Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Moving around the chair, he crouched down next to it, which was impressive considering how tight the pants were, and put a hand on George’s forearm and gently squeezed. After a moment, George’s eyes fluttered open. He looked at Sam, then me, and I noted how wary he looked before he noticed Ian. His relief was instant.
“Doyle,” he murmured.
“Hunt,” Ian replied, studying the face of the other man. “Were you cleared?”
“I was supposed to check in when I landed, but my ride didn’t show up.”
Hannah caught her breath and came charging out of the kitchen and across the room, slipping around the opposite side of the chair, back to perching on the arm of the couch beside George. “The van was stolen! It wasn’t my fault.”
“Since she’s not a flake,” George explained to Ian, ignoring Hannah’s pouting, “I figured something went wrong, because with her something always goes wrong.”
Ian nodded.
“So of course, I immediately went lookin’ for her.”
“Sure, but how did ya know where to go?”
“I got a tracker on her.”
“You got off the plane and came looking for me even before I left you that message?”
George turned from Ian to Hannah. “How do you think I got there so fast? Did ya think I teleported?”
“I––”
“Did you lock the van?” he interrogated my daughter.
She bit her bottom lip. “I’m going to say yes.”
His grunt was loud.
“How many ribs are broken?” Ian asked him.
“Four.”
“Four?” I gasped, because he’d lied to me.
“I didn’t want you to worry,” he replied, trying but failing to give me a smile.
“That’s not helpful,” I assured him.
He grimaced and returned his focus to Ian.
“Lemme call Collins and––”
“No,” George rasped, and his face scrunched up. “We lost him and Baker this time out.”
“Okay,” Ian husked, standing quickly, pulling out his phone and calling someone. “I need you in here.”
In moments the front door opened, and a man I didn’t know stepped into my living room. He was tall, blond, handsome, and directly on his heels was Josiah Redeker, who I had met when he’d accompanied Ian to my house on a previous occasion. It was funny how much he resembled Josh Hartnett when he starred in Penny Dreadful. His hand, lifted in greeting to me, was nice.
“Eli, you’ve got Callahan and Redeker here, and Dorsey and Ryan in the office when you get there. I’m going to County.” He lifted his head to look at Sam. “If that works for you, sir.”
Sam gave a quick nod, and when Ian stood to haul George to his feet, Sam helped so it was easier.
“Thank you for saving all my kids. I won’t forget it.”
“That’s my job, sir,” George assured Sam.
“No. You actually only have one kid to watch over, so I appreciate you playing guardian angel to all of them.”
George tipped his head at Hannah. “She should always, and I mean every single time, without question, wear that earpiece Mr. Sutter made for her.”
“Because it has a GPS tracker in it.”
“Yessir, that’s right.”
“I will make certain it’s always on when she leaves the house.”
“And about thanking me, if you could keep her out of my love life, we’ll call it even.”
“What did you just say?” Hannah was horrified.
Sam gave George’s shoulder a quick squeeze. “Absolutely.”
Ian put an arm around George’s waist, so carefully, and asked Hannah to grab his backpack next to the front door.
“I just want you to be happy,” she railed at George, even as she did as Ian asked.
“You’re invasive, like boa constrictors in the Florida Everglades,” he snapped, holding on to Ian with an arm around his shoulders.
“You just don’t communicate well,” she countered, her voice rising.
“And you ramble. Do you know that about yourself?”
“I do not ramble,” she announced defensively. “I’m just trying to get you to see the error of your ways in not agreeing to let me find you a suitable mate!”
I was going to tell her not to yell when George yelled back.
“I don’t need a mate! I have the damn cat you foisted on me!”
“Foisted?” she almost shrieked. “As if! I’ve seen you cuddling that kitten, so I don’t wanna hear it!”
“Pets are good,” Ian threw out absently, which had the effect of deflating their ire. Both of them turned to look at him and squinted.
“What? They are. I have a dog, so I know.”
“He’s right,” Hannah murmured, watching George intently. “Pets are the best, and so you know, when I was at your place feeding Bubs, I even bought you groceries.”
“No, no, no,” he whimpered. “What did you buy?”
“And as far as I could tell, you don’t have any moisturizer,” she answered, completely ignoring the question about what she had, or had not, stocked his refrigerator with.
George turned and looked at Ian.
“Let’s just focus on the hospital, all right?”
“I think I should go with you,” Hannah announced.
“Chief Deputy,” George wailed as Ian took him out the front door.