Beloved by Brothers (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 6)

“He is?” she asked.

“You just blew Strange’s cover, Sheriff,” Black said with a laugh. “No worries. I think your girl can be trusted.”

“She can, but I’m not so sure about my brothers,” he teased.

“I know how to keep a secret,” Mitchell shot back, smiling.

“And of course I do,” Lucas added.

“That’s very good to know.” Black rubbed his chin. Was he thinking about recruiting them? “When Dylan sought me out after Kip’s ex, Megan, came to Destiny to try to locate the prison Kip was in, I gave Dylan the file but redacted Shane’s name from it. The CIA has a strict need-to-know practice, and I didn’t believe Dylan met the requirement at that time.”

“Why three years?” Phoebe felt the weight of all the time she’d lost with Shane and with the Wolfe brothers in the center of her chest.

“That was what Shane wanted. He was only supposed to stay undercover for six months. Your brother stopped a terrorist plot that would’ve taken out ten thousand or more innocent lives. Kip was involved, though we never were able to prove it.”

“He’s a slippery bastard,” Jason said.

“That he is, Sheriff. I was ready to extract Shane from the prison, but he had gotten wind of more things Kip was doing. Shane convinced me to leave him in. You have no idea how many lives have been saved because of Shane Blue.”

“He’s a fucking hero,” Jason said in a tone of awe.

“Yes, he is.” Black nodded. “Back then, Lunceford’s network was even more extensive than it is now.”

“With five million in diamonds, he’s going to be able to rebuild fast,” Mitchell said.

“Yes. And with Mitrofanov’s only living son on his team, it’s going to be hard to bring him down. Shane and I were trying to get to the diamonds, believing it would lead to Lunceford. Our plan didn’t work.”

Lucas leaned forward. “Shane wanted to be captured by Mitrofanov?”

“That’s right. He had one of the best tracking devices the Agency has in the heel of his boot. When I couldn’t locate him, I activated it. That’s how I found him and you.”

Carrying food, Corey and Josh walked into the room.

The doctor came in right behind them. “Everything went perfectly. Shane is goin

g to be fine.”

Chapter Seventeen

Phoebe saw Shane’s eyes open for the first time since the warehouse disaster. “Mom, wake up. Shane’s coming to.”

Her mom and her dads had arrived in Chicago late the night before. They’d all stayed by Shane’s beside, too worried to leave him alone.

Phoebe watched as her mom jumped from the recliner next to her and moved to Shane’s hospital bed. Her dads and Corey stood on the opposite side.

“You’re going to be okay, sweetheart,” her mom said. “Shane, the doctors say you are just fine.”

“Mom?” He blinked several times, clearly trying to focus his vision.

“I’m here.”

Dad Curtis touched him lightly on the shoulder. “Son, your brother and sister are here, too, and so are Dad Eddie and me.”

“What happened?” he asked.

Phoebe leaned in. “You were shot trying to protect Jason, Shane. Do you remember the warehouse and Mitrofanov and his men?”

“Yes, it’s coming to me now.”