“So let me get this straight,” Thomas said, leaning forward in his chair after I’d explained to him and James what happened last night. “He’s a retired cop.”

“Yeah, and?”

“He wants to find this person, and what?” He tapped his pen against the desktop and stopped while he waited for an answer.

“He thinks we can be faster than the cops. He’s kind of a scary dude.”

Thomas shrugged as his lips twisted. “Sounds like my kind of guy.”

“I’m so in.” James clapped his hands together.

“Why do I have a sinking feeling?”

“Does Georgia know?” Thomas asked, tossing the pen off to the side and straightening his back.

I shook my head and pinched the bridge of my nose. “No.”

“Fuck me. I see a clusterfuck in your near future, my friend.” James slapped me on the back and laughed.

“Thanks, guys,” I said, dragging my hands down my face. “You sure know how to make me feel better.”

“What’s going on?” Morgan asked, sticking his head in the office.

“Frisco is going rogue,” James replied, leaning back and glancing at Morgan upside down.

“I’m in.” Morgan strolled in and took a seat. “Whose ass needs to be kicked?”

“We have a partial plate, the make, model, and color, and we know the car has body damage,” Thomas told him, typing furiously on his computer.

“I’ll get right on it.”

The printer started to spit out copies, and Thomas reached back and retrieved a couple of sheets. “Here’s the info. I want all hands on deck to find the person responsible for the accident.”

“You don’t have to do that,” I said, although I didn’t mean it. We were that kind of company. Having each other’s backs was what we did.

James waved his hand. “It’s done.”

Bear walked into the room. “Did I miss the party?”

“We have a perp to find.”

“Who?” Bear took a seat on the couch.

“The fucker that ran Frisco’s girl off the road.”

“I’ll call Tank.” Bear grabbed his phone from his pocket. “He can put out some feelers to his auto repair buddies in the area.”

“Smart,” I said, wishing I’d thought of it first.

Typically, I knew exactly how to handle a situation, but this hit too close to home. My mind was spinning, reeling from the enormity of almost losing Georgia.

I needed to remember my training and separate myself from the situation in order to focus. The ability to step outside of myself and complete a task was what made me a great soldier. There was a new enemy, and I’d do everything in my power to hunt him down and make him pay for what he did to Georgia.

“Let’s meet in the conference room in one hour to share what we’ve found,” Thomas told everyone and handed me the stack of papers with the details I’d given.

I passed them off to James, since I had the information memorized. “Sounds good.”

“On it.” Morgan grabbed the paper and headed for the door.

“Yo, Tank.” Bear walked out into the hallway. “I have something I need you to look into.”

“Should I feel guilty?” I stopped in the doorway and turned to face James and Thomas.

“Fuck no,” they responded in unison.

“I’d do the same thing if someone ran Izzy off the road and left the scene of the accident.”

“I have this feeling I can’t shake,” I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck.

“It’s not the cops you’re worried about, it’s Georgia.” Thomas shook his head.

“Go relax and let us call our contacts to get a list of possible suspects,” James told me.

I sighed and nodded before heading to my office. When I sat down, I didn’t turn on my computer right away. All I wanted to do was to lie down and take a nap. The prior evening had been stressful, and I hadn’t slept as well or as long as I’d hoped.

As I stifled a yawn, I moved the mouse and then took my phone out of my pocket as I waited for the computer to start. During the meeting in Thomas’ office, I’d received a text but ignored it.

Georgia: You better come back for me!

I laughed as I read the message.

Me: I’ll be there. I swear!

James had said to relax, but I couldn’t. Everything in me felt tense. Georgia must’ve been as restless as I was, because she continued messaging me.

Georgia: She wants me to be Betty fuckin’ Crocker.

Me: Cook me something good.

Georgia: Oh, go fuck yourself.

Me: I may have to.

Georgia: You have a greedy cock.

Me: Says the girl with the greedy pussy.

Georgia: I’ll talk to it tonight.

Me: Your pussy?

Georgia: You’ll never get any more pussy unless you tell me what my father wants.

I set my phone on the desk and checked my email. I felt behind and out of touch, since I’d been so focused on Georgia that I’d ignored my work. Typically, I’d check multiple times a day to make sure I didn’t have a client waiting for a response. But that had been the last thing on my mind lately.

“I got news!” Bear yelled from the hallway. “Conference room!”

I hopped up from my chair, holding my chest because his voice had scared the crap out of me, and followed him down the hallway. He sat down, waiting for everyone else to arrive before he spoke.

“Good news?” I asked.

He nodded and motioned toward the door. Bear had always been a friend. Most days I wanted to punch him in the face, but he always had my back. Always. There wasn’t a moment in my life that I couldn’t ask him for a favor or worry that he’d say no.

“What’s the word?” Thomas asked when he sat down.

“Tank found the car.”

My mouth dropped open. Fuck, that only took twenty minutes. “Already?” I asked.

Bear nodded with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Dumbass brought his car to Tank’s place, so it wasn’t that hard.”

“When?”

“This morning. The front end had been smashed in. Dude made some bullshit excuse about hitting a deer and needed it fixed as soon as possible.”

“Is the guy there?” I asked, tapping my foot on the floor.

“Nope. Tank has to call him with a quote.”

“I’m on it.” I picked up my phone.

“You want help with this guy?” Thomas asked with a gleam in his eye.

I shook my head. “Let her dad and me handle it.”

“Fuck.” He slammed his hand on the conference table.

“Let us help,” James pleaded, motioning around the table.

“No,” I told them and narrowed my eyes. “I don’t know what we’re getting ourselves into, but you guys should stay out of it.”

Morgan rubbed his chin and studied me intently. “Why?”

“If shit goes bad, I don’t want anyone else on the hook for shit that is all my fault.”

“Your fault?” Sam asked with furrowed brow. “How is it your fault?” The guys must’ve filled him in with their version of the events before I arrived.

I put my hands up, trying to silence their grumbling. “She wouldn’t have been driving if it weren’t for me fucking shit up.”

James leaned back in the chair and sighed. “Now you’re talking crazy.”

Rising from the chair, I leaned over the back and looked around at my friends. “It’s my burden to deal with.”

Morgan stood and rested his hand on my shoulder. “Dude, you’re an idiot.”

I dragged my eyes to him. “Thanks, man.”

“You know we’re all down for a good ass-kicking.” He gave my shoulder a hard squeeze.

I nodded. “I’ll call you if we need backup. Good?”

“Let me do some digging on the guy. Let’s see what we find out before you and Rambo head into more trouble than you can handle.”

“I don’t think I can get him to back down. Her dad is pretty intent on handling shit himself.”

“Buy me an hour, and I’ll dig up everything I can. Don’t call her father yet.”

“Fine,” I said, hanging my head and staring at the floor, thinking about how this would all play out.

As I started to walk out of the conference room, Thomas said, “Frisco, wait to see what Morgan finds before you turn down our offer.”

I nodded with a sigh before I walked to Morgan’s office. “Hey,” I said as I poked my head into his office. “Can you text me the info when you get it?”

He glanced at me, giving me a warm smile. “Sure, buddy. I’ll text you whatever I find.”

“I need to get Georgia.”

“Understood,” he said, shooing me away with one hand.

Without saying goodbye, I headed to my office and grabbed my keys.

“Frisco,” James called out just as my hand touched the door handle. “Thomas and I want in. It’s fine if you don’t want the other guys, but we’re coming with you.”

I turned around slowly. “Why?”

James crossed his arms over his chest. “Because we look out for each other.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“I don’t need one,” he replied with his mouth set in a firm line. “That’s what friends do.”

“I’ll call you,” I told him as I spun around, pushed open the door, and headed to Georgia’s parents’ house.

As I drove, I decided I’d tell Georgia. She deserved to know. I didn’t think it would change anything. Her father didn’t seem like the type of man who would let anyone, especially his daughter, tell him what he could or couldn’t do.

All I knew was that whatever he decided, I’d have to have his back. If I wanted the man to be on my side, I’d have to stand by his.