“I bet Keane has a problem with it.”
“Keane doesn’t have a problem with Dani staying here. He has a problem with you. Mostly because he still hasn’t forgiven you for that playoff game six years ago.”
“He got in my way.”
“We were on the same team!” Shay stopped, let out a breath. “Look, Chu, it is what it is. I just want my baby to know she’s loved.”
“She’s loved. I let her know she’s loved. I love my daughter.”
“Then stop dropping her off at the house without telling me. No one was home when she came today, and I’m worried we’re going to give her a complex.”
“It was a last-minute thing.”
“I don’t care. She can be here whenever she needs to be. That’s never a problem. But I don’t want her to feel like she’s being tossed around all over the place. She needs to feel confident and safe. Oh, shit.”
“What?”
“That’s kind of what she said about the fucking puppies.”
“What puppies?”
“Forget it. Do you want me to put her on the phone so you can talk to her?”
“She has a phone. I already texted her.”
“You . . . you texted her you were leaving her here?”
“Yeah. Why?”
Shay closed his eyes and shook his head. “Nothing. Just . . . nothing.”
“Don’t be such a drama cat, Shay. I swear, all you Malone boys. Thankfully, my daughter is not nearly as sensitive as you.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And just so you know, she could have come with me today. She didn’t want to.”
“I can’t believe I have to say this to you again, but our daughter hates football!”
“No need to yell it. I know. But I just want you to know she did have options, and when she said she wanted to stay with you instead of coming with us . . .”
Not wanting to have this discussion yet again, Shay said, “I’ll take care of it. Talk to you later, Chu.”
She disconnected the call. Didn’t even say goodbye. An action which in no way signified she was angry. It was just Chu’s way.
Still shaking his head, Shay turned back toward the house. Only to find Keane standing in front of the door.
“She’s leaving her here again?”
“It’s for football.”
“I don’t care. This is my niece we’re talking about.” He came down the two steps and whispered loudly through clenched teeth, “I won’t let her hurt Dani.”
“Let me handle this.”
“But you handle it poorly.”
Unwilling to have this discussion with his brother, Shay walked back into the house after pushing Keane out of his way with his shoulder.
“That was weak!” Keane yelled after him. “I expect better hits at practice tomorrow!”
*
“How are we doing on the Malone case?”
The teammates traded glances; it was Nelle who spoke up first. “We didn’t know it was one of our cases.”
“I put it in the system,” Charlie said.
Max leaned forward. “We have a ‘system’?” she asked with air quotes.
“We have a system. They keep giving me stuff, like the office, the computer stuff, the weaponry, the system, and I just take it. Looking at the equipment and guesstimating prices . . . we’re better equipped than most SEAL teams.”
“That’s awesome.” Max let out a happy sigh before she abruptly stood. “Come on! Let’s go kill somethin’!”
“Down, Max,” Charlie ordered. “You can’t use this stuff unless you’re on one of our cases.”
“You think they’ll check?” Tock asked.
“They do the cleanup . . . they’ll check.”
Tock had toyed with the idea of maybe using the new equipment to build the devices she used to get in and out of anything—especially safes—but now she wouldn’t. Although it would save her money and effort, she didn’t like the idea of these people being in her business.
“All we’ve found out so far,” Mads admitted, “is that the Malones’ father was CIA, and he was investigating something on his own when he was killed.”
“CIA? He was a spy?”
“Human division.”
“Did the brothers know?”
“No. Not at all.”
Charlie leaned back in her chair and the coyote licked the side of her face before nuzzling her neck.
“I don’t know anything about the CIA,” she admitted. “The shifter division did try to recruit Max, but I put a stop to that.”
“I could have had a fabulous career,” Max said.
“Or started World War Three,” Tock muttered.
“What’s going on with them now?” Charlie asked about the brothers.
“Finn convinced them to take a break from trying to find out what happened,” Mads explained. “But that won’t last long. Not with the Malones.”
Charlie focused on Tock. “Can your grandmother help?”
Tock’s entire body tightened, and she grew hot, then cold. “What? Why . . . why would you even ask me that?”
“If anyone has CIA contacts, it’s got to be your grandmother.”
“No.”
“No . . . she doesn’t have CIA contacts? Or no—”
“No. As in no, you’re not involving my grandmother. That is not a good idea.”
“Why not? She could get the information quicker than we ever could. And she kind of owes Keane and Finn.”
“Owes them?” Mads asked. “For what?”
“They stopped me from killing her when Tock was in the hospital. Because I was about to. But they stopped me, so she owes them.”
“And why were you trying to kill her?” Nelle asked.
“Because we had talked about her staying away from Stevie and, apparently, she didn’t believe how serious I was about that.”
“Wait.” Tock sat up straight, shocked by this new information. “When did you talk to my grandmother?”
Charlie shrugged. “I don’t know. I was fourteen, maybe fifteen. And she showed up at the Pack house wanting to talk about taking Stevie to Israel. It was a very nice conversation. We had tea and cookies. But I thought I made myself clear.”
“Didn’t Stevie say she just started working with her?” Max asked.
“I didn’t put an age limit on it. I didn’t say, ‘My baby sister is untouchable until she turns twenty-one.’ I was extremely clear. Stay away from Stevie.” She thought a moment before adding, “And Max.”
Charlie wasn’t the only one who’d made things clear. So had Tock. She’d sat down with her grandmother and told her to stay away from her teammates and their families. All of them. She’d gone out of her way to ensure they’d never directly meet. To find out her grandmother had gone behind her back . . .
“I cannot have you guys involving my grandmother,” Tock said.
“But she’s already involved.”
“Not with us. With the ones using that toxin against us. Let her focus on that.” When everyone simply stared at her, Tock said, “Look, my grandmother can be very . . . manipulative. She’s basically Rasputin in a designer suit with a Glock tucked into the back of her skirt. And what starts off with, ‘Can you do this one thing for me, metuka?’ turns into, ‘You did so great with that, can you also help me with this?’ Until you wake up one day and you’re living in an Israeli kibbutz, waiting for her next command.”
“Us?” Charlie asked, incredulous. “You think she can do that to us?”