Chapter 29
Both of them dressed now, Matti walked ahead of Ryan to the living room. She laughed when he grumbled about Wyatt spoiling his fun.
“Much better,” Wyatt said when they returned. He leveled a hard stare on Ryan. “Is this where I ask what your intentions are toward my sister?”
Matti rolled her eyes. “Knock it off, Wyatt.”
He smirked. “Just doing my job. It’s in the brother’s rule book—question the motives of any boy sniffing around your sister.”
“I’m going to marry her,” Ryan said, then winked at her.
“Huh?” What did that wink mean? That he really didn’t mean it?
Did she want him to mean it? No, no she didn’t.
He was a doctor. She knew firsthand what that meant.
It would be all hearts and roses until she had a handful of kids, then he’d never be around because being a doctor was more important.
And like her mother, she’d never be able to justify asking for more of his time when he was saving lives.
She’d watched exactly that happen to Emily and had decided long ago that it wasn’t going to be the same for her because she’d never marry a doctor.
“No one’s getting married, so both of you stop being ridiculous.” She plopped down on the couch. “Ryan said you were going to talk to your captain about something?”
Ryan sat next to her. “I have a feeling we don’t want to hear what he’s going to tell us, but I guess we have to.”
“Yeah, you’re not going to like it,” Wyatt said. “You got any coffee?”
“You know I do. Go help yourself.”
“Some hostess you are, sis. Guess breakfast is a no-go?”
Cal walked in with his dog, Pilot. “What’s for breakfast?”
“Pop-Tarts,” Ryan said. “Have at them.”
Her brothers could eat the contents of her refrigerator and then ask if there was more. “Why are you here, Cal Bell?”
“Because Wyatt told me to be here.” Pilot looked up at Cal with hopeful doggy eyes. “Play.”
Pilot gave a happy bark, then raced to Matti. “Hey, beautiful boy. You come to give me kisses?” He nuzzled her neck when she bent over. “You got to come to work today, huh?”
“He hates being left behind when I leave in the mornings, so I sometimes still let him come with me,” Cal said as he headed for the kitchen.
“What a good boy you are.” He barked once as if agreeing. She vigorously rubbed his neck and laughed when his eyes rolled back in his head. “Ah, you still like that.”
Apparently done with her, he sidled over to Ryan. After some serious sniffing of Ryan’s shoes and legs, Pilot sat at Ryan’s feet and stared at him. Ryan held out his hand for the yellow Labrador retriever to smell. “And who are you?”
“This is Pilot. He’s retired now, but he’s a trained search and rescue and cadaver dog.”
“That’s some kind of talent there.” Pilot’s tail swished across the floor, and he dropped his chin on Ryan’s knee.
When he scratched around Pilot’s ears, Matti would swear that the dog smiled at him. “He likes you.”
He grinned at her. “What’s not to like?”
Wyatt and Cal walked out of the kitchen, both with a coffee cup and a Pop-Tart in their hands.
“Haven’t had one of these since I was a kid,” Wyatt said. “Forgot how good they are.”
Ryan chuckled as he shook his head. “You people are weird.”
“The eye’s looking better, Doc,” Wyatt said.
“I can see out of it now, so all’s good.”
Wyatt set his laptop on the dining room table. “Gather around, children. I’m going to FaceTime Dylan. He couldn’t be here, but he’s in on it.”
Oh, boy. From past experience, when any of her brothers teamed up, whoever was in their sights had better run for cover. She moved to a chair at the table, and when Dylan’s face appeared on the screen, she waved her fingers at him.
“Everyone there?” Dylan asked.
“All accounted for,” Wyatt said. “Tell them what you told me this morning.”
“There’s no easy way to say this. I’ve got a CI who knows almost everyone in the drug trade.”
“A CI?” Ryan said.
“A confidential informant. He heard about two gang members trying to buy a gun because they had a kid to kill.”
“Did they get a gun?” Ryan asked.
“My CI doesn’t know.”
“This has to stop,” Matti said.
Ryan, standing behind her, put his hands on her shoulders. “What can we do?”
“I’ll take over from here,” Wyatt said. “Mom and Dad are taking Sam away for a few days.”
“What? What right do you have to make plans for Sam without talking to me first?” Sam was her responsibility, not his.
“So, you’d rather he stay here in reach of these men?” Wyatt raised his brows.
“I didn’t say that, but you can’t just go making plans for a child under my care without consulting me first.”
“Where are they taking him?” Ryan asked, squeezing her shoulders.
“To the zoo. I got Aiden’s chief to grant him an emergency leave so he can go with them.”
“And Aiden already knows this?” Everyone knew about this surprise trip but her?
Wyatt sighed. “Yes, he’s already with them. They’re leaving about now. I’m sorry to spring this on you and not talk to you first, but the situation is fluid and I had to make decisions that will keep Sam safe. Is that not what you want?”
“Of course it is.” What was done was done, so nothing would be gained by fighting with him, even if she wasn’t happy with him.
It did take some of the worry away that Aiden was going with them.
Even though he was a firefighter, he was big and strong.
Her brothers grew up wrestling each other.
Why boys loved to brawl was a mystery, but Aiden could fight if he had to.
“I need to pack him more clothes if he’s going to be gone for a few days.”
“No,” Dylan said, drawing her attention back to the computer screen. “We can’t risk someone following you or any of us taking him clothes, and he can’t come back here. Mom and Dad will buy anything else he might need.”
“Is Sam okay with this?” He wouldn’t like being away from her and Ryan for days.
“He is,” Wyatt said. “He’s excited about going to the zoo.”
“Why can’t I go with them?” She wanted to be there when he saw all the animals, wanted to see his excitement.
“Because, you’re being watched,” Dylan said.
“So, now what?” Ryan asked. “Do we just wait for someone to show up?”
“Yes.”
Her three brothers and Ryan protested with shouts of “No” or “Not happening” and she slapped her hand on the table.
“Be quiet and hear me out, guys. So, what? I hide out for two or three days, then come back and still have to worry someone will show up? I’m tired of looking over my shoulder and being afraid of these people, whoever they are.
I’m tired of worrying they’re going to get to Sam.
Let’s do a sting… Isn’t that what you call tricking bad guys? ”
“No,” Wyatt said.
“I have three brothers in law enforcement. It seems to me that between the three of you, you can manage to figure out how to keep me safe.”
“It’s something to think about,” Dylan said.
Wyatt glared at Dylan. “You’re willing to make Matti a target? What the hell’s wrong with you?”
“I’m with Wyatt on this,” Cal said. “What if it goes wrong and the worst happens. Can we live with that?”
“It’s my decision to make.” Her brothers put their lives on the line every day to make their town a safer place.
As much as she worried about the danger from their jobs, it would never occur to her to tell them they couldn’t be who they are, so why should they get to tell her she couldn’t do this?
It was her turn to step up and do her part, and if it led to Sam being finally safe, she had no hesitation about doing it.
“Are you sure?” Wyatt asked.
“Completely. I assume you’ll have someone here, guarding me?”
Wyatt blew out a breath. “If you insist on doing this, yes, I’ll have someone here with you.” He shifted his gaze to Ryan. “This is now a police operation. You need to go home.”
Ryan crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not leaving Matti.”
“Doc, you’re not trained for an operation like this,” Dylan said.
“Don’t care. I’m not leaving her.”
“Why can’t Wyatt and Cal be in the house, too?” That seemed like a good plan to her. “Wouldn’t it be smart to have both of you there?”
“It could take several days for them to show up,” Cal said.
“We don’t know who the puppet master controlling these people is, but I’m certain whoever he is, he has eyes on the police department and the sheriff’s office.
I’m starting to think he has someone on the inside because these people seem to know what we’re doing before we do.
Wyatt and I can’t disappear like that, not if we’re being watched.
But one of us and our team will be watching the house at all times. ”
“I’ll be here when I can,” Wyatt said. “Cal’s right that it feels like we’re being watched, so I’m going to try to come in sight unseen. If it’s not me here, it will only be someone I trust.”
“What I don’t understand is why they’re still after him.” She glanced around at her brothers. “Even if they think he can identify them, he would have already given their description to the police. So, why bother going after him?”
“Because he’s a witness to the kidnapping of his parents,” Dylan said. “He can testify to that happening if they end up being put on trial.”
“Oh. Didn’t think about that. Well, if this is the only way to catch them, then let’s do this.”
“If Matti’s staying here, I am, too,” Ryan said. “That’s all I have to say about this.”
He was a doctor, not trained for anything like this. If he returned to his life, no one would think the less of him. Yet, he was stepping up, willing to put himself in danger to protect her. My hero, she thought.
“I need to go,” Dylan said. “Be alert. Stay safe.”
Wyatt closed his laptop lid. “They’ll hit at night when they think you’re asleep.
My gut says tomorrow night, but you’ll have someone in the house with you today as soon as the sun starts to go down.
It will be either me or one of my men. Even though I’m sure they won’t try anything until sometime after midnight, a patrol car’s parked in your driveway and will stay until backup comes tonight. ”
“Keep your doors locked and the alarm on,” Cal said. “Time to go, Pilot.” Pilot jumped up from where he was napping and raced to the door.
“Are you sure we don’t have to worry until it gets dark?” she asked. She had a reason for her question, one she wasn’t going to share with her brother.
Wyatt nodded. “Positive. They’ll want you to be asleep when they come in.”
“I doubt we’ll be able to sleep. I just want this to be over.”
“We all do. If you don’t think you can sleep tonight, maybe take a nap.”
He winked, and heat burned her cheeks. Her too-perceptive brother knew exactly why she’d asked that question.
“Feel free to go now.”
“Going. Enjoy your nap.” He laughed as he headed out the door.
“What was that about?” Ryan asked as he locked the door, then set the alarm.
“Nothing.” She didn’t want to think about Sam’s mean men showing up.
Today might be the last one she had with Ryan.
As soon as this was over, he’d return to his life and she hers.
She’d miss him, but that was the way it had to be, and she wanted these last few hours with him, wanted him to finish what he’d started this morning before Wyatt walked in.
“You were carrying me to bed when we were rudely interrupted.”
“Was I?” Ryan stepped close to her, his eyes finding hers. “Is that what you want, Matti? Me. You. In a bed?”
How did he do that, drop his voice to that gravelly sound that had her skin breaking out in goose bumps? “Yes,” she whispered.
“Is Wyatt right that we don’t have to worry about any surprise visits today?”
“He’s always right.” That was annoyingly true. “And we’re being guarded by one of his cops. We’re safe.”
“All right, then.”
Instead of scooping her up and carrying her in his arms the way he had earlier and she expected him to do again, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. “Hey! Your wrist. What are you doing?”
“Told you, wrist is fine. And I’m carrying you to bed. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
She laughed as she bounced against his back. “Well, yes, but…” She forgot what she was going to say when she realized she had a perfect view of his butt, and what a mighty fine view it was.
“But?”
No, butt. She giggled. And that right there was proof that she wasn’t herself when she was around him. She never giggled.
He leaned over and unceremoniously dropped her onto her bed. “Do I amuse you, pretty girl?”
She couldn’t contain her laughter, and his grin widened as he looked down at her.
What was wrong with her? But that wasn’t right.
How could something be wrong with her when she was this happy?
This giddy. Had she ever thought the word giddy relative to her in her entire life? He just made her happy.
“Tell me.” He dropped down next to her. “What has you laughing, sweet Matti?”
“You.”