Page 30 of Forsaken Hearts
“Tonight,” Carson confirmed.
Granny nodded approvingly, like this was all perfectly reasonable.
And Vander…
His eyes found hers across the porch, the depths as warm and steady as a hug.
That should comfort her. Instead, fear curled tighter beneath her ribs.
Because if danger really had found a way into her life…
Then it just dragged Vander into it too.
Chapter Six
Pope had spent years handling weapons, surveillance equipment and enough military tech to fill warehouses.
Yet somehow a seven-year-old handing him screws out of a coffee can made him more nervous than half the operations he’d run overseas.
“Do you need the little silver one or the pointy silver one?” Ben asked seriously from beside the ladder.
Pope looked down from where he was mounting the last camera beneath the eave. “Pointy.”
Ben dug through the can with intense concentration before holding one up triumphantly. “This?”
“Perfect.”
The kid grinned like he’d personally contributed to national security.
Pope took the screw from him carefully, trying not to think too hard about how natural this felt. Maybe it was his close connection with Rhae and Denver’s daughter Navy that put him more at ease around kids.
As he pondered that, he took in his surroundings from his perch on the ladder. The late evening air still carried a bite sharp enough to sting his fingers against the old metal siding, but the windows of the duplex glowed warm. Kitchen light spilled through the curtains.
After Ben begged to be Pope’s assistant, Summer agreed he could eat dinner when he came inside. The scent drifted out every time she opened the door to check on them.
“What’s for supper, buddy?” he asked as he fixed the camera in place.
“Beanie-weenies!” The child sounded so enthusiastic about a meal that a lot of kids these days would turn their noses up at. Summer was raising a great kid, and he wondered if she heard it enough.
Ben hovered close as Pope finished tightening the mount. “Mom says cameras can see everything.”
“Not everything.”
Which was why he would be spending the night outside the house, keeping watch.
“What about aliens?”
Pope glanced down. “They especially see aliens.”
Ben gasped, and Pope fought back a smile as he climbed down the ladder.
The kid followed him to the front porch. Pope checked the camera feed on his phone. Back yard angle looked good. Front porch covered. Side yard too. Enough visibility on the driveway where Summer’s little car—with its brand-new tires—was parked.
Nobody was going to get close to the house without him seeing it.
“Can I see?” Ben asked.
“Sure.” He held out the phone low enough for Ben and flipped through all the angles. The kid gave him an approving nod.
