Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39473 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39473 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
I wasn’t expecting an answer since that wasn’t how it worked when he was on a big case. Not knowing where the most important person in my life was or how much danger he was in was hard, but I didn’t begrudge Tripp the opportunities he’d been given lately. Not after he’d turned so many down to make sure he stayed involved in my life growing up.
He’d been twenty-two to my ten when our parents died, but he had never once made me feel like I was on my own. Our aunt had taken me in, but Tripp was the one who showed up for every milestone. He’d been my rock when everything fell apart, and he still was.
“Same old, same old. You know how it is.”
There was a loud noise in the background as he replied, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. Maybe the roar of engines. “Are you at a car show or something? It sounds really loud there.”
Before he could answer, a deep voice spoke near him, the words muffled but the timbre unmistakably masculine and commanding.
Tripp sounded distracted when he murmured, “Listen, I’ve gotta go, baby sis. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
After the call ended, I stood there for a moment, a small furrow forming between my brows. The way he’d cut the call short wasn’t normal for my brother, and I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of assignment he was on. Unfortunately, I’d probably never know. And now wasn’t the right time to wonder since I had two adorable kids waiting for me.
I slipped my phone into my pocket, pushing the unsettled feeling aside for now, completely unaware of how my personal life was about to collide with his professional one.
4
BLITZ
The ride to the beach park with Kylan and Mylo was filled with the usual chaos of having two energetic toddlers in the back seat. Kylan was singing something that vaguely resembled the alphabet but contained at least three dinosaur noises and what sounded suspiciously like a race-car engine. Beside him, Mylo kept interrupting every few seconds to loudly insist that his version was better.
It was complete nonsense, and I chuckled as I glanced in the rearview mirror. “That’s not how the alphabet goes, buddy.”
Kylan immediately pointed an accusing finger at Mylo. “He did it.”
Mylo gasped like he’d just been framed for murder. “Did not!”
“Did too.”
“Did not!”
“Did too.”
“Okay, boys. It doesn’t matter who started it. Let’s just talk about something else.”
Kylan launched into trying his best to explain why dinosaurs absolutely could drive race cars, while Mylo passionately disagreed, insisting that trucks were the only logical vehicles for prehistoric creatures. They went back and forth with impressive tenacity, each one determined to out-talk the other, as though the fate of the world hinged on the outcome of their debate.
I glanced in the rearview mirror again and felt a smile tugging at my mouth as I watched them. It was funny how quickly I’d adapted to these types of conversations. When Kane and Axle had first become fathers, I hadn’t imagined moments like this becoming a regular part of our lives. Yet somehow, they had.
The Kings were lethal, dangerous men, but the kids saw us as nothing more than their personal protectors and playmates. And we were fine with that. Hell, we thrived on it.
It would shock the shit out of anyone who knew our reputation to find out that a couple of crocodile tears from a tiny little human in a tutu would have any one of us wearing a tiara at an imaginary tea party to make it stop.
Adjusting my hands on the wheel, I took a deep breath, shifting my thoughts to the purpose behind today’s trip. It had been a week since Kane had given me permission to handle Tripp, and I’d spent nearly every moment since then carefully planning and reconsidering my next move. Aubrey’s dossier provided the initial information I needed, showing that she was a college student and a nanny with a predictable routine. Without telling Jax why, I quietly asked him to pull surveillance feeds and phone data for the previous month, so I could pinpoint exactly where and when I could approach her without raising suspicion.
The information had come back quickly. Twice a week after school, she took the kids she cared for to a quiet beach park. Aubrey would have no reason to suspect my approach because she had no clue about her brother’s undercover assignment. She was entirely unaware of what Tripp had done or the betrayal he had committed against the Kings, and that innocence made her an easy target for my revenge.
But over the past few days, the plan I’d initially been so certain of began to sour in my gut. I’d spent hours looking over Aubrey’s photo, trying to convince myself of the righteousness of my intention, but the more I stared at her face, the harder it became to justify it.