8. Chapter 8
Chapter 8
“Hey, detective,” Adalyn said, mainly just to mess with Camila.
She answered the phone as she collapsed on the seat of Redemption Harbor Security’s private jet. They’d just finished a difficult job and she was ready to get home. They all were.
“Hey. Have you talked to Berlin recently?”
“Ah…not today. She’s supposed to be taking a break. Why, what’s up?” She straightened slightly, but smiled as her husband Rowan sat next to her.
“Just got an interesting call from her and I’m worried.”
Adalyn’s gut tightened as Camila mentioned a local gang that had been on their radar for a while. She knew that Berlin had been watching them the last couple weeks, but she hadn’t mentioned making contact or explained what she was up to. Not fully. She’d just said she was helping a friend and had things under control, but Adalyn didn’t like the sound of any of this. “We’re on our way home but won’t be there for a few hours.” Probably closer to four. “I’ll have my phone on me if you need anything.”
“What’s up?” Rowan asked as soon as she was off the phone.
When she was done explaining, Tiago said, “She’s smart and she reached out to Camila so I’m sure she’s okay.”
“Maybe,” Adalyn murmured.
“What do you mean maybe?”
“No, I mean she’s absolutely brilliant but…I think she feels like she has to prove something to us. From a physical standpoint.”
“She’s been getting good at takedowns,” Rowan said. He’d been training her; they all had.
“Yeah but she can’t take down a bullet.” And Berlin hated weapons, almost never carried them. Though she did like to blow stuff up. “And who’s this friend she’s helping out?” she asked, though it was rhetorical.
“Some guy, Bradford said. He just texted.” This from Tiago. Another shrug. “I’m not worried about her,” he said, but Adalyn heard the lie in his voice.
They were all worried about her. Yeah, Berlin was brilliant and capable—she’d kept her family together when her parents had died. She could hack almost anything. And yes, she was learning to physically defend herself. But she was one woman and couldn’t go up against a biker gang. She needed backup. Hell, they all did.
Adalyn had learned to depend on her crew, to accept that depending on people wasn’t a bad thing. But it had taken her a long time to get to where she was. And…Berlin was twenty-six, younger than all of them. So whatever, Adalyn was going to worry and she wouldn’t apologize for it.
As the jet took off, she called Bradford, but he didn’t answer. Great . Annoyed and keyed up, she sat back as they took to the air, wishing she was the one flying. At least then it would give her a sense of control and something to focus on. Instead, she was stuck doing nothing but waiting.
And she absolutely hated that.