“For you, maybe.”
“Boss, you want the dossiers?” a woman called from the SUV.
Holt shook his head. “I’ve got them on my phone.” Whatever pain had been in his voice before disappeared as he pulled a cell out of his jeans. “I’ve got reports on Ian Kemper, August Ernst, and Kenny Chambers. I’ve been doing a deep dive into Howard Kemper and who he spent time with in prison. I want to check a few people out.” He glanced at Hayes. “I sent everything to your email.”
Hayes scanned the email on his phone. “This is great. Way more than I’ve gotten so far.”
Holt sent him a mischievous grin. “It helps when you can bend the rules a bit.”
“I didn’t hear that,” Hayes said as he continued reading.
Holt scrolled through the report on his phone. “None of these guys are good dudes. I’m glad you’ll have tighter security here and two of my guys shadowing you—”
“Shadowing me?” Shiloh stiffened at my side.
Holt looked up. “I told Beck that I recommended a security detail until you found out who was behind this.”
Shiloh glared at her brother. “And I toldhimthat I’ve felt like a prisoner for too long already. I’m not going to have strangers following me around everywhere I go.”
“Be reasonable,” Beckett argued.
Her eyes narrowed. “How about you try listening? I’ve made it clear how I feel about this, Beck. I’m done living like I’m still a prisoner in that damn shed. I told you why I felt that way, but you didn’t listen. You just did whatever you damn well pleased. But here’s the thing, they needmypermission to guard me because I’m a grown adult—”
“I know you are.”
“Do you?” Shiloh pushed. She let out a breath, but I could feel her trembling next to me. It wasn’t fear. It was anger. “Then trust me to know what’s best for myself. I’m not a little kid anymore.”
Beckett ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the strands. “I’m sorry. I just…it would kill me if anything happened to you.”
His voice cracked on the words, and it was all he needed to melt Shiloh’s anger. She strode towards her brother and wrapped him in a hug. “Something could happen to any of us at any time, but we can’t stop living because of it. I’ll be as careful as I can be without caging myself. I promise.”
Beckett pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Okay.”
Holt glanced over his shoulder at the four people who had obviously been intended as Shiloh’s security detail. “Let me regroup and come up with a new plan. We’ll figure this out.”
Shiloh stepped back towards me. “Thanks, Holt.”
“No problem.” He grinned at her. “It’s good to see your fire.”
Shiloh’s cheeks reddened. “It’s been nice to find it again.”
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. I was so damn proud of her for speaking her mind and holding her ground. I pressed a kiss to her temple. “I have an idea.”
She looked up at me. “Please, tell me it’s not one of those chips that will tell you my location at all times.”
I barked out a laugh. “No, but that’s not a bad thought.”
Shiloh smacked my stomach.
“How about we have your family over for a barbeque this afternoon? It might ease everyone’s mind to check out the new security and see that you’re handling all of this like a champ.”
Shiloh’s ice-blue eyes widened. “Ramsey…”
I pulled her tighter against me. “I think it’ll help.” It was the last thing I wanted—more people I didn’t really know swarming my home—but I’d do it. For Shiloh.
30
SHILOH