Page 76 of Missing Marcus

“How do you know how I feel?” Knight shut the water off and grabbed a towel.

“I saw you watching Whiskey. Out of the three of us, he’s the most fucked up and he’s standing here with his brothers. It’s not my story to tell. I met Claire after Tex insisted I come here. I came because I did it as a last resort.”

Knight turned and peered at the bulky man next to him. He didn’t appear weak in the least. Then again, if he glanced at the outer shell of himself in the mirror, he wouldn’t appear screwed up either.

Glancing at the man, he sat on the bench. “How did you come out of it? I close my eyes and see all the people I let down.”

“My buddy told me to live a life worth living. I couldn’t see my way out of the darkness. Then I met Claire. I almost lost her the same way you’re about to lose your wife because you’re a stubborn asshole. Claire’s worth fighting for. If you love Gabby, you’ll do whatever it takes to get your head on straight to be there for her.”

“Hey team assholes, if you’re done holding hands and shit, Taco has breakfast ready,” Leo called. “Saint says we gotta help asshole number two out. Get up here and fill your pie holes before I send Taco to Seattle.”

Knight threw his shirt over his head. He pulled his bag from the bench and followed Patch to the kitchen.

Knight sat beside Saint. “I want to say thanks for keeping your eyes open while I took Gabby out last night. I appreciate it.”

Leo scooped a huge serving of eggs. “Taco has a meeting with Julio’s team in half an hour. We’re getting warrants for Wilkinson’s computer, home, and wiretaps. We’re hoping he’ll lead us to some bigger fish. I think they’ll offer him a deal if he turns over state’s evidence.”

Taco took the bowl from Leo and plopped out a healthy portion before handing it to Patch. “I know Gabby’s still working and turning stuff in. Matthew’s watching her computer. How’s she handling the stress?”

Everyone turned to Knight. “They’re having a luncheon on Friday for her friend, Jackie. She wants to attend even after I explained the risks involved. She wants to see if she can pull stuff from the computer on the lower floor.”

Patch handed the eggs to Knight. “I say we allow her to go. We don’t want her to return to work there, and it would be understandable if her husband helped her attend the funeral luncheon. Knight can keep an eye on Gabby, and we can plant a micro camera to hear what’s going down. She can download the files, and we can get her out of there.”

Leo stopped stuffing his mouth, considering Patch’s suggestion. “The idea has merit. You can bet someone’s watching for her. Knight can return to her old apartment with her. We can position half the team there and the other half tail Knight for the luncheon.”

Shaking his head, Knight handed Doc the food. “No. What if they try something like running her off the road again? I don’t want her put at risk. She’s entering her eighth month. If something happened to her or the baby…”

“We’ll prevent anything from happening on the road. You’ll stay by her side while she attends the luncheon. They’ll understand why she doesn’t stay long, especially if Doc can help us make her injuries appear more substantial. They’d appear like asses to request a pregnant woman, who recently suffered a car accident to come into the office to work.”

Matthew chimed in, “She’s a valuable employee because they’re allowing her to work from home. I checked the records of everyone employed there. She’s the only accounting manager with permission to work from home, along with Jackie. As long as she puts in her time, I don’t see them asking her to appear when she’s injured. They want to play this cool until she returns. Too many accidents might bring up questions they don’t want to have to answer.”

Leo grabbed a piece of bacon and buttered his toast. “Taco will report what Julio’s team decided. We’ll go with the story, the agents received an anonymous tip and acted quickly. Since we’ve worked with the task force and the FBI in the past, it’s a plausible story of why his team came to us for assistance. We’ll read the task force in at the last minute with a plan in place.”

“Is there any word about Rebecca’s whereabouts? I’m concerned about her going dark after the phone call on Christmas Day. What does Julio say about it?” Shadow asked as he grabbed some bacon and a slice of ham.

Leo glanced at his men. “Ivan has one of the dirty agents, who we believe knows Rebecca’s location. Julio’s following the leads from what he’s confessed to Ivan’s men. With someone keeping tabs on Julio, he’s had to move discreetly. Matthew’s doing leg work from a burner phone Julio’s using. Hopefully, we’ll get some news soon,” Leo informed the men. “When Matthew finishes putting the pieces together here, I’m assigning him to help search for Rebecca. She’s vouched for this team and we owe her. I don’t like her out there alone. We’re searching for a replacement for Matthew, preferably before he leaves for Texas. I want someone who can do everything he does. Keep your ears to the ground. We’ll want to snatch someone with his abilities as soon as possible. Saint, what did you want to discuss?”

Saint glanced at Knight. “Gabby doesn’t appear excited about the baby. Knight asked for our help in setting up a temporary nursery.”

Leo set his coffee cup on the table. “I can lend you plenty of advice?—”

“We got it handled, chief.” Whiskey interrupted. “We shared all of your helpful advice.” He turned to Knight and winked. “Claire mentioned you have an appointment with her this afternoon. We can go into Serenity this morning and help you pick a few items. We can order the crib for pick up and send one of the men.”

“Do you know what Gabby wants?” Patch asked as he snatched the last piece of bacon before Leo, making the leader scowl.

Knight pinched his nose. “She doesn’t want to discuss anything concerning the baby with me. I overheard her confiding to Saint about a jungle themed room. I want her to have a semblance of it. Plus, I don’t want her returning to her apartment. Even if she decides we’re over, I’ll help her find a safer place to live.”

Saint clasped his shoulder. “I know it feels like shit. Stay focused on her needs and the baby. When you show up consistently, she’ll see you’re committed.”

Patch grunted. “And follow Claire’s instructions to a T. No more shortcuts. If you need help, you ask.”

Knight faced the men. “I need your help. My last assignment changed me, and I blamed her for trying to tell me by picking fights to keep from facing the truth. Claire says she can help me if I’m willing to do the work.” He glanced in Patch’s direction. “Thank you for watching over us last night. I hope if I do the work I can not only gain Gabby’s trust but earn the respect of this team.”

Leo clasped his hands in front of him, his mouth firmed as he focused on Knight. “We’ve all fucked up. Step one is owning up to it. Step two is doing something about it. Let’s see what you do next.”

Knight blew out a relieved breath. “I’ll do my best.”

“We can head to town and get some items now. I don’t start my shift for another four hours. We can come back here and order anything online we can’t get in town,” Saint offered.

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