11

Friday night, I was back in Chicago and to work. Of all the reports that came across my desk, one caught my eye that I wanted to check out myself because of the potential backlash if something was really there.

Or more so if it was a trap.

Which I was always paranoid enough to consider… But it was only being paranoid if I was wrong, and most times I wasn't.

I arranged for us to meet the next morning at a popular breakfast spot in Naperville and promised I wouldn't look like me so it wouldn't be a problem. I saw him when he walked in and walked right up to him and hugged him like we were old friends, kissing his cheek and asking how his family was before telling the hostess my party had arrived.

She seated us right away and left us with menus.

"I would never have thought it was you," he muttered, staring at me as I looked over my options.

"That's kind of the point," I chuckled. "My security is here throughout the restaurant as well, and you won't recognize them either. So know if this is a setup—"

"It's not. I swear it's not, and I appreciate you going through all of this to keep me safe," he muttered, scratching his cheek.

Carter nodded from where I could see him at the table catty-corner from me. Whatever was going on was legit. He was sitting with Eva who had demanded to come and help with more "fun spy work."

Whatever made the ancient wolf amused when she visited.

"So tell me what you think is going on," I told him when he didn't say anything for a few minutes. I held him off and smiled, our server approaching us. At the last second, I remembered to order like a human and not draw attention. "Hi, I'll have the strawberry crepes with a side of crispy bacon and an iced caramel latte with soy milk if you have it?"

"We don't, sorry," she said as she wrote it down. "Only whole, skim, or 2%."

"2% is fine, thanks."

He hurried to order and we handed over our menus. He cleared his throat and let out a sigh. "Something fishy is going on with a trailer park in DeKalb. Where I work."

I studied the guy, realizing he was pretty young, maybe not a rookie, but in his second year maybe. "Keep calm and just tell me what's what. We'll keep you safe."

His eyes were full of worry. "Something shady is going on. For real. I wouldn't just reach out if it was small and risk blowing up my life for stupid."

"Yeah, I got that, so tell me and let me figure it out so you can sleep at night," I said gently, seeing the signs of sleep deprivation. "And if we need to get you out, we will." I nodded that I wasn't kidding. "You're not the first cop the FBI has pulled out when shit hits the fan. It's normally how some of us get into Quantico. So let's just start with what you know."

That settled him a bit.

And what he knew wasn't good.

Basically, there was a trailer park doing shady shit that was being covered up by the police department. Maybe not the chief of police, but people higher up enough to make things go away.

First, he'd been called out for an eviction and he thought to remove people, but it was the people being evicted who called saying that it was illegal and all against the law especially since their kids had stolen everything. That didn't make any sense, but the guy who was there with the trailer park smoothed it over saying people said anything to blame others for their mistakes.

But when he'd wanted to follow up, he'd been told to let it go. Not just whatever or he was wasting his time, but to drop it.

And that raised his hackles even as a newbie. Why care if he looked into the claims of the older couple who called for them to say the eviction was illegal? Wasn't that their job? Now they were homeless without anything and left at a shelter that didn't have enough damn beds.

Next, it was a woman who came to file a police report against her kid for elder abuse for stealing her money and sticking her in a trailer park. She wasn't old enough for elder abuse, but there were extenuating circumstances since she had signs of early-onset dementia. That could make things tricky and she admitted as much, but she was having a clear day and needed help.

But then it was taken from him, mid-report, and he was sent on a nothing call to direct traffic like it was a gunshot emergency. It was weird, and when he asked about the woman later, no one had answers and acted like he was talking about a damn ghost. No one knew her. She wasn't on the log anymore.

Nothing.

Same with another call he'd heard about from that trailer park that he wasn't sent on, but it had disappeared from the records that night. Not on the logs. The unit who responded to the call didn't write it up—and he checked.

Again… Nothing.

Three strikes and he wanted it checked out for real. Something was going on at that trailer park, and his gut told him it was bad, bad things.

He had finished up right before our food arrived and I gave him a few minutes to enjoy it before getting back to the topic. "What do you think is going on?"

He swallowed his next bite loudly. "I think someone high up in the department is taking a kickback to look the other way as the owner of the trailer park is illegally kicking people out. Trailer parks are worse than HOAs because they own the land under the trailers. They can put liens on the houses for not following the rules and some court bullshit, and the house is then theirs as well.

"It's a good way to screw over the elderly and take houses that they can turn around and sell or rent. Or that lady who had dementia and had bad days. She's done for on the street, and who will fight for her? They didn't even stick her in an old person's home. She's not old yet, not of the age yet. They intentionally lost her so she'll just be seen as some crazy homeless woman."

I nodded. "Yeah, the crazy homeless are so much easier to sell and blame for everything instead of the truth that we tend to fail them as a society and let shit like this happen." I snorted. "The number of veterans we toss after…" I just shook my head and focused back on my breakfast. "You get the name of the guy who smoothed things over at the trailer park?"

He lifted his head, and I saw the annoyance in his eyes bubbling. "No, and he was very careful not to give it to me when I asked. I don't think that was just the situation being crazy."

"No, I don't think it was either. I bet you also looked up who owns that trailer park and couldn't find much."

"No, I couldn't, but the FBI could."

"We could." I took a few more bites and finished, wishing I could eat about ten more plates. "This goes down and people will know it was you. There's no way around that if they're on the take and you're the newbie. So let's be honest about your options."

"I'd like that," he mumbled.

"You interested in CPD?"

"Not particularly," he admitted. He sighed when I raised an eyebrow. "That's a lot of cooks in the kitchen, for too many bosses, and a lot of politics. Years on patrol to have to play nice to the wrong people to get anywhere to do anything. I wanted to get to know the community better which is why I picked a smaller area."

"Fair. So it's not family there?"

"No, no real family," he admitted. "Toxic stepdad in another state that I'd rather forget ever existed."

"Fair enough. Well, getting you into another PD that's clean when you're flexible isn't a problem. If you're interested in a Quantico recommendation, that's another thing, and you'd need to show some promise."

"I thought about trying to become one of their tech guys," he admitted after a few more bites to finish his meal. "I'm not built for undercover, and I don't think—I'd like to know more about what the techs handle. That always interested me."

"I can get you an intro and a shadow day with one of my guys, and if he thinks you have potential, that will get a long way with a recommendation. Quantico is no joke. You wash out and we'll help you place at another PD, not just roadkill."

"You're way more decent than people say."

"Shocker that people are judgmental assholes," I drawled.

I slipped him a clean phone to keep only at home in case he needed it and so I could get him for information if I needed it. I didn't want to keep calling him on the phone he carried with him.

Not when we were dealing with dirty cops he worked with.

I asked the rest of the information we needed knowing someone listening was taking it down, and I wasn't writing notes in case someone was watching him. That sounded paranoid… But I'd seen worse.

We finished and I paid the bill, acting like I was a relative as I said goodbye to him before making my way to the back of the parking lot to meet up with the others.

"First of all, we're coming back for more food," I told the others as they joined us.

"Yes, I followed your lead, and those crepes were delightful," Eva agreed. "So where do we start? Digging into who owns that trailer park, yes?"

"Yes, and eviction notices there since they all have to be filed with the courts," I told her.

"And you think if they have cops in their pocket that wasn't all done to hide their misdeeds," Orson muttered, nodding when I tapped my nose. "Smart crooks suck."

"Yes, but we tend to clean up a lot of them at once when they are. This isn't the first corrupt trailer park with cops in their pocket." I rubbed my neck. "Though the early onset dementia is new. She said her kid took her money and stuck her there. That seems… There has to be more to that. Why there?"

"So this might go deeper and need you undercover?" Eva asked curiously.

I nodded. "My gut is telling me this is layered. I don't know. Unless that was just a mistake. It might be how it all unravels." I smiled at her. "Right now, we're taking you for some Costco fun since you find our American flair amusing and it's one of my favorite places."

"Your mother told me it was amusing. They will get us more crepes?"

"I will," Orson promised with a chuckle. "I'm still hungry as well."

"Text Seraphine what you need and we will buy it for you," Eva said.

"Trail mix," the rest of us answered for him, chuckling.

I winked at him and explained for Eva. "He's addicted to it. He snacks on it during every damn flight. We keep it stocked in all of the jets for him."

"I cannot deny it, but I need a few other things as well, thanks," he replied.

We had so much fun at Costco it was ridiculous. Eva was almost like a kid checking out things and pointing to how cheap items were or how outrageous the amount offered was. It was seriously great and the comic relief I needed with so much going on.

"I am glad to see you smiling so much, Granddaughter," she said when we were done, rubbing her cheek against mine. "We will have some fun with your darling son before we work on our wolves and you get some energy out tonight with your Carter."

Part of the reason it was so easy to ask Eva and Alena for help is they never made me feel small for it. It never seemed like help or a favor. Even how she said it as working on our wolves, like we all needed to do more, was easy and inclusive instead of off-putting or confrontational.

I thanked her, and we stuffed our faces with crepes on the way home. She went to grab something when we arrived at the apartment and I helped unload. I realized she went to get Topher. He had already been in bed when I'd arrived home last night and I hadn't wanted to wake him just because I was home.

And then I'd had this meeting this morning and… Things just hadn't worked out.

I'd missed the little bugger.

Apparently, he'd missed me too.

"Mama!" he squealed, saying it crystal clear, not just baby blubber.

I dropped the box in my hands as my mind short-circuited at him saying his first word.

"We were working on it, but I made sure he waited for you," Eva said proudly.

But Topher must have been concerned that something was wrong since I'd dropped the box because he pulled away from Eva. He'd been holding onto her as she was squatting down, but he'd been able to stand like that for a while now even if normally leaning on someone or holding onto something.

"Mama?" he repeated, his voice worried… As he toddled towards me.

"Holy shit," someone whispered.

I had another reaction, whipping out my phone lightning fast and recording the second I had my passcode in. "Yeah, baby boy, it's Mama," I rasped. "You got this. I missed you too. I missed you so much." I tried my best to blink back tears but failed miserably, shocked beyond words.

And a bit scared. He was way early to be walking. Even I knew that. He hadn't even done any cruising yet, which was walking while holding onto a table or a wall.

Apparently, he was just skipping right to flying solo.

He made it another five steps before he went a little too fast and was about to go down. I easily caught him which made him squeal since he loved when we moved quick around him.

"Mama!" he said as he hugged me tightly.

"Yeah, Mama's here, Tophie," I rasped, giving Eva a look and mouthing, "Thank you." I saw Maya recording from the corner of my kitchen, so clearly she'd known Eva had been pushing for Topher to talk. I glanced at her. "Did you get it all?"

"I did," she whispered. "I swear he's only babbled a bit with the syllables, understanding if he did more he should wait until you were here. But he has not even—no steps yet."

"He was worried about his mother," Eva praised. "That makes a good boy need to walk early."

"Very early," I whispered.

She shrugged easily. "Babies and children move at their own pace. There are other areas that he is slower in as you were. He has a lot of help and constant attention. He should be advanced."

That was true and helped a lot.

I beamed at Topher. "Can you do it again? We should show your dads!" I sent him images of the walking and he nodded.

Unfortunately, only Dain and Hagan were around, Reagan and Brian at work, but we sent them the video. I felt bad that they missed his first time but… That was life.

I thanked Topher again and again, telling him it was the best welcome-home present ever. It soothed my soul somehow and was just perfect.

He wanted to do it again and again to make me happy, but I sent him images of pushing too hard and hurting himself.

"Slow and steady wins the race, buddy," I reminded him. Then I sent him images on how to cruise and tried to convey when to stop. I didn't know how to show him pain or soreness with images.

"He's so your son giving all of himself to make everyone happy," Dain muttered, shaking his head before plucking Topher off the floor. "Tomorrow, my son. You can do more tomorrow." He kissed his forehead and seemed to get through to Topher with his magic somehow since he could show him things too. "Not everything has to be today."

"He has my patience as well," I drawled.

Meaning he had none.

We warned Reagan and Brian not to push and they could see after dinner since Topher wanted to do it all right away for everyone, and they seemed to accept that. Eva and I went to the pack lands after lunch when he napped and got our run in. It was too fucking hot but also pushed us. We took breaks and got water, worked on our wolves—it was exactly what I needed.

I was dead on my feet when we were done though. I was ready to crash early after a long cold shower.

But then I remembered she said something was planned with Carter and I had no idea what that was.

Fuck a duck.