Page 56 of Jersey

Jericho was deep undercover in Adair's organization, but he burned his position to get Brielle, the stepdaughter, out of that situation. Right after that case, Jericho went from working for ICE to working with Cerberus.

This feels like a situation he should be involved in, and I make sure to shoot off a text saying as much to Casper. But there's a good chance that Adair could disappear again and be gone for several more months before being spotted again, before Jericho could even get on the helicopter and bring the piece of shit to justice. We're six hours from the cabin.

I know as much as Jericho would like to be the man who puts Adair in a pair of handcuffs, I also know he wouldn't risk letting the man get away just so he can be the one to do so. Just having him behind bars and no longer able to wreak havoc on the world is enough.

The hoops Cerberus in New Mexico have had to jump through to make sure the people on their property are safe from this very man and others in his organization are crazy. They've bought more property, putting access to them even further out than it already was. They spend more time patrolling their borders and keeping people safe than they have been taking missions.

I know it's something Kincaid never wanted to happen, but when he created Cerberus all those decades ago, the technology we have now was only a pipe dream. He didn't know that internet access would tell any person in a simple search exactly where the headquarters was located.

Now that he has a wife, kids, and more than a handful of grandkids, he's hell-bent on keeping them safe from men like Adair.

It's always been assumed that Adair's end goal was to get back at Brielle, who also just happens to be in a relationship with one of the guys from New Mexico, making the compound a target.

My phone lights up with Casper's response. Although it's exactly what I expected, it still makes me want to grind my teeth.

Casper: We're mobilizing. Will take a minimum of two and a half hours to get there. Whatever you do, don't lose him.

Me: Is there anything we can do other than sit on this fucking house?

I want to reign fire down on that house, just like Zeus wanted to earlier, now that the evilest man I've ever seen is inside.

Casper: Sit tight.

I growl as I drop my phone to my lap.

"Think they're going to organize other agencies?" Zeus asks, his eyes trained on the front door.

"They'll have to. There's only so many people who can fit on that fucking helicopter," I mutter.

Chapter 23

Caitlyn

I've spent so much time recently with Eli at the cabin, it feels almost unnatural to have a full day off to myself.

This is something I'd normally ache for by the end of my work week, but today, I'm just... bored.

Kiva repositions herself when I run my hand down her back, rolling over so I can rub her belly.

I oblige, smiling down at my sweet girl.

"No shame in asking for exactly what you want, huh? Wish I was the same way."

Her tail thumps on the sofa, her eyes barely open as she gets the attention she craves.

Oh, what it would be like to be a spoiled dog. No cares other than worrying how long your owner is going to be gone during the day and if you could make them feel bad in order to get extra snacks.

"I'm going to eventually have to get up and switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer," I mutter, but her tail continues to thump with her contentness.

I can't stop thinking about yesterday, and I regret the instant I drove away from the cabin without speaking with Roman.

I don't know how the man suddenly showing up in my life has given him permission to take over nearly every waking thought. I hate that I can't get him out of my head, that my body craves him in a way that it has never craved anyone else. I know better than to blame him. I'm the one who is responsible for my own feelings. I'm advanced enough in my own therapy to understand that, but it doesn't stop me from wishing that he was either here with me or wishing that I never met him in the first place. I can't decide which direction I want to go.

I jolt when I hear a noise outside of the house. I keep one hand on Kiva, and the other reaches for the remote to the TV, silencing the soft music I've been playing out of it today while I worked on cleaning the house.

The only sound I can distinguish is my own breathing, and even that light, rattled intake of breath makes me nervous. I feel like a sitting duck when the noise sounds again from the backyard.

Kiva, as old as she is, doesn't seem alarmed. It's either that or she can't hear it at all. I give her belly one last scratch and get up quietly. The last thing I need is her barking and making it impossible to hear anything else going on.

---