Chapter Three

Kane

I heard every sound because it was so damn quiet. After dozing on and off for four hours, I eventually gave up and went to make myself a cup of coffee, pretty sure everyone else was asleep.

It wasn't the first wrong assumption I'd made in my life, but one I might come to regret as Danny and his fucking shadow came into the kitchen. I glanced at him in annoyance, as he'd said he would be in his room, but he completely ignored me and filled the kettle, eyeing my coffee.

"If you can't sleep, caffeine's hardly gonna help."

Irritated, I snapped. "What are you, the sleep police?"

Danny met my gaze. "No," he said softly. "And I'm sorry. I imagine you've had your fill of other people's opinions."

Which made me feel like crap, and I tried to think of a safe topic while I sipped my coffee. "How come you work for Rawlings?"

Danny chuckled and made his tea. "Well, if you discount the US government as a go-between, you could say I've worked for Diesel for nearly ten years."

"Where?"

"Geographically or service?" Danny asked, and I couldn't tell any difference in his tone or voice, but the dog immediately stepped close and brushed his leg. Danny's hand dropped to its head.

"So you guard millionaires, TV stars?" I asked, pretending that I wasn't changing the subject.

"Not personally," he said lightly. "I do the tech. Work the back office."

"Cool," I nodded. "So you're good with computers." Duh. Talk about insane questions.

"I keep up," he said lightly. "Not something you ever wanted to get into?"

"I was on restricted duty and education," I said, trying to keep the light tone he'd set, but even I could hear the bitterness in my reply.

Danny scoffed like he didn't believe me. "Restricted education?"

I nodded. "Anything that was deemed unsafe advancement I wasn't allowed to do."

Danny met my gaze. But I could tell he wasn't convinced."I was going to enlist once upon a time as soon as I could, but—" I gestured to my face.

"We were in the Rangers," Danny said by way of an answer, which seemed to come out of nowhere.

I nodded. I'd heard of them but nothing specific. Not like the Marines who seemed to get mentioned with every other breath. Once upon a time I wanted to be one, but then once upon a time I'd imagined a life as well. An escape.

"I'm going to try to get some sleep," I offered.

"What happened with the dog?" Danny snapped out. I paused. What dog? "The dog?"

"Your dad's."

Fuck.Shame rolled through me. I'd been terrified of them, but it wasn't their fault and I'd shot one.

"No answer?" Danny asked, and I could hear the condemnation in his voice. And suddenly, I was sick of having to justify myself to people who never believed me, just saw my scar. I brushed past him, tossing "he annoyed me" over my shoulder and went back into my room.

I might have stewed for a couple more hours, regretting my words and ready to explain, but when I went into the kitchen just after six, it was just Rawlings sipping coffee and scrolling through his phone. He put it away and returned my nod as I helped myself to more coffee.

"I know you'll have a ton of questions, so we'll start with the contract." He pushed a printed copy toward me and I glanced down. Then my eyes widened as I saw the salary. Fuck. He chuckled. "Remember the gas prices from yesterday?"

Even so. This still seemed generous.

"It's for three months initially, then another three during which you get extra benefits like pensions and paid leave. You can still quit at any time, and I can still fire you, but it includes full health care as of today. I would expect you to live here for the first three months, then the next three you choose and get an allowance toward living expenses." He pointed out the line referring to that dollar amount. I mentally said fuck twice that time.

"In return, you work the jobs I say when I say them. Your first three months are mine. Whatever team you work with, the team leader will assign down-time, but if you're undercover, there won't be any."

"Undercover?" I glanced up at him. "I thought this was a bodyguard gig."

He grinned. "Let's just say that sometimes our clients require subterfuge."

"What sort of clients?" I pressed.

"Government ones that might have to fly under the radar," Rawlings said bluntly.

Fuck. It was getting to be my new favorite word.

"My first question, and I am phrasing this honestly and carefully, is—possibly obviously—are there any abilities you currently have you feel able to share?"

My heart picked up, and I considered the question. Feel able. So, he wasn't expecting full disclosure, and he might never get that anyway. What could I say? "I can see in the dark. I also have good long-distance vision." Rawlings' own eyes widened. "What were you expecting me to say?"

He grinned. "You look like a mix of Talon and Vance."

"He's the honeymoon guy?"

"Talon, yes. Vance is incredibly strong, as in He-Man strong."

I shrugged. "I try to keep fit, but I'm human-fit." Okay, so strength wise I was probably a little more, but I was so used to downplaying or flat-out denying I had any abilities it was instinct to claim less. I looked up as Danny and the dog came in.

"Morning." He mumbled and didn't look at me.

Rawlings smirked. "Danny-boy isn't a morning person."

I didn't reply. I knew Danny didn't like me. I just wasn't sure why that stung. I was an ex-con. Most people didn't have time for me. I eyed the dog carefully, but it didn't seem to be taking much notice of me. Not that I'd ever been a threat to him or Danny. Did he think I was going to attack Sadie or something?

And right then, something I had done my damndest to forget crawled into my head. It had been a puppy. Over the years Dad had gotten loads of dogs, but this one had refused to turn mean no matter what he did to it. In my head I called her Blackie—so original—but I knew she would be dead if I didn't get her out of there.

And I'd got one of the worst beatings of my life that day for losing her. I hadn't. I'd walked her way across town to a no-kill shelter. Over the years—in my head—I'd fancied she had gotten another boy to love her. I hoped.

"Any questions over the contract? I can give you time to absorb it, but you see the doc at eleven."

"The doc?" My head shot up.

"All my team members have six-month physicals as part of their insurance protocols. You need one immediately as part of the contract."

"Which I haven't signed yet," I gritted out.

"Then even better for you. All I get is a ‘yes, he's fit for work.' I get nothing confidential, and you get a free check-up."

Assuming I trusted whoever they sent.

"Got you these to wear," Rawlings said and threw a couple of packages over. "I know you came out with what you went in with." He nodded to the ratty sweats. They weren't mine. The skinny shorts I had on when they arrested me wouldn't have fitted one of my arms now. Some charity provided these.

Rawlings' phone buzzed, and he reached over to where it was next to his coffee cup, frowned, and answered it. "Gray?"

I couldn't hear what was said, but Rawlings didn't look happy. "When?" He looked over at Danny and made a circular motion with his finger. Danny reached over and grabbed his laptop. "Send the info to Danny now. He's on it. Cops?" Rawlings winced. "Okay. You make sure you catch that flight or Seb won't be speaking to either of us."

"What is it?" Danny asked.

"Gray just got a call. Missing kid, ten. Mom used to serve with Gray and has full custody. She's convinced the kid has been taken by her ex. He was inside but escaped on his way to the ER yesterday, after suspected internal bleeding from a known ulcer, and no one thought to tell her. Cops are there but they're trying to say the kid ran away because there are things missing, and it's likely zero to do with the ex."

"Patrick Saunders. FCI Butner, North Carolina, medium security two. Child pornography. Spent a year in max security, then was downgraded. Crap," Danny whispered.

"What?" Rawlings prompted him.

"He owned a huge online child pornography site. There were rumors of auctions but they couldn't prove the charge, which was why he was in in medium security. Katy was serving when he was arrested and came straight home. Multiple instances of the daughter, Rain, over the last three years after the father went down getting into trouble at school, shoplifting, etcetera."

Rawlings glanced at me. "Okay, get dressed. We leave in five."

"Me?" I almost gaped at Rawlings, and he shrugged.

"Best way to find out what we do." It took me about five seconds after Rawlings had disappeared for me to agree with him, and I bolted for my room.

Less than ten minutes later, I was sipping the coffee Danny had handed both of us in to-go cups as we left and was feeling…what? Excited? Alive? I'd even risked the coffee after watching Rawlings nearly inhale his. I was also wearing a pair of black cargo pants that were a little loose, a black tee, and a similar jacket.

Not that I was excited about some kid going missing and I guess I hoped she was hiding out at her bestie's and not in the clutches of some pedo, father or not. Not that being with her father would protect the kid. I should know. "Tell me what it is you expect me to do?"

Rawlings sighed and passed me his phone. "Call Danny and tell him I need you to sign some privacy shit, and you need a phone."

I did and Danny must have known what Rawlings meant because a few seconds later a document appeared I could electronically sign. Another first I wasn't about to admit to. "Okay," I said, putting the phone on the holder attached to the dashboard.

"Right, you listen and you learn. You have anything useful to say, tell me after. If there's a burning question you think I need to ask Katy, ask if Rain has a pet. I'll make sure we get five minutes."

"Gray works for you," I said, remembering that Katy had served with him.

"Yes, but he's married to a rockstar and said rockstar is about to go on tour. It's a huge deal because Seb has a scar in the same place you do, and he's got permission to fly. He's also got three European countries wanting to host him."

I absorbed that and then we were pulling up outside a large house in a private gated community. Rawlings already had to show ID twice just to get in. Then the cops didn't want to let him through until a young woman—Katy—pushed her way through the sea of uniforms and grabbed Rawlings' arm. I just stuck close to them. We both had to give our names, but then Katy dragged us into a small home office area and promptly burst into tears.

Rawlings wrapped his arms around her, and I just stood there like an idiot. But then she was done and pushed herself back. "These are angry tears," Katy declared, and I was pretty sure neither of us would have dared to disagree. Katy then seemed to realize Rawlings wasn't on his own and held out her hand. "Katy Peterson." She glanced at Rawlings. "I never changed my name, but Rain is a Saunders."

Rawlings nodded. "Okay, I know you've been through this a shit ton of times already, but we need it from the top."

Katy nodded, but before she could start a guy in a suit opened the door without knocking and walked in. "Mrs. Saunders—"

"It's Ms. Peterson," Katy snapped, and the entitled ass just waved his hand like it didn't matter.

"I've already said that despite your insistence, we don't recommend civilians getting involved, and that they can be an actual threat to us retrieving your daughter."

"Really?" Katy arched an eyebrow. "That's the same daughter who up to an hour ago you were arguing would be at one of her friends' houses? I believe the word you used was ‘sulking.'"

I watched his jaw harden.

"You really need to leave it to the professionals, ma'am."

"Diesel Rawlings is very professional," she insisted.

"I'm sure," and he glanced at me. I knew then he'd run my name. "But did you also know that Mr. Rawlings' companion is Kane Diaz, who was released only yesterday after serving seventeen years inside because he tried to murder his father?"

I hadn't done what I was accused of, but right that moment I was willing to do another seventeen to wipe the smile off this fucker's face.