“And next time, knock first, or I’ll put your head through my wall.” That Jack didn’t look like he was kidding occurred to Josh and Ian.
“Uh, right. Sorry. Won’t happen again.” Ian disappeared in a heartbeat.
Josh chuckled. “Well, Mr. Grant, nice to see your disposition is the same as the last time I saw you.”
The guy smirked and closed the door behind Josh. “Have a seat, Cannon.” Josh did and waited for Jack. “So you think you’re taking my Chloe, hmm?” Jack sat, leaned back in his chair, and linked his hands behind his head.
“Jesus, what do they feed you guys around here?” He couldn’t believe the size of Chloe’s boss. Seated, he should have looked smaller. But Josh had seen bears with less breadth.
“If you know anything about the PWP, you know we have to work out to keep our abilities in check. Some of us need it more than others.” He paused. “I take it Chloe’s working out regularly.”
Josh couldn’t help smiling. “Oh yeah.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Ah, to be young again.”
The guy couldn’t have been more than ten years older than Josh, but he acted like he was ancient. Josh shrugged. “I just thought I’d swing by and check out Chloe’s work. She’s hanging with my brother right now. And I wanted to talk to you about her situation.”
Jack leaned forward. “You’re done with the Werlins, right? Price and Foreman evened the playing field?”
“Ah, well…” Josh didn’t bother lying, not when he saw through Jack’s blasé question. “You sent them.”
“I might have left out her coordinates so that anyone with little regard to privacy could steal them.”
Josh grinned. “They don’t know you set them up.”
“Yes, and the thought that I might know they disobeyed my orders will torture them for days.” Jack shook his head. “Keegan’s such a pain in my ass. But he and Foreman are a real go-to team to get the job done.” He paused. “You’re not planning on joining us, are you?”
“Nope.”
“And you’re not going to try to make Chloe leave?”
“Not at all. I just wanted to come by and say hi. I didn’t realize you were her boss.”
“She’s dictatorial, short, and has a big mouth.”
“Yeah, and she’s mine. Mine and Xavier’s,” Josh warned.
Jack didn’t so much as blink. “I thought so. I knew you Cannons would be a problem at some point. Stealing my best night manager. I suppose you’re going to expect me to switch her out to days.”
“Only if she wants it. She’s high on the real job you guys do, and she needs to keep doing it.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed. “Oh?”
“Yeah, oh. Her voices and mine like to talk. She’s happy here, so she stays. The minute she wants out, she’s gone.” Josh wasn’t making an idle threat. Jack needed to know that Chloe was part of something more than his team.
To Josh’s surprise, Jack didn’t argue. “I can live with that. We’re not government anymore, Josh. I tried to tell your father that before we arrived. I don’t think he believed me.” Jack’s lips twitched. “Stubborn bastard. Just like his sons. I wish you the best with Chloe.” His eyes crinkled, and an honest-to-God smile curled his mouth. “She’s a pistol. And she deserves to be cared for. Screw with her, and she’ll make your life a living hell. Not to mention what the guys here will do to you.”
Josh smiled. “I gathered that. I met Ian. I don’t think you need to say anymore.”
“Yeah. He’s little but a real annoyance.” Jack sighed. “But look, if you guys ever need anything, call me.”
“Same goes. The Cannons are at your disposal.” The offer was anything but casual, and the gleam in Jack’s eyes told Josh he knew it.
“Damn. The old man sent you, didn’t he?”
Josh stood. “He might have mentioned I should stop by. He’s been on me for weeks to sign up for a membership. My application is upstairs with some Neanderthal named Nathan. Your staff has a lot of attitude. Might want to work on that.”
Jack sighed. “I’m trying. Believe me. Wait one.” Jack grabbed a file from his desk and handed it to Josh. “While you three have been fending off some bullies in the mountains, my guys have done some digging into Psycho Stan. Read up on him.
We’ve got a serious problem that needs to be handled. I’m giving you, your brother, and Chloe the benefit of the doubt on this. But don’t think for a minute my team won’t be with you when we take him down.”
Josh gripped the file in hand, frustrated he’d have to wait to read it until he got home. God forbid he see something vital without Chloe present. She’d probably gut him like a fish. “Thanks, Jack. I’ll let you know what we plan as soon as we work out the details.”
Jack nodded and walked him out of the office and back upstairs. The other staffers watched him with caution while Josh shared the story of Chloe berating his brother for nearly getting himself killed, when she’d been in just as much danger.
“That’s our Chloe. She gets annoyed when the people she loves are in danger.” Josh brightened at the thought. “That she does.” They paused at the front desk, where Ian and Nathan pretended to be heavily occupied with something on the computer.
“Tell her I’ll see her first thing after New Year’s.” Jack grew serious. “There’s just one other thing to take care of before she comes back.”
“It’s being handled.”
“You don’t need any help with that?”
Josh glanced over to see Ian and Nathan no longer pretending not to eavesdrop. The pair looked fierce, no doubt aware he and Jack discussed Chloe’s stalker. “Nope. Xavier and I have it covered. Chloe’s voices don’t fuck around when it comes to her safety.”
Jack nodded, looking more than satisfied. “That’s what I thought.
Outstanding.” To Nathan, he barked, “Set him and his brother up. Waive the application fee. First month is on us as well.” Nathan blinked at Josh and grinned. “Sure thing, boss.” He turned to Josh. “So you and your brother are twins, hmm?”
Ian chuckled. Jack grumbled and left.
Josh explained in no uncertain terms, “We’re Chloe’s. Both of us.”
“That lucky, lucky girl.” Nathan winked, purposely baiting him.
Then Avery returned. “Hey, anybody here have a sudden hankering for gum?” Chloe tapped her foot as Xavier tried to wriggle out of another excuse. Hanging around in his parents’ house wasn’t going to save him from an argument.
“I want to know where he went, Xavier.”
“Baby, we’re just trying to protect you.”
“Dammit. I don’t need protection. I keep telling you that, but—” His father passed through the dining room, whistling. She waited until he left before she yelled at Xavier again. This time without making a sound.
“Enough is enough. No one has seen this guy anywhere. We need to draw him out, and you know I’m right.”
“But you in danger… I can’t do it. On the job, I get. But knowingly setting you up when we’ve seen him hurt you?” Xavier drew her close for a hug and laid his forehead against hers. “Honey, I’m in love with you. I can’t lose you now.”
“You won’t.”
Mike passed through again. Whistling even louder.
“Why does he keep doing that?”
Xavier grinned. “He’s trying to save my ass from doing something stupid and scaring you away for good.”
She grinned with him. “Well, he’s not very subtle,” she said aloud.
The whistling ceased.
“Xavier, I promise. We’ll take every precaution, but I can’t sit around while the major holidays and the rest of life bypass us. Hell, Christmas is in two days, and I still haven’t gotten anyone anything.”