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funded Wilde Security had no problem jumping knee-deep into it. He often wondered if Quentin got
off on danger. Why else would the man stay in the shadowy world of mercs and dirty wars? If Vaughn
was worth billions, he sure as fuck wouldn t be running around playing mercenary.
Or, no, that was probably a lie. He could see the appeal since he got off on danger, too just not
the kind of danger that hurt his brothers. And he was an ass for mentally bashing the guy who had
provided him transpo back to DC.
You look like shit, Marcus said as they walked toward a car waiting by the hangar. You okay?
One of the most brutal mafia bosses in recent history is holding my brother hostage. You think I m
okay?
Yeah, stupid question. Marcus winced and opened the driver s side door, but he paused before
climbing in and gazed out over the top of the car. But, Vaughn? His expression turned as serious as
Vaughn had ever seen it. Marcus was usually a joker, a laid-back, go-with-the-flow type of guy with
an affinity for fedoras and an inclination toward surfer-speak but in that moment, Vaughn saw a core
of steel, the warrior he hid so well behind a panty-dropping smile. We re going to take Bellisario
down.
Vaughn studied him. You have history.
He shook his head slightly and climbed into the car. You could say that.
Forty torturous minutes later, Marcus steered the rental car into the parking lot of the strip mall that
contained Wilde Security. Reece had bought the old mall on the cheap several years ago because
well, Vaughn was pretty sure his second oldest brother was a genius when it came to making money.
Reece had seen the flood of young professionals and budding families pushing eastward looking for
cheaper rent, knew the influx of money would clean up the formerly rough area, and now the brothers
owned a prime piece of real estate.
But while the Wilde Security office and the empty stores surrounding it were no longer boarded up
and covered with graffiti, the building was still the lone shabby holdout among a gaggle of shiny new
shopping centers and apartment complexes. Reece was doing his best to rehab the old stores into
rentable spaces, starting with the space directly next door to their office, which had recently opened
as a coffee shop owned and operated by Reece s wife, Shelby.
The shop was currently doing a steady stream of business which was great, except that it left
parking at a premium.
Marcus whistled as they cruised the lot, looking for a space. You guys have made some big
improvements since the last time I was here.
Yeah, that s Shelby s new place. The Bean Gallery.
Looks like she does good business.
She does. She has a head for it. Looking back, it wasn t such a stretch that the vibrant splash of
color that was Shelby Bremer had ended up with uptight, repressed Reece. They were at opposite
ends of the spectrum, the two of them, but it was the same spectrum. They both had an eye for
business and a talent for making money, and they were both total nerds.
Vaughn grumbled, impatient as they circled the lot again. This parking situation is getting
annoying, though. Cam s been telling us we need to put signs up to reserve our spaces. It was
supposed to be a casual remark, just small talk, but saying his twin s name sent a spear of agony
through him.
Jesus, he hoped Cam was holding up.
Hey, we ll get him back, Marcus said and finally snagged a spot directly in front of The Bean
Gallery.
As Vaughn climbed out of the car, he caught sight of Shelby through the front window her hair
was bright pink this week, so she wasn t hard to miss. She stood behind the espresso machine fixing a
drink, but when she spotted him, she passed the task to one of her baristas. She flew across the shop,
shoved open the door.
Vaughn! She threw her arms around him and squeezed hard enough that his bruised ribs
protested. Oh, God. We re going crazy here. Reece told me to keep working like everything was
normal, but I can t Her voice cracked, and she squeezed him again. Libby s sick with worry,
which can t be good for the baby. Eva s scared out of her mind which, you know her, means she s
pissed off at everybody. Reece and Jude have had a hell of a time talking her down from launching a
full scale assault.
Yeah, that sounded like Eva.
Vaughn gave himself a second to hug his sister-in-law, to draw strength from his family. Then he set
her back at arm s length and met her gaze. Shel, listen. Reece is right. We re probably being
watched so you should carry on as if nothing
Uh-uh. She shrugged away from him and held up a finger, pushing it into his face as if daring him
to argue. I ve made up my mind. I m closing down for the rest of the day. I ve already told the
customers we have a family emergency. Seriously, how can you guys expect me to pretend everything
is a-okay when Cam s in trouble? He s my family now, too, and I love him just as much as you do.
She nodded, a gesture that very much tacked on a so there to the end of her sentence, then marched
back into the coffee shop, pink ponytail swinging.
Marcus snorted. Man. I like her. You Wilde boys sure know how to pick them.
Yeah, all of his sisters-in-law were pretty great. His brothers had good taste. Him, not so much. Of
course he d be the one to go and fall for the selfish femme fatale-type.
Jesus. The more he thought about how Dahlia had threatened him with his own weapon, how she d
run when he d most needed her help, the more pissed off he became.
Yeah. He sure knew how to pick them.
He strode into Wilde Security and found Eva pacing laps around the three desks lined up in the
main part of the office. She was pale and looked shocky to his trained eye. She kept rubbing the band
of her wedding ring like it was a magic lamp, but no genie was going to pop out to solve their
problem. Reece sat at Vaughn s desk, frantically typing on a laptop. Jude bounced back and forth
between keeping Eva calm and comforting his wife Libby, who sat behind his desk and looked as if
she had been crying for hours. Apparently fear and pregnancy hormones made for a volatile mix.
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