My eyes move to Thea, and I can’t help but smile fondly at elements of Chase that I see within her. She has his hazel eyes, her mother’s golden-brown skin, and the cutest braided locs with bows at the top. How in the hell Claire managed bows in her hair when I know they were scrambling to get out of the house after my call is beyond me, but she is the most adorable kid I’ve ever seen.
And yes, I’m biased.
It’s why, as I vaguely listen to Jessica engage my father in conversation for the first time, I open my arms to Thea. She launches at me, and I swing her into my embrace as she says, “Uncle Dozer… Gigi said you came for a surprise visit.”
My heart squeezes with warmth and love that runs as deep as my bone marrow. She wraps her little arms around my neck in a stranglehold that I would never dare break.
Pressing a kiss to her cheek, I lean my head back so I can look her in the eye. “I just had to come see my very best girl. You good?”
She nods and grins. My eyes widen in surprise. “You lost a tooth?”
She grins bigger, and that gap in the front notches up her cuteness about a thousand levels.
Without setting Thea down, I turn to Claire and pull her into a side hug. She’s been very much a surrogate mother to me since my mom died. Jess, Chase, and I spent a good deal of time in her home while we were in college.
I glance down at her, and I can see obvious worry in the lines on her face. It’s a silent plea for me to fill her in on everything. “We’ll talk soon,” I promise, not willing to say a single thing in front of Thea so she stays out of this ugliness. She has no clue who Ivan Borovsky is, nor do I want her to.
Claire nods in understanding.
Half an hour ago, I shot a man in the leg and more will be coming for Jess. But for now, my girls are safe.
My dad ushers us inside his home, which is jaw-droppingly stunning. I haven’t been to see him since he moved here, and he promises us a tour when we’re done. The men from the porch have melted away, but I know they’re around. Probably patrolling the perimeter until my dad gets the scoop on the present threats.
You’d think he had grandkids he dotes on as he’s a pro at getting Thea settled into his theater room. Arming her with the remote control to Disney+ and a bucket of popcorn from an authentic movie theater-style popper, he promises her she can go swimming in his pool after the grown-ups talk. She’s more than thrilled with that, and we step across the hallway to my father’s office.
Claire only knows a little of what’s going on, and my dad knows next to nothing about Jess’s history with Ivan Borovsky, so I fill him in, top to bottom.
When I tell them about the two Russians, one of whom I had to shoot, Claire’s hand flies to her mouth as she gasps. This isn’t just a hypothetical threat. My father’s eyes darken with worry.
“Will the cops be looking into this shooting?” he asks.
It’s not a question I begrudge him, because what I did falls into the gray area of self-defense. Still, I shake my head. “I doubt it. Those men probably have rap sheets a mile long and got the hell out of there before cops could show up. Assuming they were even called.”
“What’s the play, then?” he asks.
“I have to get Jameson involved. They’ll have contacts within the police who will be on a manhunt for Borovsky, and we have to keep Jess, Thea, and Claire safe until he’s caught.”
“They can stay here,” my dad says without hesitation.
I shake my head. “I think it’s better if we leave Florida.”
My dad looks offended. “I’ve got men here to protect all of you.”
“I’ve got a slew of Special Forces–trained agents to protect them in Pittsburgh.”
Tipping his head in acknowledgment that I’ve got more badass people than he does, my father asks, “When will you leave?”
“In the morning, if that’s okay. I need to call my people at Jameson to see what they’ve uncovered so far. I have to make sure there’s no BOLO for me or the Suburban after I shot that guy. As long as I can get out of here safely, we’ll fly out in the morning.”
“And you want Thea and I to go too?” Claire asks with uncertainty.
I turn to her and pull her into my side. “I’m taking all my girls. We stick together until this is over.”
“But what if he’s not caught?” Jess asks, the first time she’s piped up since we entered the house.