.”

“What resources? Maya, honey, you don’t know who to trust right now?—”

She gritted her teeth. Time to bargain. “Give me twenty-four hours. If I stall out, you’re in.”

Silence for a heartbeat. Then two. Finally, a sigh. “Deal.”

“I love you, Dad. I’ll contact you when I can.”

“Maya, wait?—”

She ended the call before her voice could betray her. Her father’s fear and frustration hung in the air like smoke. The silence after she ended the call seemed to ring in her ears, mixing with the soft hum of the room’s air conditioning and the distant thrum of helicopter blades. Even the metallic taste of adrenaline in her mouth reminded her of countless stakeouts with her father, waiting for his signal.

She stared at Ronan’s phone, hearing the echo of her father’s desperation. Behind her, Ronan and Axel made a show of examining the room’s high-tech security system.

“Nice panic buttons,” Axel commented way too casually. “VeryMission Impossible.”

“Motion sensors in the windows,” Ronan added. “Top of the line.”

She almost smiled at their awkward attempt to give her privacy. “You can stop pretending you weren’t listening.”

She handed Ronan’s phone back, pacing the length of the room. “I need these charges cleared. Now. Every hour I’m stuck here is another hour I’m not tracking down who killed Marcus Sullivan and Tom.”

“What exactly do you think we’re doing?” Ronan’s frustration matched hers. “Knight Tactical has resources that?—”

“I’ll give your team twenty-four hours.” She spun to face him. “That’s all the time we have.”

“Twenty-four hours? To untangle a conspiracy this deep? That’s not?—”

“That’s all we’ve got. My father won’t wait longer than that. He’ll dive into this investigation himself, start pulling threads, asking questions ...” Her voice cracked. “These people killed my partner. They won’t hesitate to take out a police captain who gets too close, no matter how well-connected—or overconfident—he is.”

“Maya—”

“Team’s ready.” Christian’s voice cut through their argument as he appeared in the doorway. “Conference room.”

They followed him down the hall, their footsteps echoing off polished floors in a rhythm that reminded her of precinct corridors. The taste of Knight Tactical’s premium coffee still lingered on her tongue—worlds away from the bitter breakroom brew she usually survived on. Even here, surrounded by eliteoperators and high-tech security, her senses stayed sharp, cataloging sounds: the subtle click of door locks engaging, the whisper of tactical gear as operators moved, the almost silent communications system broadcasting status updates in controlled tones.

Christian glanced at Ronan. “Your mom called. She expects a full update ASAP.”

Ronan’s groan was heartfelt.

Axel winced. “Mama Quinn is a handful and a half.”

“Tell me about it,” Ronan huffed.

Despite everything, Maya smiled. Maybe she wasn’t the only one with complicated family dynamics.

14

TRUST CIRCLE

Ronan followedMaya and Christian into the briefing room, his boots silent on polished concrete. The space carried that distinct mix of smells he remembered from command centers—fresh coffee, gun oil, and that peculiar scent of electronics running hot. But underneath was something unexpected—fresh-cut flowers from a vase near the windows. A domestic touch that felt jarringly out of place. And yet totally fitting. Reassuring, even.

Clean. Professional. Expensive.

But it was the team that caught his attention. Everyone displayed the casual confidence of operators who’d survived enough disasters together to become family. Austin dropped into a chair, boots on the table until Jack Reese smacked them off. He’d never admit it, but he’d read up on the Knight Tactical team to know Star and Ethan Hernandez by sight. The two cyber-security specialists were already deep in their own world of algorithms and data streams, finishing each other’s sentences.

The easy flow of people who trusted each other completely.

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