Hidden Away (KGI #3)(63)

“We’ve got a lot of ground to cover,” Steele said grimly. “I expect Garrett in two days, maybe sooner. We need to be ready. We’ll start with the lodge they’ll be staying in and then we’ll expand our perimeter to encompass as much of the island as we can cover in two days’ time. We’ll set up in a triangle around the lodge. Stay low and out of sight and keep your guard up at all times.”

“Who, exactly, are we expecting to show up?” P.J. asked.

“Don’t know,” Steele said shortly.

Cole frowned. “Do we know anything?”

“Van has a bad feeling. His instincts are usually damn good and I trust them. Garrett took a job to find and protect a woman who witnessed a murder in Boston. A murder committed by Marcus Lattimer.”

“Oh f**k,” Cole muttered. “What the hell was Sam thinking letting G take that gig? One of us would have done it.”

P.J.’s brows drew together in confusion. “What am I missing here?”

“Nothing important,” Steele said. “What is important is that Garrett feels that there’s a wild card and that someone other than Lattimer is after Sarah Daniels. The problem is they don’t know who. Yet. Garrett is stashing her here until they know what they’re dealing with. It’s our job to make sure she stays safe.”

Cole nodded. “Ain’t no thang. Another day at the office.”

P.J. pulled her pack over her shoulders as Cole did the same. As they turned to head up the incline toward the lodge, Steele called out, “One more thing.”

Both Cole and P.J. turned and Cole was surprised by the amused glint in Steele’s usually stoic expression.

“Watch out for the bears.”

P.J.’s eyes widened. “Bears?”

Steele struggled to maintain a straight face. “Yeah, they have Kodiaks here. Big-ass f**king bears. Make grizzlies look kind of friendly.”

“Well, shit,” P.J. swore. “Nothing like being trapped on an island with BAFBs.”

Cole shot her an inquisitive look.

“Big-Ass Fucking Bears,” she said patiently, echoing Steele’s description. She cast him a sideways look and mischief danced in her eyes. “We can always use Cole for bear bait.”

“You’re all heart, Rutherford. All heart,” Cole said.

“VAN, when was the last time you heard from Garrett?” Sam asked as he strode into the war room.

Donovan rotated in his chair and stared back at his brother. “He checked in a few hours ago. Said Sarah was sleeping and as soon as she woke up, he was getting them the hell out of there.”

“Bring me up to speed. I hate feeling left in the dark.”

Donovan grinned. “A new baby will do that to you.”

Sam rubbed a hand over his unshaven jaw and barely managed to stifle a yawn. He was deeply and madly in love with his new daughter, but she was a whole new experience. Sophie was tired and trying to do it all in her quest not to interfere with the goings-on at KGI since Garrett was off on a mission, but Sam had nipped that in the bud quick.

She had exhausted herself by trying to do too much too soon and he’d put her to bed and taken over baby duty. Only Charlotte hadn’t expressed a whole lot of interest in sleeping. She’d alternated fussing with wide-eyed staring at her father. She seemed perfectly content to be held. As soon as Sam tried to put her down, she put up a fuss that had him scrambling to soothe her before she woke Sophie up.

“Nothing in my years in the army prepared me for having a baby,” Sam said wearily. “It’s not for pussies, that’s for sure.”

Donovan chuckled. “Think how Sophie feels.”

“Yeah, I know. I don’t know how she does it. I had to make her take some downtime. She was running herself ragged trying to do everything.”

“I thought Rachel coming over was nice,” Donovan said. “I have to admit, I was a little worried about how she’d take Sophie having a baby. She was so devastated when she remembered having the miscarriage.”

Sam ran his hand over his face, wiping some of the sleep from his eyes. His younger brother’s wife had spent a year a prisoner in South America, leaving Ethan and the rest of the family to think she was dead. When they discovered she was alive, KGI had gone in with the full force of their resources and rescued her, but she’d come home missing memories of her life—and of her difficulties in her marriage to Ethan.

“I was worried too. I wouldn’t have her hurt for the world,” Sam said. “Sophie was concerned too. She was reluctant to take the baby over to Mom’s because she was worried about hurting Rachel.”

“Sophie’s a doll,” Donovan said. “You’re lucky to have her.”

Sam smiled at that. “Yeah. Damn lucky.”

“And Rachel has handled it well. She and Ethan have been doing so much better. She seems ... stronger lately. I’m seeing more and more of the Rachel we knew before she disappeared.”

The security doors opened and Sam swiveled to see Ethan walk into the war room. “Hey man,” Sam greeted. “What are you doing here?”

“I was under the impression I was on your payroll now, even if I do still draw the pu**y missions,” Ethan said dryly.

“We were just talking about Rachel,” Donovan said by way of subtly reminding Ethan why he was still drawing the light-duty tasks.