Page 28 of Collision of Winters
Kayden couldn’t hide his anxiety. “You can’t know for sure he’s safe,” he said shakily. “You said you were gonna be safe too, and then you almost got blown to pieces.”
When we returned to DC, I was going to let Quin and Chris take a swing at me.
I didn’t lose my goddamn composure like this. Could I blame Kayden? It’d been an utter mindfuck of a day so far.
“This isn’t close combat,” I explained patiently. “Chris and his backup are taking every precaution available, and they will handle the problem from a safe distance.” Or thereabouts. I’d spilled enough. I wasn’t going to go into detail about our drone defense. “My guess is that we’ll hear from Quin tomorrow about the whole thing being over.”
Kayden swallowed again, and he dropped his gaze to the phone on the table.
“Did you bring me here to keep me safe?” he asked quietly.
“Partly.” I nodded. “The other reason is still very much legitimate. Chris and I have been planning an intervention since you were incarcerated.”
He looked over at me. “What about Yaya? Is she safe?”
I inclined my head. “We asked her to visit friends in Boston just in case.”
He nodded in acknowledgment and pulled up his leg, then wrapped his arms around it. “So all these years, Chris has been risking his life…”
I hated watching him try to make himself as small as possible, and I could no longer stay on my section of the couch. I got up and went over to sit next to him instead.
“He’s supposed to be a mall cop, Wade.”
I smiled sympathetically and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
I remembered the day Chris had shared that first lie with Kayden. He’d literally called himself a glorified mall cop.
“That wouldn’t have made him very happy,” I murmured. “When we get home, I’ll show you around the agency. We have trainee programs for logistics officers and coordinators, you know.”
He looked up at me, surprised. “You do? What do they do?”
I smiled at the curiosity and enthusiasm in his eyes.
As inappropriate as it was for me to think so, he was so goddamn beautiful. And adorable and?—
Get a grip.
I suppressed a sigh and scratched my forehead. “It depends on the level. We have senior officers who deploy with our operators, but you need military experience for that, not to mention a supportive family willing to let you take on higher risks, which you don’t have.” I took a great deal of pleasure in that cute grin of his. “Then there are our junior officers,” I went on. “They work domestically for the most part. They put together itineraries, routes, and schedules. Depending on the assignment, they also transport equipment or operators to various destinations.”
The more I talked, the greater Kayden’s excitement became. This was something he wanted badly.
“The trainee program for a junior officer is roughly six months,” I said. “You’ll essentially shadow officers to learn the ropes, and then Danny—whom you met at Quin’s—will be in charge of final testing. He’s the head of our trainees and recruits.”
“I remember that! He said he was like a principal, which finally makes sense.”
I chuckled. Poor boy. How had he not once Googled Hillcroft? We had educational programs and training for government officials too.
“He might be the best operator we’ve ever had,” I mentioned. “He and Emerson both, I should say.”
“Let’s not forget they’re hot as fuck too,” he added frankly. “Emerson is a total GILF.”
I lifted my eyebrows. “What does the G stand for?”
“Grandfather I’d like to?—”
“Okay, I get it.” I straightened and withdrew my arm. I didn’t need to know what kind of men he went for. Or who he defined as a grandfather. Emerson might have some twenty years on me, but he was a great friend of mine, and I didn’t want to reflect on why I got along best with the seniors of Hillcroft. “He only comes in part time as a consultant these days, and I’ll talk to him about a program for you. He can probably handle the interviews too.”
That one made him nervous. “Interviews? What if I fail?”
