Page 22 of Shadow of Doubt
Leave it to your mother to call you out in front of others. “Well, sort of.”
She sat on the sofa next to Brooklyn and patted her knee. “I’m sure we’ll be just fine together.”
Colin met his mother’s gaze. Glimpsed the affection for Brooklyn already residing there.
Well then. He’d lost his battle. Her expression said it all. But he had to protest anyway. “I can’t risk it.”
“It’s my risk to take.” She raised her shoulders. She might’ve lost weight and was a mere shadow of herself, but she looked strong and intimidating at the same time. “And I’m willing to take the risk so Brooklyn has a home.”
“But things have changed, right?” Colin looked at Nick. “Something happened that brought you here tonight.”
Sitting in the plaid easy chair, Nick uncrossed his feet at the ankles and planted them firmly on the floor. “Running my gazillion algorithms finally paid off. I located Kane’s rental house. I was hoping you and some of your teammates would help me search it when he’s not home.”
Colin didn’t need to give it a second thought. Helping to bring in a scumbag like this Tarver guy sounded like a no-brainer. “I’m in, and I’m sure they’ll be onboard too. But I don’t see how that would bring danger here.”
“You never know what could go wrong.” Nick gripped his knees. “He could show up while we were searching. Take someone out and ID him. Or he’ll have security cameras, and we could fail to disable one, then he captures a picture of one of the guys. He has the skills to find the person’s ID from that, and that brings him here.”
A risk for sure, but one they could manage. If careful and thorough. “Then we just have to make sure we find all of the cameras, which shouldn’t be impossible if we scan for his network and get a look at the Wi-Fi devices.”
“Right.” Nick rolled his eyes. “You make it sound so simple. You know he’ll have employed top security features, and simply scanning his network could be an issue.”
Colin sat forward. “Then we bring our A game. Me and you and Eryn Sawyer, too, for added IT experience and skills.”
“Wait.” Brooklyn’s gaze shot from Colin to Nick and back. “I can’t afford all of this. And I won’t let you do it for free.”
“Of course you will,” his mother said. “I insist, and when I want something, I get my way.”
“But I?—”
“But you need help. These lovely men can provide it, and they’re willing to do so without pay. Am I right?” She scanned the guys.
“That goes without saying.” Colin peered at Brooklyn. “Now that I know what has you so jumpy, there’s no way I won’t help you fix it.”
“I’ve always been on board,” Nick said. “And hopefully tonight, you’ll finally let me do something. All of us do something.”
Brooklyn still didn’t want to take their pro bono work from someone more needy, but this lead was too good to pass up, and she knew when to give in. “Okay, but I’ll come along to help.”
“No!” Colin’s sharp tone made her jump. Surprised him too. “Tarver sees you, he could take you out on the spot.”
“Then I’ll have to make sure he doesn’t see me.” She clasped her hands tightly together. “I’ll stay in the SUV, out of sight. Even sit on the floor if I have to.”
Colin crossed his arms. “I can’t?—”
“I need to do this.” She locked gazes with him. “He’s controlled the last three years of my life, and if I sit here and do nothing, then you come back having been unable to hack the network, I’ll always wonder if I could’ve done it. That we could’ve found something in his house that got him incarcerated and freed me from his tyranny.”
“I don’t know.” Colin swiped a hand over his face.
“You have to let her come with you.” His mom clutched his knee, her grip strength weaker than Colin would like. “She deserves to help bring this most odious man in.”
“Odious?” Colin shook his head and laughed. “Where’d that word come from?”
“It’s a good word for him,” Brooklyn said. “So when do we leave?”
Yeah, when? “We need to get the men together to plan and drill, and we’ll need surveillance footage for the property.”
“Already got it,” Nick said.
“Then let me get the guys to join us at the conference room.” Colin stood and looked at his mom. “I’ll find Dev so he can come stay with you.”
