“Yeah. Let me…call Cutter. He’s a local boy, and he and Shealyn are back from their honeymoon.”

  “And from what I heard, her sister’s wedding to Josiah got derailed by violence two days ago. They might be busy.”

  “Well, we’re likely to have another situation like that on our hands if Cutter doesn’t spare me five minutes.”

  Trees sighed. “True. Yeah, call him, then let Kane know.”

  “What about you and Laila? Where will you go?”

  “I rented an RV. We’re posing as a married couple on vacation, seeing the country before we have a baby.”

  “You’re serious?”

  Trees sighed. “We stopped to pick up supplies before we headed out of Orlando, and some chatty tourists started talking to us in the grocery store, so I made up a story. Laila was clinging to me like she was terrified. She literally expects Emilo’s henchmen to jump her at any moment. They messed her up.”

  Zy had heard the same from One-Mile, who’d talked to Laila when Emilo had held him captive a few months back. “She feels safe with you?”

  “As safe as she feels with any man, but it’s not much. I told her I was a friend of Walker’s. It helped. He’s apparently the good guy since he politely declined to rape her.”

  “Jesus. So what’s your plan?”

  “We’re going to make our way back slowly, make sure Valeria gets situated into whatever safe house you can find for her. If it looks good, like no one is watching it, then I’ll take Laila out there. If it gets hit…my plan B is to take Laila to my place.”

  “Well, it’s secure enough.”

  “It should be, yeah. There’s just one problem.” Trees dropped his voice. “Laila is so damn sexy, I can barely keep my eyes—and everything else—off of her.”

  Falling in instant lust was so unlike Trees, it took Zy aback. “Does she suspect?”

  “There are only so many ways to hide an erection like mine.”

  True. Trees wasn’t just tall; he was built big everywhere. Zy knew because, thanks to Uncle Sam, they’d been in close quarters for years, often in places where privacy was next to nil. “Do you need to speed up your trip?”

  “And what happens if I do and Tierra Caliente figures out where Valeria is hiding? Laila will be collateral damage. After the hell I suspect she’s been through, she deserves some fucking safety, man.”

  Zy couldn’t argue with that. “Yeah. Okay, let me see what I can toss together. You keep on keeping on, and I’ll touch base with Kane soon.”

  How the fuck he’d find a place that quickly, Zy wasn’t sure, but it was time to get to work.

  Which meant that making love to Tessa would have to wait.

  Fuck.

  “Great, buddy. Thanks.”

  “Talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Don’t hang up,” Trees insisted.

  “Something else going on?”

  “Yeah…” His buddy sounded mighty reluctant to say what.

  “Talk to me.”

  “Are you sitting?”

  Oh, shit. “No, and I don’t have time to now. What the fuck is happening?”

  “When Laila escaped the house in Orlando, she couldn’t get to her phone, which was charging in her bedroom. But she managed to knock out one of her assailants and—”

  “How the hell did she do that? Because if you’re attracted to her, I know she’s a tiny thing.”

  “Fuck, I hate that I have a type,” he grumbled. “Yeah, she is. And she knocked the son of a bitch out by surprising him with a loaded diaper pail to the face.”

  The situation wasn’t funny, but Zy couldn’t hold in a laugh. “She sounds resourceful. Bet that guy thought it was a shitty fight.”

  “Yeah. Laila is…something,” he said barely above a whisper.

  “Where is she now?”

  “Sleeping in the back. Finally. That’s why I wanted to call you. At our last stop, we pulled into a gas station to fill up. Thankfully, when Laila got her assailant’s phone, it was unlocked and she had the presence of mind to change the passcode. I was going to wipe the thing clean but—”

  “Get to the point.” He had a safe house to find pronto.

  “I browsed the phone while we were filling up. This guy was Tierra Caliente, and you won’t like how they’re communicating.”

  Zy froze. He had a terrible notion where this conversation was going. “Don’t say it.”

  “I don’t want to, but I have to, man. They’re using Abuzz.”

  He groaned. “Fuck.”

  “You have to call your dad.”

  And tell him that a cartel was using his platform—one of the fastest-growing social media apps in the world—to help them do their dirty work?

  “Why? I don’t owe the bastard anything.” But that was a knee-jerk reaction, and Zy knew it as soon as he spewed the words.

  Trees sighed. “I know, but people are using his platform to coordinate illegal activities and violence.”

  Which was very clearly against Abuzz’s terms of service. That should absolutely infuriate his father. Phillip Garrett was all about being a good global citizen, especially when that meant protecting his multibillion-dollar baby. The man had proven over and over that he cared more about Abuzz than pretty much anything…

  On the other hand, people were being hurt because of this bullshit. If the cartel’s communication was flying under the radar of the platform’s bots and monitors, Zy knew he’d have to reach out and make sure his father stopped it.

  Fuck.

  “What do you think are the odds that my dad will respond to a text?”

  “And not call you in the first two minutes to ask a million questions, then chew your ass out for taking a perilous job blowing up shit, rather than the cushy executive desk he wanted to give you?” Trees snorted.

  The thought gave Zy hives. “I was afraid of that.”

  Why did his dad have to be a sharp, tech savvy, fucking brilliant businessman?

  “I wish I had a better answer for you, but… Sorry, man.”

  Trees meant well and he was trying to help. “It is what it is. You did me a solid by telling me. If we can shut down this line of the cartel’s communications, they should have a more difficult time finding Valeria.”

  “Exactly. When was the last time you guys talked?”

  Zy winced. “Just before I boarded my flight in Qatar. I had him pull some strings to get me on a flight out of the Middle East before I got arrested, and predictably he reamed me out.”

  “You blew up the communications facilities they were constructing.”

  “Because every son of a bitch they hired to help with that endeavor was on the take and—”

  “I know. But the optics of his own son blowing up the facility he was helping to fund to ensure that poor people in rural areas would have reliable means of communicating wasn’t good.”

  “That isn’t what they were doing in that place. They were only going to make the rich richer by building a substandard facility that was a hazard, pocketing the extra cash, then gouging the poor with exorbitant rates for piss-poor service.”

  “Your dad didn’t see it that way.”

  “Whose side are you on?”

  “Do you really have to ask that question? I’m just trying to give you his angle so you’re prepared. How did you two end that last chat? I’m guessing it wasn’t on good terms.”

  “I hung up on him.” And he’d dodged every call since.

  “Well, you need him now. Time to make nice.”

  “Tell you what. Let’s trade jobs. I won’t be tempted to nail Laila, and my dad doesn’t hate you,” he joked.

  Trees laughed. “No can do. The bosses put you in charge. And your dad is afraid of me.”

  He was, and the first time Phillip had met Trees, all big and bad and tattooed, Zy thought his dad was going to piss his pants. “An even better reason for you to talk to him.”

  Trees scoffed. “He won’t even take my call. Man up, dial his digits, and get this shit taken down. When I pull over to get some shut-eye, I’ll send you screenshots so you can be specific with him.”

  “Thanks, man.” Zy hated what he had to do, but he appreciated the information that might help him finish this mission sooner.

  “Just trying to help.”

  He knew. “Stay safe, check in, and keep your dick in your pants.”

  Trees sighed. “The first two? No sweat. The last one… No promises.”

  Zy headed back into the house and frowned. It was still and dark. And when he poked his head into Tessa’s bedroom, she lay in bed wearing a pair of silky blue pajamas with a book open on her chest, fast asleep.

  He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t feeling the effects of a whole night of sex himself. Exhaustion nipped at him, but he pushed it aside. He wasn’t making love to Tessa tonight, and he hated to wake her. And sadly, finding a safe house for Valeria and her son in the next five hours and calling his dad were more pressing than his hungry cock.

  With a sigh, he kissed Tessa softly.

  She sat up with a startled gasp. “What? What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. You fell asleep.”

  “Oh. Sorry. You were on the phone for a while, and—”

  “I totally understand.”

  “You coming to bed?” She propped herself up on her elbows and searched his face.

  Even in the moonlight, she looked tired, dark circles bruising her under eyes. He couldn’t be a selfish bastard tonight. She needed to rest. And he had other priorities.

  Zy shook his head. “I have to head out. That was Trees, and he needs some mission support. It’s urgent. If I get any sleep tonight, it will be late, so I’ll do it at my place. And I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

  “Sure. Be careful and stay safe.”

  Would she be worried if she didn’t care about him? Maybe love him at least a little?

  “I will. Night, baby.” He kissed her softly.

  “Night,” she mumbled, then lay back on the pillow.

  She was asleep again before he even left the room.

  Zy let himself out of the house, locked the door behind him, hopped on his bike, and sped through the chilly night back to the office. It was late, but not obnoxiously so for a call. The instant he set foot in the office again, he flipped on the lights and the coffeemaker, prowled to the conference room, propped his feet on the table, and called Cutter.

  The former EM Security operator, now married to the TV star he’d once protected, answered almost immediately. “Zy?”

  “Yeah. Hey, congrats on your marriage, man.”

  “Thanks. Sometimes I can’t believe my good fortune.”

  No shit. Shealyn West had made People’s most recent Sexiest Woman Alive list, and she’d fallen not for her on-screen movie-star boyfriend but for a regular Joe who wasn’t famous and wasn’t rich. But Cutter was real. Zy really respected her choice since he’d grown up in the land of the plastic.

  “I’m sorry to bug you this late.”

  “It’s not that late for me. I’m in LA. Just arrived a few hours ago.”

  Cutter was starting his new life with his new wife…and he didn’t need the old life dragging him down, but Zy wasn’t sure where else to turn for a quick answer.

  “And I know you must have a million things to do.” Including his gorgeous bride. “So I’ll keep this quick. I need a safe house somewhere around Lafayette. And I need it in the next few hours.”

  “That urgent?”

  “Life-or-death. And I don’t know the area the way you do.”

  Cutter sighed. “I have some thoughts. Gimme ten.”

  “If you can come through, my life won’t be the only one you’re saving.”

  “Want to tell me about it?”

  If he was still a team member, Zy wouldn’t hesitate, but the EM brothers had left him in charge, and he wasn’t going to risk sinking their ship by having loose lips. “I can’t.”

  “Sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Of course you can’t. I’ll get right back to you.”

  The line went dead. Zy barely had time to make a cup of coffee and text Kane to be on standby for further instructions when his phone rang again.

  “That was quick, Bryant.”

  “Like you said, I’m more familiar with the area. So I’ve got two choices for you.”

  “You’re a miracle worker. Lay them on me.”

  “My best friend, Brea—”

  “You mean Walker’s fiancée?”

  “Yeah.” And Cutter didn’t sound thrilled. “Her father has been a widower since Brea was a baby, and he’s finally getting remarried. His girlfriend is willing to give up her home and stay with ‘friends,’ meaning Preacher Bell, for a few weeks.”

  Valeria and her sister would be in hiding for months, maybe even years. But in a pinch, this temporary solution might do. “Tell me about it.”

  “Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, single story. Quiet neighborhood. Nothing flashy about the house. She’s a schoolteacher, been widowed a long time. No children. Almost no one drops by, and she assures me she can handle the few who do.”

  “And second?”

  “My apartment. I didn’t see the point of breaking my lease when it was half over. It’s not far from your place, so you can keep a discreet eye on them. Plus, a Lafayette SWAT member and his wife, a homicide detective, moved downstairs from me a few months back. Not much slips past them.”

  “You got the two-bed, two-bath unit with the balcony?”

  “Yep. They’re welcome to take the desk out of the spare room and set it up as a bedroom.”

  Zy weighed his options and made a quick, gut-level decision, not that he informed Cutter. No reason to tell him anything that could drag him into this cartel shit. “Where could I find the key to either place?”

  “How about I call Brea and have her give both keys to Walker. Hell, they’re probably together anyway. Connect with him, and he’ll hook you up.”

  “Thanks, man. I owe you.”

  “You don’t. You and the team have helped me and Shealyn out so much, not to mention the fact her sister told me you and Trees were mighty instrumental in getting them out of that shit with the crazy cult.”

  “Maggie is being nice. We just hung around and made sure nothing went south.”

  Cutter scoffed. “Maggie is never just nice. Between you and me, I got the sister with the sweeter disposition. Maggie is Josiah’s problem now.”

  Maggie was every bit as beautiful as her sister, and Zy was pretty sure Josiah welcomed the challenge of taming his bride-to-be. “That, she is. But seriously, if I can ever do anything to help you or your wife…”

  “I’ll holler. And if you find yourself out in crazy California, call me.”

  “Are you going to be okay in LaLa Land? I mean, earthquakes, fires, mudslides, and murders. Hell of a recommendation.”

  “Yeah.” Cutter sounded like he knew he needed to have his sanity checked, then he laughed. “When you put it like that…”

  Zy joined in. “Holler when you’re back in town. The team will want to see you, and we’ll grab a beer.”

  “I’ll be there for Brea and Walker’s wedding on Valentine’s Day—unless she comes to her senses and tells him to take a hike.”

  Not likely. “When’s that baby due again?”

  “Thanks for the reminder. I’ve got two words for you. They start with an F and end with an off.”

  They chuckled before they hung up. Then Zy made a quick call to Kane to verify that they were still on the road and still planning to arrive tonight, probably about three a.m. That gave him just under four hours remaining to grab the keys, scope the place out, put a few groceries in it so they wouldn’t have to venture out where anyone who might be in the cartel’s pocket could see them, then hand everything over to Kane. He’d deal with Trees and his attraction to Laila later.

  After he made the dreaded phone call to his father. Fuck, he’d almost rather cut off an arm. But lives were on the line, and that was way more important than all the grief he had with his dad.

  Sighing, he found the contact and hit the button.

  “Chase? Is it really you?”

  Ugh, he hated being called by his given name. It reminded him of his childhood and all the crap he’d been through. Sad when the first-world problems of his upper-class upbringing seemed every bit as bad as life in a war zone. “Yeah. It’s me. I need to talk to you.”

  “Oh, now? After you’ve declined every one of my phone calls for…what? Eleven months?”

  “I had nothing to say.”

  “Well, maybe I did. Starting with your juvenile stunt with the C4 in—”

  “Next time, hire people on the straight and narrow. Your ‘business manager’ was actively looking for cheap, in other words substandard, products so he could keep the difference. After paying all the appropriate officials to keep his shit on the down low and sharing the extra cash with his buddies, of course. The place would have crumbled sooner rather than later, and I did you a favor by taking it down before people died inside the building. You’re welcome. But I didn’t call to hash out ancient history.”

  “Fuck, how did I raise such an arrogant prick?”

  I learned from the best. “Tell me I’m wrong. If you can do it with a straight face and a clean conscience, I’ll take it down a notch.”

  “It wasn’t your judgment to make. You might have tried calling me first to tell me—”

  “Oh, I did. But you were always just a little too busy to listen to my concerns. What was her name, by the way? I’ll bet she was younger than me.”

  “Chase Phillip Garrett, shut your fucking mouth. You don’t talk to me that way.”

  “Sorry, Dad. That worked when I was fourteen. Not so much anymore. Do you want to know why I called or do you just want to yell at me?”

  “Your mother and I are getting divorced. We’re announcing it Monday.”

  About damn time, but… “How many pretty pennies will that cost you?”

  “Worried about your inheritance?”

  Zy scoffed. “Nope. I’m doing just fine on my own. I’m not remotely interested in your money.”