Page 41 of Into the Shadows

Dad laughs like I hoped he would. “I need to get back to work, and so do you. This season is amazing so far, sweetheart. I should be mad at you for looking into this case without consulting me first, but Crystal deserves the light you’re shining on her. You’ll let me know if you need me?”

“Always.”

Chapter 24

Teddy

“Shit. Fuck. Goddammit.” Curses continue to flow out of my mouth as I shake out my throbbing finger. I glare at the pile of two-by-fours that betrayed me. That hurt like a motherfucker.

I sigh. Why the hell am I even trying to do this myself? Money, I guess. Pride mostly. I hate asking for help. I’ve saved plenty over the years, but growing up, barely able to afford food, has made me overly cautious.

I’ll need to get a job. Iwantto get a job. Moping around the house won’t cut it after a while. Plus, I have no idea what I’m doing with this renovation, and I’m not about to build a house that will fall with one stiff breeze. That’s going to cost more than I’ve saved. I don’t need to be a contractor to know that.

My ringing cell phone pulls me from my wandering thoughts.

A number from New Yorkcomes up on the caller ID. I debate about not answering for a second…Ah, fuck it.

“Hello?”

“Is this Will Kavanagh?”

“Yeah. Who’s this?”

“Will! I’m glad I caught you. This is Jackson Beaumont. I run Nightfall Security, and your CO asked me to give you a call. Said you might be interested in a job. I gotta say, your résumé is impressive. Not as good as mine, of course, but we can’t all be as talented as I am.”

His joke pulls me from my stupor. “Uh… Sorry. I’m a little confused. I never asked Commander Brettfield to reach out on my behalf.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. Look, I’ll cut to the chase, then. Nightfall Security handles a myriad of cases. Some are as easy as tailing a cheating husband; others are a little more…off the books. I got your résumé and the seal of approval from Brettfield, so I have no clue if you’re even interested in a job like this, but we’d love to have you. We’re a bunch of ragtag veterans with no idea how to live in regular society anymore. I have a feeling you’ll fit right in.”

Something tugs at my chest. God, what I’d give to be healthy enough to work for this guy. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not in the right shape to be an asset.”

“Hmm.” Jackson’s tone belies his agreement. “Mentally, physically, or both?”

“Both. I lost my leg after an IED took out my entire team.”

“Ah. Well, you wouldn’t be the only man on my team a limb down. We’d still be interested in having you if it’s something you want.”

“Where would the job be located?”

“We’d want to have you up here in New York state for training. Mostly just to show you how we run our cases and whatnot. Then, depending on what you’re interested in, you could be located wherever you want to be. We’ve got guys all across the country now.”

Every word out of his mouth sounds too good to be true.There’s no way this guy is going to give me exactly what I’d been hoping to find.

“Look, I know what you’re thinking. There’s no way this asshat on the phone could give you what you’re looking for. Twenty years ago, I didn’t think I could either, but the smartest person I ever met told me I could be doing more for the soldiers who come out on the other side of their deployments changed. Now, I’ve got a thriving security business that can handle just about everything under the sun. Think about it. Then give me a call next week with your answer.”

“Who was it that said that to you?” I ask on a whim.

“My gorgeous wife.” Jackson laughs. “I highly recommend finding a woman who’s unafraid to put you in your place. Your life will be all the better for it. Trust me. We’ll talk soon, Will.”

Jackson hangs up before I can say anything in return. My whole world feels as if it’s shifted after that call. The only other time I’ve felt this way was after driving away from Lottie the first time I met her.

If I’ve learned anything, I know that phone call will change the trajectory of my life.

“Ignore everythingthat comes out of his whore mouth!” Gia shouts, pointing at Carson, where he’s sitting at the island in Lottie’s kitchen with a beer bottle in his hand. His smug grin tells me this is a regular occurrence with them.

Lottie giggles at their ridiculous behavior, and I can’t help but pull her closer to me, my arm hanging over her shoulder in a possessive display. I take a sip of soda, the crisp bubbles exploding across my tongue.

Carson looks at me, returning to his original story. “So Gia decides to go up to this dude to tell him off for flirtingwith her while he’s on a date with another girl. Turns out, he was at the bar with his sister, not his girlfriend.” The whole room erupts into laughter despite having heard this story before. Lottie’s friends are hilarious. I was a little iffy about spending time with them. The age difference had me worried I wouldn’t find anything in common with them. Instead, I found them to be a hilarious group of people who are more mature for their age than I gave them credit for. They welcomed me into their lives without hesitation and could become good friends to me if I let them in.

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