Page 10 of Sawyer (Sabre Security Daddies #6)

O f course, Reid called as soon as Sawyer left the bar.

He ignored it until he got home. He’d needed time to calm down and figure out his next move.

Since the cameras he’d installed in the video bar and Lele’s great room fed to Sabre Security at the warehouse in Darling, too, he’d expected the call as soon as things had started going south.

Not able to put it off any longer, he pulled up the feed of Lele at the bar, then called his boss before the bastard could call him again. He loved the guy, but sometimes he wondered how Winnie, his Little girl, put up with him.

Reid answered on the first ring and didn’t waste time on pleasantries. “About damn time. Everyone’s here, and I do mean everyone.”

Sawyer changed the camera at Sabre to a wide shot and grinned. “Hello, ladies. How are the Musketiaras doing today?”

“We’d be doing better if everyone wasn’t so grumpy,” Georgia said.

Hutch sighed. “You are not going hunting for yeti in Alaska. ”

“But, Daddy, that’s completely unreasonable, so I know you don’t mean it.”

Hutch glared at his thrill-seeking Little girl. “Oh, I mean it. And I’m going to mean the spanking you get when Sabre’s meeting is over, too. And you can tuck that lip right back in where it belongs.”

“But I could have been the one to get proof that yetis exist. They don’t hurt people. I know they don’t because I read it on the scientific website.”

Deke laughed. “You found scientific sites about yeti? I want to see that.”

Suzi bounced up and down on Deke’s knee. “Me, too. Maybe I could interview you for an upcoming article in The Daily Nugget .”

“That would be awesome!” Georgia said.

Hutch stared at the ceiling. Yeah, Sawyer had looked for patience there, too. Hutch turned his gaze to Suzi. “Don’t encourage her. It’s hard enough to keep her from getting hurt as it is.”

“Daddy!” Georgia protested. “I told you. It’s not like the yetis would eat me. They’re vegetarian.”

“How about the polar bears, Peaches? Because they live there, too. And I’m pretty sure they eat Little girls as snacks.”

Law’s Little girl, Lovie, seemed confused. Not that Sawyer blamed her. He wasn’t even trying to follow the conversation. He just loved watching the women run rings around his brothers.

Reid tried to end the discussion. “We need to get to business, people.”

That was the last thing Sawyer wanted, so he did his part to keep the discussion going. The longer they talked about Bigfoot, the less time they’d have to talk about how colossally he’d fucked up. “Was there something you wanted to add, Lovie?”

Law gave him a middle finger salute. Lovie leaned back against her Daddy and said, “No, not anything important. It’s just… I once re ad that yetis only live in the Himalayan mountains. The creature in Alaska is called a Tornit.”

Georgia flopped back in her chair. “Well, I don’t guess I need to go to Alaska then.”

Hutch nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. But you’re still getting a spanking.”

“You didn’t let me finish, Daddy. I don’t need to go to Alaska. I need to go to the Himalayas.”

And Hutch was back to staring at the ceiling. “Fuck.”

“The creature in Alaska is also called the Hairy Man,” Lovie added.

Reid thumped the table with his fist, not that it got the girl’s attention. “The next one to talk about anything other than Sawyer’s situation is in big trouble.”

Winnie obviously didn’t hear her Daddy, even though she sat on his lap.

She giggled from where she sat on Reid’s lap.

“We don’t need to go to Alaska for hairy men.

” She tugged on Reid’s beard. “We have hairy men right here in Darling.” Apparently, that was all Reid was willing to take. “Corner. Now.”

“Daddy!” Winnie said. “That’s not fair. I was only teasing. You don’t have to be such a bear.”

He didn’t know what the big deal was. Reid did look like a bear, and he could damn sure growl like one.

Reid let out a sigh. “Fine. But the next one who mentions any mythological beasts is going straight into the corner. I want an update on what’s going on with Lele Cortez. Now.”

Okay, so playtime was over. Sawyer cleared his throat. “I don’t think the girls should be here for this. I have things to talk about they don’t need to hear.”

“That’s a good idea. Zane, take the women to the craft room and make sure they have plenty of water and snacks.”

“On it,” Zane said, pushing up from his chair. “Ladies, let's find something better to do.” The women scowled as they left the room. Sawyer didn’t envy the kid’s job.

“Is he keeping up with his classes?” Sawyer asked.

Zane, Lovie’s younger brother, hung out at the Warehouse most days now.

He’d moved in with Sawyer when Lovie moved in with Law to give them some privacy.

Sawyer liked the kid. He had a good heart, and he was good with computers.

Sawyer had been impressed, and he didn’t impress easily.

“Yeah,” Law said. “Now, quit stalling and tell us what’s going on. Did this Lele chick set Jaxon up or not?”

That was the big question, wasn’t it? One he didn’t have a handle on yet. “It’s complicated.”

“I agree,” Reid said. “And not just because of whatever you’re talking about. I got a call from Bones this morning. It’s not good.”

Sawyer’s body went on lockdown. There was only one reason Reid would call a meeting like this.

Bones had a contact who worked in Blackford Correction’s infirmary.

Had Jaxson taken a turn for the worse? He cast that thought aside.

Reid wouldn’t call a meeting for that. The shortness of Reid’s temper and the tightness around his eyes said something bad had happened.

Sawyer braced, and it was a good call.

There was no amusement in Reid’s tone now.

He was all business. “Bones’ contact at the Blackford Correctional Facility.

He called a few hours ago to let Bones know they’d ruled Jaxon’s stabbing an accident.

They say there were no threats made, and it looks like the shiv that was used might be Jaxon’s. ”

“Fuck!” Law yelled, shoving away from the table so hard it sent his chair flying backward. He stalked out. Deke stood to follow, but Reid stopped him.

“Give him a minute,” Reid said.

“That’s bullshit, bossman,” Deke growled. “Who the fuck makes a shiv and then goes to the cafeteria to off themselves?”

“I know, Deke. I get it. But we already knew the General and his minions had decided it was time to finish the job and take Jaxon out.”

Gage turned to look into the camera and speak to Sawyer. “Have you figured out how the Cortez girl plays into this? Can you get her to testify that she lied under oath?”

Sawyer watched six years of frustration pour out of his brothers.

Sawyer wasn’t like his brothers. Sawyer’s anger wasn’t hot. It was cold.

Years of being sent into the very worst of places to take out the vilest men on the planet had taught him there was a place for rage. Most people didn’t understand that.

Rage wasn’t an emotion. Rage was a fuel. Rage was purposeful with precision-like focus. It was surgical. Sawyer knew exactly how to channel rage to achieve a desired objective.

He’d taken too long. Moved too slowly coming up with a plan to get Jaxon out of that place. Too long making it happen.

He’d assumed Jaxon was safe. He’d assumed the General wouldn’t worry about his friend as long as he was behind bars.

He’d assumed that prison bars didn’t just keep Jaxon in. They also kept the enemy out. But he’d been wrong. And Jaxon had paid the price.

“Sawyer!” Reid’s voice came over the computer. It didn’t sound like it was the first time his boss had called his name.

“I’m here,” he answered. His voice was flat, devoid of all emotion. “I’m moving the time frame of my op forward. I wanted to go slow, but we obviously don’t have that luxury anymore.”

Reid nodded. Winnie cried softly, her face buried in Reid’s chest. “I’ll call you in a few hours. Changing the timeline is necessary. That doesn’t mean we need to change the whole plan. Do not do anything until we talk about it.”

Sawyer stared at the camera. “Copy that.”

He ended the call before Reid could call him on his shit. Reid wasn’t stupid. The man knew the difference between acknowledging he’d received the message with a ‘copy that,’ and agreeing to obey the command with a ‘roger that.’

Back at the house, he put his phone on silent and hit the shower. Twenty minutes later, he was ready. Grabbing his keys, he headed back to Videotopia. He’d been a team player for six damn years, and it had ended with Jaxon getting stabbed.

There were absolutely times when a team was necessary. The minute Jaxon got stabbed, this ceased to be one of those times. It was time for a more clandestine approach. There was no doubt in his mind he could get the information they needed. One way or another.

Nothing inside him wanted to hurt Lele. She may have made bad choices, but she’d also been hurt.

He was beginning to question her level of involvement, but she was no hardened criminal.

He had to separate the truth from the lies about who was responsible for sending Jaxon to prison. And he had to do it now.