The Executioner (Professionals 10)

“Yeah,” I agreed. “I think a week or so away from this place is going to drive her crazy, though. So she will come back energized and ready to work.”

“True,” Quin agreed. “Have you given thought to her family?”

“Nia’s?” I asked.

“Shawn’s,” Quin clarified. “She has an aunt and uncle and cousin from what I can tell. I can’t find anything about her parents or any siblings. But they are going to realize she is gone.”

“And they could be used to bait her to come out of hiding,” I added.

“Exactly,” he agreed.

“Could we protect them?”

“I can ask Smith to put some time into that since he doesn’t have any cases. But private security isn’t usually our thing. That’s why we always had…”

Ranger.

That was why we’d had Ranger.

The recluse who lived illegally deep in the goddamn Pine Barrens. We’d sent clients there when they were in serious trouble, and needed to be hidden away while the team handled their problems.

He’d moved to a different place, legally, since then.

But the cottage still existed.

“We can’t shuffle the Saeed family into the woods,” Quin said, misinterpreting whatever look must have been on my face.

“No, of course not.”

“I guess we could hire out the work. The Rivers do private personal security. We could get them on this job. Without even telling the Saeed family if that isn’t the route Shawn wants to go. Which I imagine it is since I doubt they know she’d shot the man.”

Their dynamic seemed affectionate, but not super close.

Another piece of the mysterious Shawn Saeed puzzle.

I was going to figure out where all the pieces went someday, see the whole picture.

But I had to keep my mind on the task at hand now.

“There’s no way they know she did it. And I don’t think she would want them to know.”

“Okay. So security from afar,” Quin said, nodding. “Luckily enough, you don’t have anyone we need to protect. Aside from us, but we barely count since you don’t officially work here. No one is tracing you here.”

Which was good.

I might not have had any family left, but I’d come to think of my coworkers as relatives in a way. They were the closest thing I had to it. It would kill me to think anything had happened to one of my teammates or their kids because of some mess I found myself in.

“When we get a location for her…” I started, letting the words hang, trying to see where the boss man’s head was at.

“It would make our lives easier if you were hiding out together,” Quin said.

The relief that moved through me was unexpected and all-consuming.

And I was going to go ahead and let myself believe it was because I was one of the best options we had to protect her.

Nothing else.

Nothing else would make any sort of rational sense.

“I know she is going to hate it, but you’ll just have to bring her somewhere that makes it easy to keep her close.”

Oh, I planned to keep her close, alright.

Maybe I would finally get her out of my system then. A couple more rounds and I could move on, stop thinking about her.

That was the plan.

“I can do that.”

“If anyone can, it’s you. But this time, Bells, I need to be in the fucking loop, okay?” Quin demanded. “In fact, I will want a daily check-in. And if I don’t get it, expect someone from the team heading your way. Probably Holden since he wouldn’t mind kicking your ass.”

“Aw, come on, boss man. Everyone on the team wouldn’t mind kicking my ass,” I said, shooting him a smile when he sighed and shook his head. “I will check in,” I told him, understanding how serious it was.

I might have been a bit flip most of the time, more concerned with having a good time than taking anything seriously, but I knew when something was important, when I needed to be smart and practical.

I mean, I wouldn’t have been able to not only keep, but grow, the family fortune if I was a complete idiot who shirked all responsibilities.

When given the choice, I chose light and easy.

But I could do dark and hard if the occasion called for it.

I just didn’t like what it did to me when I had to do it.

“And, Bells, if shit is looking like it is going sideways, I need to know it. Immediately. Don’t try to be a hero. We have more of a chance of the two of you making it out of this alive if you keep me informed.”

“What happens while we are in hiding?” I asked.

“We try to figure out how to take out Adams without you.”

“That’s not your thing. That’s why you hired me.”

“It’s not normally my thing,” Quin agreed. “But every one of us here is capable and willing to do what needs to be done when one of ours is being threatened. Besides, Holden is always looking for an outlet for his… issues,” Quin said, choosing his words carefully, knowing I myself had certain issues that weren’t dissimilar to those Holden had, and that I also had outlets for it.