“Why don’t I show you instead? And Colt, stay cool.” I saw his whole demeanor change with that warning. It was the first hint I’d given him that this might involve him, fuck. “Give me a minute.”
I walked back over to the boys and pulled Lo aside. “I need a solid brother, there’s going to be a lot of heat in that room in about five minutes. I know Colt, and I’m thinking of everyone involved he might be our loose canon.”
“How so?” He looked over to where the big guy was being introduced around and it hit me that he was the oldest one here though you couldn’t tell from his appearance, fucker never changes. Must be that young wife and the battalion of kids he had.
“You and I, we were trained, there’s a point that we can be pulled back from. Lyon doesn’t have that and I’m thinking when he sees his little girl’s face on that screen all hell’s gonna break loose.
I’m barely holding Creed back but that leash is about to pop, and your boy Ty isn’t far behind. At least with him he knows what he’s looking for, those two don’t, we have more questions there than answers.”
“And you?” I knew he was gonna get around to asking sooner or later. My grin was what you might call menacing. “I’m holding my shit down for now, but you best believe the shit’s gonna get ugly. I need to take care of my boys first though, Dana Sue is safe, let’s make sure these other women are.”
“Still looking out for everyone huh soldier.” We walked back to where the others were exchanging small talk even though the atmosphere was rife with tension. “It’s what I do.”
“Follow me.” We headed for the clubhouse and filed into the back room where the shit from last night was still hooked up. The SEALs lined one wall; only Lo took a seat, along with Lyon, Creed and me. While my men, Creed’s and Lyon’s held up the other three walls.
“Okay Lyon, the rest of us have had time to look at this shit in the last day or so. I’m gonna show you what we’ve got and then we’re gonna decide what to do next. As it stands we have more questions than answers…”
“Bro, you’re starting to make me nervous, I don’t like being nervous, just tell me what the fuck…” I passed the album off to him and waited.
I saw his brow furrow as he paged through and felt my muscles tense when he came to the page I knew his kid was on. “Caitie Bear? What the fuck is this? Who the fuck are these kids?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”
“Start fucking talking.” He looked around the table at all of us, his face set in stone. “Lo?” I turned to the man who’d sent me the book.
“Right. The book you’re holding in your hand was confiscated from the home of a man we suspect is guilty of human trafficking among other things…”
The fucker flew out his seat and headed for the door. Everyone in the room got to their feet because that’s what the fuck you do when confronted with a dangerous animal on the loose.
“Where the fuck is he?”
“We don’t know, that’s what we’re trying to find out, but I’m afraid this shit is bigger than we thought and it stretches far and wide.”
“I need five.” He pulled his phone and walked out of the room, with his boy Jared on his heels. “We wait.” I told the others as we took our seats. Hopefully whatever call he was making would give him time to cool the fuck down so he didn’t destroy my place with his shit. Fuck!
***
Lyon
“Kat.” I tried to calm my voice so I didn’t spook her, my girl spooks easily especially when it comes to me, and the kids. “Baby, I need you to go get the kids from school.”
My heart all but raced out of my chest because I wasn’t fucking there. I needed to be there to make sure my little girl was safe, but since I couldn’t be this was the next best thing.
“What why, they still have a few hours left.” I bit back the anger that was no fault of hers. Now was not the time to lose my shit, and she was not the one, never her.
“Kat, angel, I love you, now do as I say. I need you to go get the kids from school.” She’d know that me repeating the statement in that calm tone meant not to fucking question me and just do as I say.
“Okay um Colt, is everything okay?” I heard the strain in her voice and bit down hard. I’d promised her that she’d never know another day of worry and I mean to keep that fucking promise if I have to kill off half the fucks in the known world.