Chapter 37
Apple watched as Wild’s team entered the building. Their part was almost over. Wild’s team had neutralized the soldiers from the city before going into the compound. Everything had gone off without a hitch. He breathed a sigh of relief when Wild signaled they’d captured their target.
They were about to celebrate when the door opened. Apple turned, seeing one of the lieutenants he didn’t know well. “Owens.”
Apple lifted his hand. “Yes, sir.”
“You have an emergency call. Step out.”
Pain filled his chest as worry filled his head. What the hell was going on?
Two steps out of the room, a phone was shoved into his hand. “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Thario. I finally got hold of someone who would come get you. The guy who was after Amelia.”
Panic raced through Apple. “What about him?”
“He's dead. Amelia and Lainey are safe. I'm at the emergency vet with Frog. He'll be okay. The bullet grazed him. It just took off a chunk of skin and hair. The vet just took him back for surgery.”
“Shit.”
“I thought you would want to know that everyone is okay. Your house will need some cleaning. I’ll get on the horn and find someone to help.”
“Shit. Thank you for calling. And you don’t—”
“If I have to sit here while Frog is in surgery with nothing to do, I'll go crazy. I have to stay busy, and arranging things will help me.”
“Thank you. Hey, I hope Frog will be fine. I’ll catch up with you in a bit. Please keep us updated.”
He ended the call and handed the phone back to the lieutenant. “Thank you.”
“Hey, are Thario and Frog okay? I met them a year ago. Good dog.”
“Frog was shot, but he will be okay.”
“Damn. Your family good?”
“Yes, sir.”
The lieutenant reached out and squeezed his arm. “I’m glad. I’ll tell the guys if you want to go.”
He shook his head. “No, I need to go back in there and tell them what happened. We’re done.”
Apple turned and entered the room. He stepped in, and the guys turned to him.
Sharp stepped closer. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, and no. But yes. Frog was shot, but he’ll be okay.”
“Shit,” Sharp said.
“Yeah, shit. Thario stopped the guy from hurting or taking Amelia, so I’ll be in his debt forever.”
“What can we do?” Jay asked.
“We’re good to go,” Sharp said. “Let’s head to your place and see what we can do.”
“Thank you.”
Apple felt like he was moving through thick syrup as he drove home. He feared what awaited him there. Thario had assured him his family was okay, but he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes. He needed to see his family and make sure they were fine.
There were three police cars plus two plain sedans in the street blocking him from parking in front of his house. The ambulance was empty, which at least gave him some hope that both Amelia and Lainey were okay.
When he approached the house, an officer stopped him. “Sorry, you’ll have to wait.”
“I live here. My family is in there. I’m going to see them right now.”
The officer shook his head. “You can’t go in by the front. The dead guy is still in the entry. They’re picking him up now. You can go in through the rear.”
Apple nodded and turned to head to the back yard. He opened the fence and walked straight to the back door. When he entered the house, a woman in a gray suit looked up from her phone and met his gaze.
“Ah, you must be Avery Owens.”
“Yes. And you are?”
“Detective Williams. Your wife and kid are upstairs. Your neighbor, Trip, is up there, too. He is entertaining Lainey and making sure she has food and something to drink. They weren’t injured, we’re just keeping them up there until the body can be removed.”
“Thank you.”
“Can you give us any enlightenment on what happened?”
Apple drew in a slow breath. “He was her boss when she lived in Albuquerque.”
“Yes. Any reason he might have come here?”
“He had issues.”
The detective pulled out a notebook and flipped it open. “Apparently, the club burned down. It was arson, but he didn't set it. From what the detective in New Mexico gathered, the man owed some people money.”
He glanced over her shoulder, making sure Lainey wasn’t on the stairs. “Tell me. Do you know what happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“The man wasn’t a good person.”
“No, he wasn't. There are rumors that he paid off some of his debt by selling people. It's not a bad thing that he's dead.”
“No, it’s really not.”
“You’d probably like to go upstairs and see your family. I think you can go now.”
He took the stairs two at a time. He heard Trip’s voice then laughter from Lainey. They were lucky to have so many SEALs close by.
When he opened the door, Lainey cheered. “Apple, you’re home!” She ran to him, jumping into his arms. “Do you know Trip? He’s funny.”
“I do.” He reached out and shook Trip’s hand. “Thank you, man.”
“Hey, I know you’d do the same for me. Lainey is a smart kid. You all should come to dinner soon.”
“Thank you. We will.”
Amelia stood, tears in her eyes. She said nothing as she stepped close and wrapped her arms around him.
He held her close as tears filled his eyes. Lainey squirmed, and he let her down but still held onto Amelia. Again. He'd almost lost her again. At least the man who threatened her was dead.
She clung to him even when Detective Williams came upstairs and told them they could come down. Trip carried Lainey downstairs and handed her over to Nichole, who had shown up a few minutes before.
There was a lot of activity, from people cleaning the blood to someone fixing food for them. This was the part of being a SEAL that showed their brotherhood. Everyone was tired, but they were here for him and his family.