Page 116 of The Best of Us

“Well, this makes me feel better.” Colin pulled at the drawstrings of the old, ratty-looking hoodie he’d tossed earlier, wearing it in place of the NYU shirt.

This morning felt like it was last week.

“Thank you,” he said while facing me.

The original goal wasn’t to protect his girlfriend, but I supposed we’d need to now. I’d have to arrange for her to be held somewhere safe after we picked up Jamie and Daniel.

When I felt a vibration in my pocket, I reached for my phone, assuming it was the security detail letting me know they’d arrived.

Hudson: I’m outside. I dropped Izzy off already.

Me: You didn’t have to be our escort.

Hudson: I know. I wanted to be.

Me: Thanks. You have backup?

Hudson: Of course. Boxed in by two other SUVs. Four Teamguys. Two are waiting in the garage by your private elevator.

Me: Good. Any news yet on those two fake cops?

Hudson: Izzy’s still working on it.

Me: K. Be down in a minute.

“It’s time to go.” I pocketed my phone and then went over to grab my stuff. “You all set?”

“I am,” Colin said, and Juliette echoed his response. “Can we wash the NYU shirt at your parents’ place, or would that be weird?”

How’d I tell him washing blood from clothes was a perfectly normal occurrence for my family? I went with, “It’s fine,” instead.

Colin offered to carry my rifle case, and nope, not happening. I handed him a bag with other gear in it—the kind that saved lives, not took them.

Once we returned to the office, I resecured the room and closed the bookshelves.

“How was your call with Lennon?” I asked while opening the top drawer of my desk, discreetly removing the Tiffany’s box to bring with me. With any luck, all of this insanity would be behind us by Juliette’s birthday so we could celebrate like a typical family would.

“She’s freaked out about what happened to us. Saw the news about the shooting, but our names weren’t mentioned, thanks to you.” He paused for a breath. “She chewed out her brother, and he swears he has no clue about any guys coming for us.”

I doubt that.

He side-eyed me as we started for the hall. “I didn’t steal anything, I swear.”

I wanted to believe that, and I was fairly certain I did. “I know.”

Relief washed over his face at my response.

“Everything will be fine,” I said as we walked. “I’ll get this handled. No more threats. No more attempted”—I swallowed, hating the word I had to say—“kidnappings. Then you can go to your new school and live the life of a carefree sixteen-year-old like you should have already been doing.”

“And you’ll keep Lennon safe, too, right?” He hit me with that question once we were inside the private elevator with our bags. “I need you to make me that promise.”

“I’d keep her safe no matter what. You get that, right?” I set down the rifle case to free my hand and placed it on his shoulder. “Because you care about her doesn’t change that. It’s just who I am.”

His chest fell as if a hundred pounds of weight had been relieved from it. “You’d have saved me at the rave even if I wasn’t your son?”

“Of course.” I nodded and pulled back my hand. “But I may not have lost my mind with worry quite how I did had you not been.” The same held true at the garage today.

A lopsided smile formed on his lips as the doors parted.

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