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The next day, Caleb followed Wander and Roman into the conference room and sat at the large wooden table. The other team members filed in, not hiding their looks of curiosity. Roman was a district attorney in Boston. Were whatever problems he was facing related to his work?

Wander stood at the head of the table, his expression grim. “We have a new case involving my brother, Roman.”

Roman gave a tense smile and nod of acknowledgment.

“Roman’s life is in danger.” Wander’s statement was blunt, the weight behind it heavy enough to silence the room. “That’s why he’s here. We need to figure out who’s threatening him and how to stop them.”

Roman held up a hand. “Now wait a minute. I wouldn’t go that far…”

Wander silenced him with a look. “You can downplay it all you want, but we both know how serious this is. Someone is targeting you. Let’s start from the beginning and bring the team up to speed.”

Caleb sat up straight. Someone was threatening a DA? Why wasn’t that a case for the FBI? But Caleb knew better than to ask questions before he had all the information.

A muscle ticked in Roman’s jaw. “Fine,” he said, his voice low. “But I can’t share every detail of my cases at work because of the ethical boundaries I have to maintain.”

“Understood. We’ll work with what you can give us.”

Roman clasped his hands on the table. The air in the conference room felt heavy, thick with anticipation and something darker—fear, maybe? “In the past few months, I’ve received threatening messages. All anonymous, of course. Voicemails from an unknown, disguised number with a distorted voice. Texts and live calls. All very vague but menacing. The message is ‘drop the case or else.’”

So it was work-related. But did Roman know what case? Again, not something Caleb was gonna ask at this point.

“Letters too. Photos. Someone’s tailing me, but I already sensed that before I received that first picture. Then my apartment was broken into, everything torn apart, but nothing seemed to be taken.”

Roman’s voice was clipped and professional despite the shadows in his eyes.

“Could you determine a point of entry?” Ryan asked.

“No. The door was still locked, windows all intact. I have no clue how they got in and out.”

“And I assume you don’t have a security system?”

“I do, but it was off-line during the break-in. Very convenient.”

Also very professional. Not the work of casual burglars.

Roman rubbed the back of his neck. “And there’s been an online smear campaign against me. Weird social media posts with fabricated pictures that accuse me of being a pedophile, of paying women for sex, of being bribed to drop certain cases. One ran a completely made-up interview with my ex-wife, Yolanda. Those have been hard to deal with, to be honest. They’re attacking my character and integrity.”

When Roman finished, silence fell again, a pregnant pause. Wander leaned forward, elbows on the table, a storm brewing in his steady gaze. “There’s more,” he said tersely.

Roman shot him a glare that could slice steel. “Wander…”

“Come on.” Wander’s tone brooked no argument. “If we’re doing this, we’re not holding back.”

“Fine.” Roman relented with a scowl. “But I’m warning you, it’s gonna make me sound like I’m losing my mind.”

Caleb’s gut twisted. Losing his mind? What the hell was going on?

“Two weeks ago,” Roman said, voice sharp with bitterness, “my secretary quit. Accused me of sending her inappropriate messages.”

He fisted his hands, knuckles white, and tightened his jaw, the lines around his mouth deepening. Caleb might’ve just met the man, but no way would he send messages like that. It didn’t vibe at all with his professional demeanor and the ethics he’d displayed so far. Would a man who was that concerned about consent do that? Caleb didn’t buy it.

“Did she have proof?” Ryan’s question cut through the tension, direct and unyielding.

“I was in back-to-back meetings when she said the messages were sent. I have witnesses and security footage. Hell, my phone records don’t lie.”

“Someone spoofed your phone,” Caleb said. “Made it look like the messages were coming from you.”

“Someone also gained access to my laptop. Files were moved around overnight, turning my whole filing system upside down, but nothing was deleted. My laptop is encrypted and password-protected, so I have no idea how anyone got in.”

Caleb leaned forward. This was getting intriguing. “Was your laptop ever out of your possession? At a repair shop or anything?”

“No, never.”

“Do you use public Wi-Fi?”

People underestimated the risk of using unsecured networks and the many ways in which those could be exploited by someone with the right tools and enough malice.

“Not with that laptop. My personal one when I have to, but never for work-related stuff. Not on my phone either.”

Caleb nodded, considering the implications. Whoever was behind this had serious skills.

“Tell ‘em about the crash,” Wander said.

There was still more? Holy shit.

“A few weeks ago, I went to bed feeling unwell and woke up in the morning super groggy and with a massive headache. Later that day, my insurance company called. They were handling the claim from the person I’d hit. I had no clue what they were referring to, and they sent me a copy of an accident report I apparently filled out after rear-ending another driver. My car did have minor damage, and the report is in my handwriting and has my insurance details and signature, but I have no recollection of driving that night.”

“What the actual fuck?” Ryan said, and that summed it up perfectly. What the actual fuck, indeed. How was that even possible? Now Caleb understood why Roman had feared they’d question his sanity.

The team members stayed silent, each processing the gravity of what they were up against. Roman’s career, his reputation, his very sense of self—they were all being targeted with a precision that left Caleb’s skin crawling.

“Someone’s playing games,” Wander said, eyes hard as flint. “Games with the intent to destroy Roman.”

“Who has that kind of reach?” Jonah’s question hung in the air, heavy as lead. “Because this is some high-level mindfuckery.”

“My work…” Roman said slowly, weighing his words carefully. “I’ve been building a case against Senator Whitman. Corruption charges.”

“Whitman?” Caleb felt as if he’d been sucker-punched. The Massachusetts senator was a big name. Hell, he was rumored to run for president in the next election.

“Can’t give details,” Roman said. “Ethics and all that.”

“Ethics don’t mean squat to someone trying to kill you,” Ryan spat out.

“Or frame you,” Caleb said quietly. In his mind, the pieces slotted together, forming a picture that was both terrifying and enraging.

Wander silenced the room with a look. “Can you give us the gist and scope of the investigation?”

“We’re talking kickbacks on local, county, and state level, maybe even federal. Substantial amounts of money. Plus, money laundering, blackmail, and that’s just scratching the surface. By the time I’m done, Whitman will spend the rest of his life in prison.”

Ryan shook his head. “No wonder you’re in hot water. That is one powerful mofo we’re dealing with. How many people know about you investigating him?”

“More than I’m comfortable with, unfortunately.” Roman let out a heavy sigh. “It’s been an extensive case, over a year in the making. I’ve been working closely with the FBI, and they have talked to countless witnesses, so I’m sure word got around. Plus, I’ve had to loop in staff and experts in and out of my office. I have no proof that Whitman’s behind it, but it seems likely, given the timing. His is the biggest case I’ve worked on for the last year.”

“Have you involved law enforcement?” Lowell asked.

“I talked to the FBI about the threatening messages and the surveillance. They were unable to find out who was behind it. And yes, they’re well aware of the Whitman case, as I’m working closely with them on this.”

“But not about the rest?” Ryan asked.

Roman spread his hands helplessly. “I have no proof of any of it. How do I prove my laptop was messed with? Nothing was deleted. And if I tell them about the car crash, they’ll think I’m mad.”

He did have a point, which was probably why whoever was targeting him had employed these tactics. They made Roman question himself, which was a powerful weapon.

“Plus,” Roman added, “Whitman has connections everywhere, including within the police. I don’t know who I can trust.”

“Feels like someone’s trying to break you,” Caleb observed, his voice grim.

“Well, they’re not gonna succeed. Not while we’re on the job, yeah?” Wander said. “So let’s get to work. We need to be careful. I know it’s easy to point fingers at Whitman, but we can’t tunnel-vision on him.” He surveyed the room. “Here’s what I propose. Ryan and Alex, I want you to compile a detailed timeline of every threat and concerning incident Roman has experienced. Look for any patterns or inconsistencies, any clues. Roman, make sure to give them all the information you have. Every detail, no matter how insignificant it might seem, could give us a clue.”

“On it,” Ryan said.

“Lowell and Jonah, I need you to do a security review of this house and Roman’s apartment in Boston. Identify any weak spots and install additional surveillance measures.”

The men nodded, jotting down notes.

Wander addressed Caleb. “Caleb, can you look into the messages Roman’s secretary received? See if you can trace their origin. And see what you can find out about that file incident.”

“On it.” Caleb’s fingers were itching to do something to help Roman.

“My top priority is keeping you safe while we get to the bottom of this.” Wander turned back to Roman. “You’ll stay with us until the threat has been definitively neutralized. We’ll maintain round-the-clock protection.”

Roman nodded, relief evident on his face. “Thank you, all. I appreciate your help more than you know. But please be vigilant. If Whitman is behind this, you’re all at risk now too.”

A solemn silence fell over the room as the weight of his words sank in. Considering the trouble Roman was dealing with, that was not an empty statement.

“Wouldn’t be a regular day if someone didn’t have it out for us.” Ryan shrugged. “We’d better keep our saddles oiled and our guns greased, as my momma would say.”

Caleb snorted. “What the fuck does that even mean?”

Ryan quirked an eyebrow, and that simple gesture was enough to wipe the smile off Caleb’s face. “You saying my momma is talking nonsense?”

“No, Sir. I was merely asking what it meant.”

“Get off the poor kid’s ass, Ry.” Alex bumped his boyfriend’s shoulder. “None of us speak Texan. I have no clue what that means either.”

“That we should be prepared and stay vigilant,” Ryan said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. It so wasn’t, but Caleb wasn’t dumb enough to point that out.

“Enough chitchat.” Wander rose from his chair. “Let’s get to work and solve this case.”

Damn straight.