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"Bite your tongue." Matt shook his head. "I don't want her anywhere near this. I about had a heart attack when she told me about saving Lenora. Besides, I think she's happy back east. I'm not sure she'll ever move back to California. She's made friends there. Time will tell, but I don't get the sense she wants to run a team."
"I agree," Xander spoke with his mouth full of burrito.
"So are we done here?" Matt asked.
"I'm not sure. I thought we'd hold a meeting once everyone wakes up. I feel like we're leaving so many pedophiles behind, but this is just too big for us. We can't go after Diaz, but I'd really hoped to do more to stop some of what's going on here." Bryon stood to pour himself another cup of coffee.
"We've stopped at least a couple of the CPS workers and a bad foster home. That's a dent at least," Matt said.
"It is, but hardly noticeable with the crime in this city. I wish we could just walk into Diaz's compound and take the whole thing down. We've cut off one arm of their business, but there are probably a hundred more we don't know about." Bryon was frustrated. Right now, there were innocent kids being tortured and he could do nothing about it. "We'll see what they found on the thumb drive you brought us last night. If there's nothing there, we'll plan on heading home." He glanced at Matt. "So you'll talk to Geo today?"
"Yeah, we thought we'd give him a chance to wake up, then ask him to talk to us. We should have his answer by tonight. At least we hope to." Matt slapped Xander's hand as he reached over to steal some of his burritos.
"I'll see what we've found on Tera," Matt said.
"We feel bad not taking her too, but—" Xander started.
"You don't have to explain. I get it. The kids are day and night different. Geo fits your lifestyle. You've raised your little girl, now you're ready for a boy. Don't feel guilty. I'll find her a good home." Bryon did understand. They'd bonded with Geo. It was easy to connect with one person and not another. He wouldn't want them to take her on too if they weren't comfortable doing so.
Xander nodded. "Thanks for understanding. I just hope she does."
"She'll be fine. We'll find her a loving home. We haven't even started to look. We're trying to get her background tied down first. It does look like her grandmother was her only blood relative. When she died, there wasn't anyone else. Parson is working on it. He'll come through for her."
Xander took his empty plate to the sink and rinsed it. "I think I'm going to go nap."
"I think I'll join you." Matt looked at Bryon. "Wake us if you hold a meeting. We won't be out long. We want to talk to Geo before it gets too late. If he doesn't want to go with us, we'll have to rush to find him a home here."
"If you're not up by eleven, I'll knock," Bryon promised. As he watched the two men head out of the kitchen, he was proud of their decision. He'd gathered a fantastic group of men and women to run his team. They might not be able to save all the kids, but they could save a few and that was all that mattered.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Bryon was sitting by the pool looking over a file that Carter had given him containing some of the information found on Ron's computer the night before. There wasn't too much there. A few names they were already aware of, some very illegal images, and some very interesting banking information. If they'd only had the time to drain the accounts and make it look as if they never existed before they'd gone in. They'd have to skip the financial gain this time around. He glanced up as Matt, Xander, and Geo walked out, all of them in their swim trunks. "You're going to turn into a fish soon with all the swimming you guys do."
Geo laughed and sucked in his lips as a fish would.
"We thought we'd come out and talk. Care to join us?" Xander asked.
"I'll soak my feet." Bryon kicked off the sandals he was wearing. The shorts he wore went to the middle of his thighs. "You sure you want company?"
"You need to hear this anyway. Easier to hear it now than have to tell you later." Xander hip-bumped Geo, sending him flying into the pool.
Geo came up gasping for air. "That wasn't fair."
"I never said I played fair." Xander dove into the water.
Matt rolled his eyes. "I don't know why I put up with them."
"Because you love them." Bryon grinned as he sat down on the edge of the pool and sank his feet into the water.
"Maybe." He jumped into the pool, splashing Bryon with the backsplash.
"Thanks for that." Bryon wiped his face when Matt glanced over at him.
Matt laughed. "A little sorry, but not much." He quickly swam away, going after Geo who was halfway across the pool.
Xander leaned against the edge of the pool. "I'm actually nervous. What if he says no?"
"Then we have to accept his wishes. I think he'll see what a great thing you're offering. He likes the two of you. He knows what he'd be giving up." Bryon watched as Matt and Geo wrestled.
