Sean needed uneventful.
They made two stops. One to refuel in the middle of nowhere—how Kane had friends in the oddest, most remote places always surprised Sean. The other was in Hidalgo, where the FBI was waiting to take Carson Spade into custody. Sean didn’t know the agents, but JT did. He took responsibility for the official RCK statement on the extraction of Carson Spade. No one at RCK talked officially to any law enforcement agency except JT.
Jesse had slept almost the entire plane ride, even through a few rough patches when they were low on fuel and hitting some turbulence. But he woke up when they landed in Hidalgo and watched as his stepfather was taken into custody.
Kane put his hand on Jesse’s shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, kid.”
“I know. Thank you.”
Kane cracked a grin. “He’s already more polite than you ever were, Sean.”
Carson Spade practically growled. “Madison will never let you near him, not after what you’ve done.”
Sean glared at Spade. He was in deep. Could the feds even trust him? That wasn’t Sean’s concern.
He glanced down at Jesse. Yes, Carson Spade was Sean’s concern, because he was in his son’s life. Even if Spade went to prison for the rest of his life, he had worked for some very bad people, and those people may seek retribution on Spade’s family.
Sean’s son.
Kane caught his eye. His expression was hard, as if he knew exactly what Sean was thinking. Kane put his arm around Jesse’s shoulders, silently showing Spade—and Sean—that Jesse was under their wing. That the Rogan family would protect him.
The FBI agents drove away with Spade, and JT came over to them. “Sean, do you have a minute?”
Sean followed JT away from the others. Jack and Matt were refueling the plane and talking. Sean had learned that Matt was Jack’s brother-in-law. That, more than the fact that Matt was a prosecutor and JT’s closest friend, was probably why he’d come to help. Because he was family. It was truly a small world.
“First, the feds are going to want to talk to Jesse, but I convinced them to let you bring him back to his mother in San Antonio. Madison Spade has been told not to leave town until after she and Jesse are both deposed. I thought you might want some alone time with your son first.”
“Thank you.” He cleared his throat, surprised at the emotions that ran through him. It was like he was one big emotional balloon that could burst at any moment.
“Sean, I want you to come back full-time with RCK.”
Sean hadn’t expected that. He didn’t know what to expect—maybe a lecture, or a warning. For years he’d wanted to please his brothers—and JT, who was the next closest thing to a brother—but he always felt like he’d fallen short. That he’d disappointed them. When he left, he left on his terms, because he realized that his brother Duke—his guardian, his mentor, his tormentor—would never think of him as an equal. Sean would always be the problem child, the kid who got in trouble and tried to charm his way out of it.
Duke never gave him the benefit of the doubt.
“You know why I left.”
“Yes.” JT looked Sean squarely in the eye. “Family is complicated, and while we love our family unconditionally, there are still … long memories. Deep resentments. Sometimes we can’t overcome our own insecurities, guilt, failures, or fears. Duke is a good man, but he has a blind spot when it comes to you. He’s trying. I want you back in RCK. Me. And Jack. You’ve already been working freelance, but I want you under our umbrella. You’re an asset, one I don’t think any of us appreciated until you were gone. You won’t be working under Duke. You may have to work with him, because when you two partnered on security systems it was truly a sight to behold. You work well together … But you would be a full partner. Like Jack. Like Duke. Like Kane. Like me. Equals.”
Sean was speechless. He hadn’t been expecting the offer, and he didn’t really know what to think about it. He missed his old assignments, but he didn’t miss the tension.
If he was really a full partner, an equal, maybe he could find a way to work with Duke.
JT continued. “It won’t be easy. Jack and Duke are both married to federal agents, you soon will be, and there are times when we won’t necessarily see eye-to-eye. But I know we’ll make it work. I want to make it work.”
“I need to talk to Lucy. I need a few days.”
JT nodded. He slapped Sean on the back and said, “You were good back there. Truly good. Even with the personal stakes. But it’s not because of this operation that I’m asking you back. It’s because you make RCK better.”
“I appreciate it.”