Chapter 26

"Ashley!" Catherine greeted her with a hug as soon as she stepped through the door.

Ashley looked uncomfortable, having not grown up with a lot of affection shown just like Luke. It was strange that Catherine was as bubbly and affectionate as she was with their group, knowing what he did of her upbringing, too. Ashley awkwardly hugged Catherine back before getting herself free.

"Is this your son?" She went right to Garrett as she asked Luke.

"This is Garrett, your nephew. And this is Paisley, my fiancée," he introduced.

"Blink twice if you are being held hostage," Ashley told Paisley.

Unprepared for that comment, Paisley choked on a laugh. "I think I'm going to like you a lot."

They all laughed and stepped out of the foyer and into the living room.

"I like this place a lot better than your apartment," Ashley said. "It's very homelike instead of bachelor pad. Family man looks good on you."

"Thank you," Luke said.

"Okay. I'm here so fill me in." She plopped down on the sofa and looked up at Luke and Ryker.

"We're waiting on Cade," Ryker said.

"You're the one in charge of that guy?" Ashley asked, pointing at Carter.

Ryker nodded.

"So does he get to go now that I'm here?" she asked.

Ryker shook his head. "Not until we know what's going to happen."

She sighed. "Fine." Her eye roll wasn't even a little hidden. Luke knew that she only said something because it seemed he wasn't needed. She definitely wasn't fine and wasn't going to just go along with things.

"Just wait for Cade to get here. He's got a new baby so he didn't want to come and hang out early." Luke hoped she would just be patient and actually listen.

"I'm an aunt twice over so quickly after finding out all of this. It's weird to think about. I guess I get to be the fun aunt," Ashley joked.

"That job's taken," Catherine told her. "But I suppose we can share the title."

Ashley laughed. "Works for me."

They caught up on small talk about her degree and classes while they waited for Cade. Carter stood off in a corner, doing his best not to be involved despite the fact that he was over six-feet tall and muscular, impossible to blend in.

"Cade's here," Catherine said after checking her phone.

"I'll let him in." Luke went to the door.

Cade was standing there before he opened it. "Sorry. I hit traffic."

"No problem. We were waiting for you before we got started so we can get that going now. Her and Catherine have decided they are the fun aunts, though."

Cade shook his head. "We're in trouble."

Luke chuckled and locked the door.

In the living room, Cade introduced himself again. Luke knew they had met when everyone was looking for him, but it didn't hurt to do it again.

"So, siblings, huh?" Ashley asked.

"Actually, why don't we start with the less dramatic stuff," Cade said.

Catherine agreed and spoke next. "Cade and I talked it over and we already told Luke, but we wanted to ask you as well. Would you both like to change your last names to Hawkins? I know our father is ruining the name, but we wanted to show everyone that we are siblings and that we stand by you."

"If you don't want to, no hard feelings, but we wanted you to know how we felt about both of you and that we accept you no matter what," Cade added.

Luke studied Ashley to get an idea of how she felt. He didn't need to look hard as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

"Just like that? You don't even know me," Ashley said.

"Of course. You're family no matter what," Catherine told her.

As Catherine spoke, Luke noted the look that Ashley gave her bodyguard. That was something he'd have to unpack later, as now wasn't the right time.

"Are you?" Ashley asked Luke.

He looked at Paisley who smiled back at him. "I'd like to, but only if you're on board too."

She nodded, wiping her tears away. "I want to."

"That's settled then," Catherine said with a clap.

"Carter, why don't you join us for the rest?" Ryker addressed the man in the corner. "This is relevant to your job protecting Ashley, as much as she'll let you."

He stepped into the fold and they began to go over everything they knew with Ashley and Carter listening in. It didn't take long, as they didn't know much, but they needed to plan and that was what this was all about.

"So, we know there's a threat, but not what it is or who it might come from? So everyone it a threat?" Carter asked, summing it up pretty much perfectly and then pointing a glare at Ashley.

"Don't start." She sighed and leaned back in her seat.

"I'm just saying, it's an actual concern. You need to follow the rules," Carter pressed.

Luke winced, knowing that was going to set Ashley off.

"Rules?" Ashley shot up from her seat. "You don't get to impose rules on me. You're so busy worrying that you smother me until I have to sneak away to have a good time."

"Clubs are dangerous," Carter argued back.

"Then go and protect me. I'm not going to stop living my life on the off chance that something might or might not happen."

"Ashley," Catherine interrupted. "Do you know what happened to me?"

Ashley gave her an unsure look. "A little. Your dad tried to get some guy to marry you."

"And then he broke into my house," Catherine started.

"I ended up in jail for killing him." Ryker stood to face Ashley. "You're smart, act like it. Have a seat because there is a real threat against you and we are all here trying to help you. Carter, too."

Sufficiently scolded, Ashley didn't say anything as she sat.

"Now that that's settled," Cade began again. "I know this is a hassle. We do believe that the guy you keep running into all the time and blowing off may be the link back to my father. We are digging, but the money is our best connection. Matt's working on connecting the dots there."

Carter sent Ashley a look, but she didn't glance in his direction. "Julian," he practically ground out.

"Yes. We can't prove a connection yet, but with how you're describing his behavior and family wealth, it just lines up with what we'd expect. It also seems he might be escalating," Cade explained.

"Do we have someone watching him now?" Carter asked.

Ryker chimed in again, "We are monitoring him discreetly."

"Ashley, we all really just want to keep you safe," Luke pleaded with her to understand. "No one wants to change or smother you. We just want you protected while doing things."

"First, that is not what he's doing," she said, jerking her thumb in Carter's direction. "Second, I'm not an idiot. I don't even like that guy and have told him I don't want to hang out with him. I ignore him whenever I see him."

"Yeah, but you're seeing him more places now," Carter reminded her.

"I make sure not to be alone with anyone, Carter. I'm not an idiot about protecting myself."

"I never said you were. I'm just pointing out that it's getting worse. Like it or not, that's a fucking concern, Ashley."

"Please don't act like you really care other than to do your job," she snapped.

"Okay," Luke shouted, stopping the back and forth. "If it's that hard for the two of you to get along, then maybe Ryker should put someone else on your detail. But if he does that, you can't run from the guy."

"I didn't run," Ashley whispered.

"Ashley," Catherine said. "Come with me for a moment. I think we could all use a small break before we make any decisions."

As they left the room, Ryker walked over to Carter, who stood.

"Can you handle this job or not?" Ryker's tone was casual, but his body language was anything but. He was tense all over and his fists were clenched.

"I told you I can do it and I meant it. Despite her behavior, I've been able to keep her safe, and I already assumed that guy was no good before knowing what you do." Carter stood, too. "I don't want taken off the case, but I'll do what you think is best. You better find someone that can handle her because she's going to run."

Ryker looked at Luke.

"I agree that you are doing a good job. You won't get any argument from me on that. However, I want her to be safe, and I worry that if the two of you are so busy arguing with each other that something could happen because you're not on your game," Luke told Carter.

"Despite the way she's been acting and the arguing, I have never not been on my game with her. I have to stay on my toes just to keep near her. It would be better if she would tell me where she wanted to go in advance so I could scope it out, but she won't. It's all last minute and that makes it hard. It's like she's trying to get in trouble." Carter stood as he was speaking and walked to look out the window. "I do intend to keep her safe."

Ryker nodded. "I think we can come up with a way to make this work." His phone rang and he pulled it out, checking the ID before answering. "What?"

Luke turned away from the phone call and focused on Carter. "I have faith in you to get your job done, but why stay with this one when you know how she is?"

Cade snorted.

"What?" Luke demanded.

"Those two are interested in each other and that seems to piss them off." He choked on a laugh.

Luke ran everything over in his mind with how they were acting since they'd been there. Cade was right, and Luke didn't know if he was pissed off or entertained.

"That's not what this is about," Carter said, his only defense.

"We have a problem," Ryker interrupted. "Julian has gone to all of the places that Ashley normally would be and now he's in the wind. My guy says he was getting more and more agitated as he looked for her."

"Well, shit," Cade muttered.

"Guess we have our guy," Carter said what they were all thinking.

"The question is, what are we going to do with this information," Luke wondered out loud. "All of it." With a look letting Carter know the conversation between them was far from over, Luke turned his attention back to Ryker. "How long has he been gone?"