Page 24 of Even if It Hurts

“We have donuts? Wait, job likewhat?” Evans asked slowly, even though excitement was creeping across his expression as he took in everyone else’s reactions. Then again, it didn’t matter what the job was, the kid was always excited.

He was the only one who hadn’t been with us from the very beginning. But I’d found him when he was going through thepolice academy and had convinced him to work for me instead because he was too good for them and exactly what we’d needed.

Rush was the only silent one—head slanted and eyebrows pulled close, stylus hovering over his tablet, always ready for information.

“Our company runs off being personal security for high-profile clients,” I began, getting Evans’ attention. “But there are plenty of everyday people who need higher levels of protection, so we provide that service without charge.”

“You’ve only been with us for about a year,” Rush picked up for me, “but we were trained to execute our overseas missions without alerting anyone we were there. And that’s how we carry out theseunofficialcases—our Donuts. Silent. Undetected. Sometimes even without the victim knowing.”

“Without the person knowing?” Evans confirmed, glancing from Rush to me, and I subtly nodded. “How does that work?”

“In those instances, we find ways to let them know their problem has been taken care of,” I explained. “But they don’t know details of what was happening or that we were behind it.”

“Understood,” Evans said with a firm nod. “But whyDonut?”

Monroe snorted as Thatch eagerly explained, “First time we had one of these cases, Gray nearly choked to death on a donut trying to claim lead.”

“One time,” Gray defended exasperatedly.

“Never letting you live it down,” Monroe said before blowing a kiss at him.

Evans fought a smile as he asked, “So, what are we doing?”

“Depends on the rest of the information I receive,” I said. “The potential victim reached out to us. If this doesn’t end up being an exaggerated domestic dispute that the police can mediate, then it sounds like this woman might be in danger from her partner.”

“Area?” Rush asked as he quickly wrote on his tablet.

“Only a couple miles from your place, so you’ll be taking lead if we do this.”

Just as the email I’d been waiting on came through, Evans hesitantly asked, “Why didn’t she go to the police?”

I stopped halfway through the first line of the email, my stare lifting from the screen of my tablet to meet where Evans was looking between the five of us, clearly wondering why he was the only one to ask. “She probably already has.”

At that, Evans’ gaze snapped to me and narrowed.

Even though I’d managed to pull him away from his dream of becoming a cop, he still held a sense of loyalty to the badge he’d never worn. Then again, he came from generations of law enforcement.

“I told you how it was before you ever started working for me,” I reminded him softly. “In our previous line of work, we had to do things outside the law to protect the country. During cases like this one, we still do because, as unfortunate as it is, sometimes that’s the only way to protect someone.”

He held my stare for a moment longer before dipping his head in understanding and agreement.

Letting my attention fall back to my screen, I quickly scanned the email before forwarding it to my team. “We’re moving forward with the case. Again, Rush is lead.” Glancing at my best friend, I told him, “Figure out how we’re gonna juggle this and Ru Tech because we’re all needed at the summit, and she needs twenty-four-seven watch starting now.”

“Could always put her in your apartment and have the hot nanny watch her too,” Gray murmured sarcastically.

I kicked the back of his chair, forcing a scoffing laugh from him as he rolled away. “This is why you aren’t lead.”

“Obviously joking,” he teased as he moved back to the table. “Not that it’s the worst idea.”

“You, Monroe, and I are taking the partner. Before either of you leave here, I want everything on him from birth until now—I’ll find and shadow him until the summit tomorrow. Evans and Thatch are with Rush on the woman. Meeting over.”

Just as I started heading for the door, Rush’s voice brought me to an abrupt stop. “You’re out, Briggs.”

I twisted to look at where he sat, the tension filling the conference room a clear warning that he ignored as he continued furiously making notes. “Sorry?”

With a sigh, he lifted his head, the end of his stylus rapidly tapping on his screen before he met my stare. “You made me lead, and I’m telling you, you’re out.” Just as I started telling him he wasn’t allowed to make that call, he added, “With everything that’s already happened this week, everything still to come, and all the new changes in your house...” He lifted an eyebrow. “You’d pull any of us in the same situation.”

I nodded after a moment before stalking out of the room and to my office. Less than a minute after I made it in there, Rush was there.

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