Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
“ I ’ll talk to him, but not right now. First, I need to decide if I trust him and that’s something only I can decide.” Warrick said.
Greer nodded. “When?”
“Let’s get settled and see what we can find out before we bring him in. This is my family. This is my case. I’m not handing it off to you.”
“It’s not a case, Warrick. It’s revenge. We all understand that and want to help you. That’s why we’re all here,” Greer told him.
“How can you help?” Warrick asked.
“Delaney and I are pretty good with a computer,” Kale said. “Let me have the drive you found in France.”
“I can help with that too,” Jameson told him. “I was DS and I’m still in contact with some of my friends. I can snoop around once we have a lead.”
“All of us can help in one way or the other,” Aiden told him.
“And all of us will show up when you need us,” Colton told him. “Whether you want us to or not.” He winked and Warrick found himself calming down.
“So,” Greer said, taking the lead again, “what do you want us to do, Warrick?”
He paused and looked at her. She held his gaze. “You’re not going to take over?”
“No. I’ll only do that if Cassidy is in danger. Now, how can we help?”
“Kale, I uploaded the flash drive and all other evidence to a cloud account. I can give you my login.”
“Can you put it on the screen?” Sebastian asked.
“Why?” Warrick wondered.
Sebastian glared at him. “You do realize I built an empire on my own through tech and intimidation, right? I know a lot of things. I’m really good at following money and seeing patterns.”
“I’m really good at seeing the endgame in plans,” Walker told him. “I wouldn’t mind seeing what you have either.”
“Same,” Aiden added.
Cassidy swore he could trust them, so Warrick took a leap of faith and did just that. He entered his information on Kale’s computer and a second later everyone in the room was looking through a decade of information and files he’d stolen and collected.
“Several of these names have ties with the Panther,” Kale said.
“And royalty,” Gabe said, pointing to one of the names. “He was heir to the throne, but got antsy as he approached sixty. Rumor is he killed his father so he could be king. He’s been slowly collecting more and more power as he takes away the rights of his citizens.”
“They’re black market weapons dealers,” Sebastian said, pointing at two names.
“We need to see if anyone else knows these people,” Greer said, frowning at the list. “The question is: do they tie to your parents, Deming, or Cassidy? Can I bring in our parents?”
“Seriously?” Warrick asked, but then remembered who had found him. “Sure. Why don’t you also ask your grandparents.” The room laughed. Warrick didn’t. “I’m serious. Bring them in on it too. Here’s my password.” Warrick wrote it down and handed it to Kale. “I know you all have a group text. Send it out.”
“I’ll add you to the group text,” Kale said, looking up at him. “You know, since you’re one of us now.”
“He’s not until he does the right thing by my sister,” Dylan muttered.
“And comes to family dinner,” Jace smirked.
The guys all smiled and Warrick wondered what family dinner was a euphemism for.
Cassidy looked down at her phone. It was a text from Kale. She read it along with the others and then excused herself to find Warrick.
“What is this?” Cassidy asked, turning her phone to him when she found him making his way back to their seat. Everyone she had passed was reading the text.
“You told me I could trust them. So I did.”
Cassidy flung her arms around Warrick and kissed him. “If we weren’t trapped and surrounded by my entire family, I’d totally do you right now.”
“Tell a girl you love them and nothing. Open up to her very over-protective family and that’s when you want to have sex?”
Cassidy kissed the swelling that was popping up on his cheek from where Jace had punched him. “I’ve wanted to have sex with you for ages, studmuffin. And by opening up to my family, you showed me you trust me and that’s even sexier than those abs under my hand right now. I just need some time, Warrick. I need to process who I thought you were with who you are. Is the man I spent hours in the dark talking to you, or is the man in my ear during missions you?”
“They’re both me,” Warrick told her, holding her to him as the entire plane read the files he’d spent the last decade putting together.
Warrick leaned down to kiss her when he was hit from behind. He stumbled forward, his forehead hitting Cassidy’s as they both cursed. He was going to punch Jace. That was it. He was supposed to be the “nice” brother, but he was the most protective and it was getting old. Warrick spun around ready to let Jace have it to find no one there.
Until he looked down.
Blonde hair in little pigtails and big, wide blue eyes looked up at him. “Are you going to be my brother? Because I think I have too many brothers already,” the little girl asked.
Cricket. Cassidy’s surprise little sister wasn’t even in grade school if he could remember correctly. Cassidy had told him one night on a stakeout that her mother had thought she’d gone through menopause only to be surprised with Cricket.
Warrick didn’t know what to do with little kids. He’d never been around them. His world was full of fighting and bad guys. Not a little girl in jeans and a princess shirt.
Warrick squatted down so he wasn’t towering over her. “I think you have too many brothers too,” Warrick told her, earning him a swat from Cassidy and a smile from Cricket. “How about I’ll be your friend? Does that work?”
“It depends.” Cricket put her hands on her hips looking very much like Cassidy when she was pissed off.
“On?”
“If you can help me get revenge on Ash for pulling my pigtails.”
“Is he the little boy over there,” Warrick asked, nodding in the direction of the boy in jeans and a polo shirt.
“Yes.”
“I’m assuming you’re not allowed to beat him up?”
“Warrick,” Cassidy hissed as Cricket giggled.
“Is he afraid of anything?”
“Snakes,” Cricket told him.
“Are you afraid of snakes?” Warrick asked the little girl.
She shook her head and her pigtails went flying. “Nope. I even have a toy snake with me. I wanted a real one as a pet, but Mom wouldn’t let me have one.”
“I’ve got an idea,” Warrick said, standing up and holding out his hand for Cricket to take. “Come on, we need to find some supplies.”
Every wall Cassidy had built around her heart started to crumble. Warrick had told her the truth about his feelings for her. He’d trusted her judgment. In return, he’d trusted her friends and family. Then he’d taken her little sister by the hand and walked off, leaving her alone as the two of them went off on a mission.
“What are they doing?” her father asked her as she stood watching them talk to a flight attendant.
“Getting revenge on Ash.”
“This should be interesting. I’m curious how Ryan and Sienna will take that.”
“Ash was pulling her pigtails.”
“Maybe I’ll go help them,” her father said with a wink. “He’s good with her. He’s good with you too.”
“Eww, I’m not talking to you about my love life.”
Her father chuckled. “I had to talk to all of you about my sex life when your mother got pregnant with Cricket. I think you can stand to hear that I like Warrick.”
“You do? He’s not a little... rough for you?”
“He is, but he’s not that way with you and that’s what matters. It’s clear he adores you.”
Cassidy looked at her father and then it dawned on her. “Oh my gosh, you’re trying to win the biggest badass in-law award.”
“Hey,” he said, holding up his hands, “not my fault you fell in love with a badass who will help me beat my brothers.”
Cassidy sputtered. “Who said anything about love?”
Her father looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “Please. I didn’t raise stupid children. You love him, he loves you. Don’t overthink it. Is he tying fishing line to Cricket’s toy snake?”
Cassidy was forced to look over as Warrick tied the other end to a carabiner. He bent down, whispered something to Cricket and then Cricket nodded and ran off while Warrick went over to Ryan, Sierra, and Ash.
Warrick began talking to them and silently Cricket crept up behind Ash. She reached over, snapped the string on Ash, and took off back down the aisle.
“Is that a snake?” Warrick asked.
Ash turned, screamed, and tried to run away but the snake was attached to him so it jumped just like a real snake. Cricket came up with wide innocent eyes, reached down, and picked up the toy snake. “Ash, I can’t believe you’re afraid of a little snake.”
Meanwhile, Warrick unclipped the string, leaving Cricket to walk away with a smirk, draping the toy snake over her shoulder.
Ryan looked to Warrick who just shrugged. “She’s a brave girl. I don’t like snakes either,” Warrick said to Ash before striding off.
When Cassidy turned, she saw her father placing a bet on the app. “Dad!”
He looked up and shrugged. “Look, I could use reverse psychology on you all day, but you’re a smart girl. He’s perfect for you. He knows it. You know it. We all know it.” Her father left her standing with her mouth partially open in surprise.
“I think I like your little sister the best. Piper is pretty cool too. How do I get my hands on some of her nanotech clothing? But Cricket is the coolest,” Warrick told her as he joined her by their seats.
“I love you too,” Cassidy blurted.
Warrick’s eyes widened in surprise, but then he dropped his head and placed his lips near her ear. “And you haven’t seen yet what I can do when we’re both naked. Then you’ll really love me.”
Cassidy glanced at her watch. “I’m pretty sure I really love you now, but you have ten hours to think of things to do when we’re both naked. I give points for creativity.”
“I love a challenge.” Warrick kissed her cheek and then bent down and caught Cricket in his arms as she ran down the aisle and leaped into his arms. “You were perfect, kiddo.”
“Thanks, Warrick. You’re a good friend.” Cricket wrapped her arms around Warrick’s neck and hugged him tight.
Cassidy saw the surprise in his face and heard the sigh of every woman on the plane. Cricket hugging Warrick was almost enough to make Cassidy call Father Ben over. She glanced over and saw her mother beaming. Her father gave her an I-told-you-so look and Cassidy decided it was time to let all of her walls down. She had fallen for Warrick and fallen hard.