Page 123 of Ruthless Enforcer

Standing, I lift Sadie into my arms to look her in the eye. “We discussed operational security, remember? It was a covert mission.”

“I finished it.” She giggles, trying to stick the pins in my hair. “When do I get my medal?”

“Did I hear that you’re teaching my kid to pick locks?” Jake appears behind us. “Why?”

I roll my eyes as I hand her over. “Why doesn’t your kid know how to pick a lock?”

“Riot.” He kisses the side of her head and then holds out his hand. “Give me the bobby pins, honey.”

Sadie looks at me, and I nod. “Abort mission.”

Sighing, the kid hands them over. A dog barks and Sadie starts to wiggle, so Jake sets her down.

We watch her run into the living room.

“You’re crushing natural talent,” I tell him.

“I’m saving myself from having to explain to Emma why our kid can break into the liquor cabinet.”

I shake my head. “First of all, that’s years away.”

Harper wanders over and slides her arm around my waist. “Apparently, we need to add an ethics course to the curriculum.”

Pulling her in, I kiss her neck. “Will you be the teacher? I’ve always had a thing for authority figures.”

She snorts. “You’ve always had a thing for getting arrested by authority figures.”

“Same basic thing.”

Shaking her head, she leads me into the living room.

Blackthorn at Christmas looks like somebody detonated the North Pole.

There are presents everywhere. Garland around the fireplace. Stockings along the mantel. Children’s toys under every piece of furniture. A half-eaten cookie sits on the windowsill for reasons nobody can explain.

Mason and Lily are curled up on the couch together, in front of the fireplace. I can only see one of Mason’s hands, and given the way Lily’s blushing, I can guess where his other hand is. Mandy sits on the other end of the couch, her phone out and texting.

Winking at Mason, I sit on the wide seat across from them, pulling Harper onto my lap. “Where’s Hendricks?”

He nods toward the tree.

At first I only see the mounds of presents. Then I see Hendricks, lying flat on his stomach, reaching for a toy truck, Mason and Lily’s son Theo on his back.

“If only the guys could see this now.” I take out my phone.

“Don’t,” Hendricks says without looking up.

Grinning, I snap the shot. “Already did.”

Mandy puts her phone down. “Gabriel and Clara are arriving.”

Two seconds later, the sound of helicopter blades cuts through the house.

Nobody even reacts anymore. Three years ago, Gabriel arriving by helicopter was an event. Now it just means Reyes is too impatient to drive.

A few minutes later, the front door opens.

Clara comes in first, bundled in cream wool and holding their three-year-old son Nico’s hand. Gabriel follows with their baby Lucia in one arm and approximately nine bags in the other.