Page 39 of Relentless
Tia’s other brow went up. As glad as Ethan was that he and Kara had taken the next step in their relationship, he wasn’t blind to the benefits of having had her as a friend first. Because he hadn’t been the only Warwick that she’d befriended. Of course, their relationship was different from the start. But over the past several months, she’d grown close to most of his cousins. Close enough that he didn’t have to worry about her getting upset at the shit Cody gave her. He loved that she never hesitated to dish it right back, either.
“We’ll see,” she replied, shooting Cody a cool look. Then, turning her attention back to Mazi and Tia, she asked, “So what now?”
“We’ll have two people with you at all times,” Tia began. “It would be helpful if you both stayed together as much as possible. From what it sounds like, Kara, you are the potential target. But Ethan could be used to get to you. Staying together can reduce the chances of that happening.”
“That’s not going to be a problem,” Cody said. “Now that they are finally together, I can all but promise you they’ll be attached at the hip. And I don’t necessarily mean that metaphorically.”
Tia let out a little sigh, much like a parent might when they had a child trying their patience. Not reacting to Cody’s comment, she continued. “As far as I’m concerned, stay as attached as you can or want to. In whatever ways you can or want to. If you want to spend all your time on the bus, no one is going to judge. And it will actually make our jobs easier.”
“Cody is just jealous,” Ethan said.
His cousin snorted but didn’t say anything.
“If you want to go out, though, please let us know,” Tia continued. “We’ll try to be as unobtrusive as possible, but you hired us for a reason, and we need to be able to do our job. Which means sticking close to you.”
“I have zero issues with that,” Kara said.
Ethan was usually in Tia’s position, and being on the other side left him a little uneasy, but she was right. And his desire to keep Kara safe outweighed everything else.
“Neither do I,” he echoed.
Tia and Mazi eyed him, as if they weren’t sure whether to believe him or not. He couldn’t blame them. Doctors did not make the best patients, and he suspected it wasn’t any different for people in the protection business.
“I really don’t,” he said again, this time making sure to hold Tia’s gaze. “Kara’s safety is my top priority. Whatever it takes, I’m behind it 100 percent.”
Tia’s eyes searched his then she nodded. “Good, I’m glad to hear that. Mazi and Cass will take day shift and Anne and Bill the night. They may alter the rotations as we get underway, but we’ll keep you apprised of any changes.”
“And will they be here on the bus with us?” Kara asked.
“Subtle, Kara-babe,” Cody said.
“I still have a picture of your—”
“No, they won’t be staying on the bus with you,” Cody cut her off again. “At least they don’t with me.”
“We won’t,” Tia confirmed. “We’ll give you as much privacy as we can, but we will be close. We have cameras on the outsides of the buses and will monitor those electronically. We’ll also be patrolling the area on foot since it can get busy back here. Especially after a show. The one time we will be on the bus, though, is when we’re traveling from venue to venue. It wouldn’t make sense to have you on the road without protection.”
Kara considered this then nodded. “Thank you,” she said, directing her comment to the operatives, but also Cody.
Ethan let out a quiet sigh of relief when they took her comment as a signal that the conversation was over and they started to leave. His leg throbbed from so much sitting and the idea of crawling into the large bed in the back bedroom with Kara…well, he couldn’t think of anything he’d rather do.
“Is there anything else you need from us?” he asked.
“Pictures of the team. Those that aren’t dead,” Mazi said to Kara. “We don’t need yours, of course, but the others would be helpful.”
Kara scooted off the bench seat and Ethan followed. “If Kara doesn’t have them, I can get someone from HICC to send them over,” he said.
“I have them. I can send them in a few minutes, but I need your contact information,” Kara said. Tia nodded and took out her phone. A few seconds later, Kara’s phone beeped.
Standing beside her, he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. She sighed and leaned into him as she started scrolling through her photo album.
“How are you doing?” Cody asked her as the others filed out.
Her gaze came up, but it tracked the exiting operatives, and she didn’t respond right away. As soon as it was just the three of them on the bus, she answered. “I’ll be okay,” she said. “But that conversation just made it very real that someone I worked with, maybe even someone I call a friend, is a murderer.”
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
Kara satat the banquette and stared out the window. After Tia and her team left, she and Ethan had taken a long nap. Now she was eating a sandwich and watching the world go by. Dozens of people scurried around outside. Some carried equipment, some walkie-talkies, and some just an air of self-importance.
