Page 123 of Protected from Malice
“It’s too bad Maya couldn’t come,” Hanna remarks.
“Yeah.” Cole nods. “But with her getting close to her due date, it just seemed safer for her to stay home. She sends her best wishes, though. And she told me to invite you guys to visit. Which Hanna and Finn did already.”
Cole casts one last glance around the living room. Then he lifts his chin at me and Ace. “So. If everyone’s here. Are you ready?”
“Ready whenever you are,” I reply.
“Same,” Ace agrees. “This is your show, Cole. Wheneveryou’reready.”
“Not exactly.” Cole grins. “I’m just getting it started. Then it’s all yours.” With that said, he walks to the center of the room and whistles loudly.
Everyone in the room goes silent and turns towards Cole. “Well.” He chuckles. “That was easy.”
“We’re eager for the announcement,” Erik calls out. “Not because we want to hear you talk, necessarily.”
Chuckles ripple through the room. But no one takes what Erik said seriously. We all know that Erik and Cole are good friends, and that’s just something buddies do. Rib on each other.
“That’s what Clara tells me,” Cole says with a laugh. “Get to the good stuff, Daddy.” He smiles proudly. “Only three years old and she already knows the value of getting straight to the point.”
Eden squeezes closer to me. She whispers, “Are you excited?”
“I am. Are you?”
“Yes.” Her lips brush my cheek. “I’m excited for you and Indy. And—” She stops as Cole clears his throat.
“So,” Cole continues. “I think everyone knows why we’re here, but I think it’s important to make the official announcement. And really, I think it’s important to have friends together to celebrate something like this. So I appreciate you guys making the trip all the way out here.”
A chorus of ‘of course’s and ‘wouldn’t miss it’s follow.
“You know Blade and Arrow has grown a lot since I started it eight years ago,” Cole explains. “When we couldn’t keep up with demand, we started the Bravo Team, and it’s been doing great out in San Antonio.” He casts a smile in the direction of Dante, Rhiannon, and Erik. “But the demand is still growing. And I hate having to turn people who need our help away.”
Eden leans against me and rests her head on my shoulder. A curl tickles my chin.
“I’d been thinking about another branch for a while,” Cole continues. “I wasn’t sure where, although I had an idea of who I wanted for it.” This time he searches out me, Ace, Indy, Tyler, and Webb. “Then a member of the Blade and Arrow family ended up in trouble. So it made sense to ask those people to help.
“Of course,” he adds, “Indy and Rafe would have been there anyway. But Webb, Ace, and Tyler could have said no.”
“Never,” Ace interjects. “If a brother needs help, I’ll always be there.”
“Same,” echoes Webb.
“Ditto,” adds Tyler.
Cole smiles. “I know. But seeing how you guys worked together, knowing how skilled you all are… And now that two of you are settling in the Portland area, it just makes sense to start a new branch out on the West coast.”
The room breaks into applause. Once it subsides, Cole continues. “This team will be a little different than the others. We’re not going to advertise their services. They’re only going to take jobs on referral—either through Blade and Arrow or some of our other contacts around the country. The reason for that became clear recently.”
He pauses. “Sometimes we need to use more… unconventional methods to get the job done. Methods some people might be uncomfortable with. But everyone in this room knows firsthand that traditional methods don’t always ensurejustice is served. They don’t always protect the people who truly need it. And that’s why we’re starting the Shadow Team.”
Another round of applause erupts. Eden hugs me hard.
“These guys—Rafe, Indy, Webb, Ace, and Tyler—will work in the shadows, so to speak.” Cole chuckles at the scattered groans that ensue. “Yes, I know how it sounds. But I really think it’s a fitting name. This team… they won’t always be seen. We won’t want them to be.”
Excitement swells in my chest at his words.
A new team.
A new way to make a difference.
