Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68369 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68369 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
The other week, she’d wanted to go swimming in the pool at Hillcroft, so she’d said she wanted to play water quals.
“My brand of fuckup, then,” he replied firmly. “I’m sure your brother would agree.”
“Undoubtedly.” Vince had been worse. At least I let the girl use glitter markers. “Speaking of brothers…” I brought us back on track.
“Right.” He sat forward a bit. “Last year, Ryan brought something to my attention, but it wasn’t enough for me to push the kid for answers he’s not obligated to share with anyone. It’s his life.” He cleared his throat. “Fast-forward to just last week. Gage was supposed to come home for the holidays, and then Gray was on the phone with him. He mentioned what’s been going on here, with Leighton joining the family, that he’s a recruit at Hillcroft, and…yeah. Then two days ago, Gage called their mom and said he’s sick. He won’t be here.”
“All right,” I said slowly. “I’m assuming there’s gonna be a Hillcroft connection somewhere.”
He inclined his head. “He’s certainly heard me mentionin’ Hillcroft over the years. It wouldn’t be difficult for Gage to find the place if he, for some reason or other, decided to switch careers.”
In other words, he wondered if we had a Gage at Hillcroft…?
Not only was I not allowed to share that information, but I was usually shit with first names. Gage didn’t ring a bell. He could also be working under an alias.
“Has he mentioned anything about switching careers?” I asked.
Darius shook his head. “He claims he’s a car mechanic. He also claims that he lives in Vancouver—which he used to. Gray and I helped him move once, but it’s been years since anyone visited. He always comes here, and he’s got creative excuses each time someone suggests driving up to see him.”
I furrowed my brow. “It would take you about ten minutes to figure out if he lives there—and where he works. Three if you call your sister.”
He laughed through his nose and lifted his mug. “I’m tryna respect his privacy. It’s his choice if he wants to become an operator. I won’t dig for dirt. But I figured I could ask my nephew’s boyfriend a simple question.”
I nodded slowly and finished my coffee in two quick swallows.
Then I sat back and threaded my fingers across my stomach.
“I know you’re not at liberty to divulge anythin’,” he said.
That was the case. But since I hadn’t heard of a Gage, that I could remember…I shrugged. “I’ll be honest enough and say his name doesn’t ring a bell.”
The sound of giggles reached my ears, and I looked out over the yard and saw Alex and the little girl—Cass? They ran along the stream. Darius and Gray’s daughter was younger than Alex by at least a couple years, but they clearly got along.
Darius spoke up again. “What about Gage Nolan?”
Well, shit.
I’d never let my facial expression give anything away, including now. I turned back to Darius and went for pensive, as if I was racking my brain to remember anyone by that name.
I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I wasn’t allowed to share anything, period. Just like Reese hadn’t been allowed to divulge anything to confirm my suspicion about the Quinn family. And this was family.
I knew Operator Nolan. I’d fucking been there when he’d graduated. I hadn’t been his mentor, but I’d been one of several senior operators to guide him through our final selection in Ecuador.
That was one of the years we’d had so few applicants that we’d accepted recruits without military experience. Which we hadn’t done in ages before then. But even so, he’d proved himself. We’d had a shit-ton of dropouts that year, and he’d soared to the top on determination and anger.
Anger he was still in therapy for. Now it made me wonder what the anger was about. I mean, it couldn’t have been noteworthy enough to pull him back; Coach and Danny wouldn’t have let him graduate if it was too serious.
“You’re frustratingly difficult to read, Beckett.”
I feigned confusion for a beat before I chuckled. “My bad. I was just thinking. When the hell did Hillcroft become a family business? You and Ryan, Vince and me—we have a new recruit now whose brother graduated this summer. Coach and Doc…”
He hummed and peered out to where the girls were inspecting something on the frozen ground. Leighton, Lias, and Gray were talking nearby while keeping an eye on the giggling mini operators.
I didn’t know where the boys had gone. Jayden and Justin were older, with at least one of them a teenager around high-school age. I didn’t know which one, obviously.
“You convinced Leighton to reach out to us, didn’t you?” Darius didn’t wait for me to respond. “If I discovered Gage worked at Hillcroft, I’d do the same thing. I’d want him to at least tell Gray.”