Of all the absurd turns her life had taken in recent minutes, Jaya never expected this latest one.

That was saying something since her life had skidded off the rails at top speed before she’d even entered the building.

Jon stalked across the tiled floor toward her as Savanna spoke to her fiancé, and Parker rushed to the receptionist desk, telling Connor to get Beatrice on the line.

All because of the text that had just come from a blocked number.

Even though Jaya was staring at Jon—strong, confident, take-no-shit Jon—all she could see was the horrible video on her cell phone’s screen that had accompanied the anonymous text. Her baby brother’s features had been distorted in pain, blood, bruises… He’d cried out, telling her to find Dad. To give the man holding him what he wanted, or Finn would end up dead.

You know what we want, the text read. You have seventy-two hours or the kid dies.

The text was so brief, the video so brutal, it had taken Jaya a moment to put two-and-two together. Seriously, for half a second, she’d thought it was a joke—had to be a really bad one.

But on her brother’s chest, the kidnapper had carved a cross. Deep in her bones she knew this wasn’t a joke. That damn cross symbolized a real one—and that one was cursed.

My family is cursed.

Her stomach roiled, but not from an overload of hormones or any virus. Luckily, she was seated or her shaking legs would have left her flat on her ass.

Her foolish father, Sean O’Sullivan, had taken Finn on yet another treasure hunting expedition for the lost O’Sullivan cross.

Had he found the damn thing? It appeared so. But why send her the threatening text and video? Had they sent it to her father as well?

Maybe they had, and he hadn’t responded and never intended to.

Damn him.

“Jaya?” Strong hands grabbed her wrists, then gave a squeeze. She snapped out of her mental chaos to see Jon bending down in front of her. “What’s going on? Savanna said something’s up with your brother?”

Jaya bit down on the inside of her cheek. Where to begin? What to say?

Her teeth grated on each other before she opened her mouth, not sure of the words that would come out. When nothing did, she simply swallowed and held the phone out to him. “My brother’s been…kidnapped.”

Savanna and Trace crowded in. In the distance, Jaya heard Parker telling Beatrice they had a situation, and that Jaya needed help. Jon took her phone, saw the image on the screen and hit play.

Her brother’s cries filled the air for the second time and Jaya wrapped her arms around herself and bent forward, closing her eyes. She didn’t need to see the screen to replay the video frame by frame in her head.

“Fuck,” Jon murmured. Trace echoed it. “This is your brother?”

Jaya nodded without opening her eyes, swallowing hard to keep the bile pushing its way up her esophagus from reaching its destination.

Jon touched her arm. “What does the text refer to regarding what they want? Do you know?”

“The O’Sullivan cross. That’s why he carved a cross on my brother’s chest.”

“What is that?”

Blinking her eyes open, Jaya took a steadying breath. “You might say it’s a family heirloom. If it actually exists, it’s an Irish national treasure.”

Jon started to say something else, but Parker whistled. “Hold that thought. B wants the two of you upstairs, now.”

“We’re going too,” Savanna said, grabbing Trace’s hand and marching toward the elevator.

“You have a wedding to get ready for,” Parker said. “And you’re not part of the team. I’ll go and find out what the plan is.”

Savanna raised a well-groomed brow. “Someone threatens my friend, I take it personally. We’re all going upstairs.”

…my friend. Jaya had only just met these women, and yet they were acting like Shelby. As if they’d known her forever and had her back.

“That’s really not necessary,” Jaya said.

Savanna hit the elevator button and the doors slid open soundlessly. “Get your butt in gear, Jaya. Let’s go talk to Beatrice. She’ll know what to do to get your brother back safe and sound.”

Jaya looked at Jon and he nodded, taking her by the hand and helping her stand. Thank goodness. She wobbled, her legs still weak and shaky. Everything was happening so fast, she hadn’t had time to recover from one issue before the next hit.

My life in a nutshell.

But Jon’s presence steadied her. He was here, in one piece, but why oh why did this have to happen right now?

Life is like that, her mother would say. Shit happens and then more shit happens.

Thanks, Mom.

As Jaya walked across the floor to the elevator, Jon by her side, she wished she could call her mom and ask for advice. She had pressing matters to discuss with Jon, but now they had to take a backseat to finding her brother.

How did being unexpectedly pregnant and needing to tell the father take a backseat to anything?

Her mom couldn’t help her now, anyway. Not ever again. Kala Hotti O’Sullivan’s mind was lost in a different time and place. Often these days, she didn’t even recognize who Jaya was.

You still don’t know for certain you’re preggers. One thing at a time.

Jaya had no idea what the protocol was for this, but she leaned on Jon a little and let him guide her into the elevator. She’d never been much for protocol anyway.

“I’ll find him,” Jon murmured. “I’ll get him back.”

Jaya squeezed his arm. He was a bodyguard. What could he do? Yes, he’d been a SEAL before Rock Star Security, but those days were over and gone, according to him.

The ride up to Beatrice’s office was over before Jaya could blink, her brain a million miles away, jumping from one thing to another. She’d tried calling her dad downstairs before Jon had showed up, but was told by an automated voice that the number was no longer active.

Is Dad even still alive?

God, she was going to lose everyone before she even hit thirty years old.

Inside the office, Beatrice motioned her to a chair and Colton asked, “What the hell is going on with Finn?”

Because Colton knew all about her screwed up family, since he and Shelby were from the same small town. He was aware her father was always on the hunt for another treasure. His biggest quest had always been the O’Sullivan cross, and he’d managed to talk enough bullshit about it to sucker her brother into the hunt as well.

Like growing up without him around wasn’t bad enough, now Finn was about to pay for their father’s foolishness as well.

Choices loomed in front of Jaya as she took the same seat in front of Beatrice she had earlier. She couldn’t exactly tell them all to forget it and go about finding Finn herself, not after they’d seen—and heard—the video. Plenty of times, she’d hunted down her father, cleaned and sobered him up, and brought him home to Oklahoma, only to have him take off on another adventure and leave her, Finn, and their mother behind. But this was different. Sean O’Sullivan had apparently screwed over the wrong people and Finn was smack dab in the middle of it. On top of that, Jaya had no idea where to start or how to save Finn.

Jon sat one hip on the edge of Beatrice’s desk, and faced Jaya. “It’s okay, J. Tell us about the cross, your dad, and brother. Why would someone kidnap him?”

How many times had she warned Finn not to believe in the tall tales their father was always spinning? “My father, Sean O’Sullivan, is a treasure hunter.”

Trace leaned on the fireplace. “Like for real? What does he look for? Lost gold? Shipwrecks?”

“His specialty is family heirlooms, especially those associated with nobility or famous people. He’s actually found a few, mostly Civil War-era stuff, like jewelry and artifacts stolen and ransacked from southern plantations. His Holy Grail is the O’Sullivan cross.”

Beatrice tossed her Mont Blanc pen on the desktop, now strewn with blue file folders and a pacifier. “A lost heirloom belonging to your family?”

How many arguments had Jaya heard between her mother and father over the elusive cross? How many nights as a young girl had she listened to his bedtime stories about its magical powers? “He’s been hunting it my whole life and now he’s gotten my younger brother obsessed with it too. He won’t rest until it’s recovered, and this time, he might actually have found it. I tried calling him. The number’s been disconnected. He may be in trouble as well, or he’s just pulling a dad and has disappeared.”

“What’s the story behind this cross?” Beatrice asked. “I assume it’s valuable?”

According to dear old Dad, it was priceless. “Family lore claims that the emerald-studded, shamrock-shaped cross was given to my great-great grandfather by an Irish lord in the House of Kildare back in the 1500s. He refused to be governed by England or the Pope and was constantly stirring the pot. Supposedly, the Crown sent an assassin to take out the lord and squelch the rebellions he’d been instigating. My grandfather worked for him and saved the man’s life one night, and hence ended up with the cross for his service. Then Cromwell took over, the O’Sullivans scattered, and the cross went missing. Various O’Sullivans have been hunting for it ever since, most notably my father.”

Jon handed Beatrice Jaya’s phone. “I’m guessing from this video, Jaya’s dad found it, or at least someone thinks he did. The kidnappers want it in exchange for Finn.”

Beatrice watched the video, her eyes scanning it carefully. A couple times, she paused, backed it up, and watched certain frames again. Handing the phone to Jon, she sat back in the chair and rocked. “Do you have the last known whereabouts of your father and brother?”

Jaya shook her head.

“Any idea where they might have been searching?”

“Mostly likely Ireland.”

“What about your mom?” Colton asked. “Do you think the kidnapper sent her the video? Would she know where to look?”

That was one blessing in all of this—her mom couldn’t know about Finn. “She doesn’t have a cell phone, and her Alzheimer’s has gotten to the point she wouldn’t remember anything Dad told her, anyway. She’s living in a home now.”

“Sorry.” Jaya felt Colton’s hand on her shoulder, a reassuring—and completely unusual—gesture from him. “I didn’t realize.”

This time Jaya just nodded, batting back the warm liquid burning her eyes.

Beatrice grabbed a tablet from a desk drawer, tapped the screen, and set it on the desk, facing Jaya. “Our services don’t come cheap, but we get the job done, and because of your relationship to Jon, I’ll give you the friends-and-family discount. If you agree to hire us, I’ll need full disclosure about your father, brother, and any buried family secrets.”

God, her brain really was fried. “I’m sorry, services? I don’t know who kidnapped my brother, but I don’t need a bodyguard. Obviously, they believe I’m their only hope to find my father and the cross. They’re not going to hurt or kidnap me. I have to talk to Shelby. See if the FBI can help.”

“About that…” Jon took the tablet and handed it to her. “We’re not just a bodyguard service.”

Jaya rubbed her temples. What was he talking about? “You’re not?”

“We do other things. Help people who need specialized services.”

She sat straighter. Had he been holding out on her? “What kind of specialized services?”

Jon’s dark eyes were serious but still confident. “Stuff like this. I track people, Bells shoots them. Hunter does…well, everything else. We have some pretty damn good skills that go far beyond the bodyguard set.”

“They can help you,” Savanna insisted. “Trust me, I know.”

“No offense to Shelby, but if you go to the Feds,” Jon continued, “they’ll halfheartedly look in to it and move at the speed of a snail. The kidnapper only gave you seventy-two hours. You need us, Shadow Force International, with all of our technology and expertise.”

“Shadow Force International?”

“I’ll get Rory tracking where the text originated and Sean and Finn were last seen,” Beatrice said. “We’ll have boots on the ground before noon.”

“I’ll cover the fee,” Savanna said, “in exchange for your wedding services.”

“Wait.” Jaya stood, her legs now buzzing with agitation, like she had to get up and move. Her gaze went from Jon to Beatrice, to all the others in the room, before it came back to the woman behind the desk. “This really isn’t just a bodyguard service?”

“Jeez, Jaya.” Colton grunted. “Since when are you so damn slow on the uptake? We’re a paramilitary group of former SEALs with all the toys who still know a thing or two about kicking ass. Yeah, we do private security, but the heart of the organization goes well beyond that. We’ll save Finn, find your dad, and figure out the cross shit. You onboard or what?”

Fiery annoyance burned in her chest. “Excuse me for needing a moment to fully comprehend that my”—she waved a hand in Jon’s direction—“boyfriend was lying to me, and for wrapping my head around the fact that my brother has been kidnapped.”

“I didn’t lie,” Jon said, frowning. “I’m a bodyguard too. Rock Star is a legit business.”

Parker slid into the melee and picked up Jaya’s phone from the desk. “I’ll take this to Rory and bring him up to speed.” She quietly exited.

Beatrice scrolled through the text on the tablet’s screen. “Sign here,” she said, pointing to a blank line.

Jaya wondered if the whole world had gone crazy, or if it was just her. “I’d really like to talk to Shelby—”

Colton interrupted. “I’ll bring Shelby up to speed, but Jon’s right. You need to move fast and the Bureau is a red-tape nightmare. Your case will end up behind half a dozen others. Just sign the fucking contract so we can go find Finn.”

One thing Jaya hated above all else was being bullied. “Back the hell off, Bells. I need to think and your attitude is making me see red.”

Sloane, still on Colton’s hip, waved a tiny fist at Jaya. She was frowning and gibberish came from her mouth, but she canted her body toward Jaya and Jaya’s natural instincts kicked in. She reached for the baby without hesitation, lifting her out of Colton’s arms. “And you’re upsetting the baby, so knock it off.”

Colton rolled his eyes but let Sloane go. Chubby hands came up to pat Jaya’s cheeks, her face brightening into a smile. A couple teeth peeked through.

God Almighty, what a cute kid.

She was going to be a heartbreaker. Already was by the way all the men around here were gaga for her.

Jaya bounced Sloane slightly, smiling back. Family. This was what it was all about. Feeling loved, protected, and happy. Family was supposed to give you that, but Jaya had rarely felt it. She’d been the giver, the protector, the one trying to make everyone else happy.

Her brother was in serious trouble and the men and women in this room wanted to help. Jaya was proud, but she wasn’t above accepting help when it was needed.

Especially when she had no other options.

Jon stood and met her eyes over the top of Sloane’s head. “Finding people—search and rescue—it’s my specialty. I can find your brother.”

My knight in shining armor. How could she say no? “You have some serious explaining to do.”

He nodded, giving her a woeful smile as Sloane patted her cheeks again and laughed.

Shifting the baby to one hip, Jaya stepped forward, said a silent prayer for her brother, and used her finger to sign the contract.

Beatrice’s phone buzzed as Jaya was signing her name to the SFI services contract. Rory was on the other end.

“Do you need this back?”

“Yes,” Beatrice said.

“If I’m going to trace the origination of the call, it’s gonna take a while. Plus, I’ve got three other pending emergencies.”

“Put Parker to work. Ms. O’Sullivan needs a replacement phone, so have Parker synch Jaya’s to one of ours for her use. She’ll need her contacts, messages, etc.”

He huffed. “Parker’s not touching my toys. Besides, she’s a scientist, not a computer expert.”

Parker was former CIA and had ties to the NSA as well. In the background, she said, “Get over yourself, Rory.”

Beatrice silently seconded that suggestion. “Parker has the necessary experience with our technology, and this new case is of critical importance. Our deadline is seventy-two hours.”

A strained sigh came through the line. “Fine, but I still need more help. Call that cranky bastard, Zeb, and tell him to get his ass in here.”

Jaya continued to bounce Sloane on her hip, Jon watching her with a gleam of pride and a whole lot of love in his eyes.

He’s going to make a good dad.

Colton leaned over the desk and murmured, “I’m going to give Shelby a heads-up.”

He booked out of the room, Trace and Savanna following suit after she gave Jaya a hug.

“Why don’t you call Zeb and see if he’s free?” Beatrice suggested to Rory.

The former spook, an expert at wet jobs, no longer wielded a gun, but was still adept at bringing down bad guys. “I’m not speaking to him.”

One thing Beatrice had always admired about Rory was his ability to separate his emotions from the job at hand. He and Zeb were poured from the same mold and rubbed each other entirely the wrong way, but with people’s lives on the lines, Rory usually wasn’t above asking for help. Today, of course, seemed to be the exception.

“Personal feelings have no place here today. Put them aside and take your petty ego issues up with Zeb on your own time.”

“Petty ego issues?” She could practically see Rory rearing back in his wheelchair, full of indignation. “I don’t have—”

She hung up on him. That would rile him up more, but he did, in fact, have a healthy ego, and she knew just how to use that against him. In this case, it meant getting him to call in help on his own.

Jaya was making silly noises at Sloane, getting the baby to laugh and clap. Beatrice took a moment to enjoy it. Every day, Sloane changed a bit more, and she wanted to remember it all—these simple stolen moments, when she could watch her baby enchant a complete stranger, did her heart a lot of good.

The strain in Jaya’s face returned as she looked over at Beatrice. “Your cloning my phone?”

“Your privacy will be maintained, but Rory needs time to find where the text and video originated from. Meanwhile, I’ll dig into the last known whereabouts of your father and brother and see if I can trace their movements.” She glanced at Jon. “Take Jaya to your place and let her get some sleep. I’ll be in contact as soon as I have any leads.”

Jon gave her a quizzical look, knowing she could probably have information for them within the hour, but she returned it with a hard stare that brokered no questions. It was easy to see that Jaya was about to fall flat on her face from exhaustion.

Just do it.

Reading her command, he knew better than to quiz her, so when Jaya started to protest, Jon lifted Sloane from her arms and returned the baby to Beatrice. “We need a starting place,” he said to Jaya, helping her with her coat. “It won’t take long for B and Rory to get us the necessary details, and then we’ll be all over it. I promise.”

As Jon continued to placate his girlfriend, he led her to the door. Beatrice hoped Jaya used this time to tell him about the “emergency” she’d shown up with.

“Be sure to pick up the cloned phone from Parker before you leave,” she said.

Jon nodded. “Thanks, boss. And we’ll discuss who covers the fee for this later, okay?”

Like his name suggested, Jon was a lone wolf. Beatrice had once been the same. It was challenging for him to look at his future and see a real home and family in it, and Beatrice had to hope he was going to take the information Jaya needed to share with him in a good way.

“You take care of Jaya,” she said to him. He had money to burn—a billionaire, thanks to family money—and probably would pay the bill before Savanna could, because that was just like him. He didn’t like owing anyone anything. “I’ll take care of the rest.”

The door shut softly and Sloane whined, upset that all her playmates had disappeared.

Beatrice pulled her close, snuggling and kissing her temple. “You may have a new friend in a few months,” she said, smiling.

A moment later, Trace stuck his head in. “Everything okay?”

Beatrice nodded. “You and Savanna stay focused on the wedding.”

“Savanna’s worried this isn’t the best time for it. Maybe we should think about postponing.”

“Over my dead body.” Words she never said lightly. “In our world, there’s rarely a good time for a celebration, but I’ll be damned if I let anyone screw up your day.” She owed Trace for so many things she’d lost count. “We are not postponing the wedding. If I personally have to find Finn O’Sullivan, I will.”

Trace grinned but knew she spoke the truth. “Jon can find him. I think the real issue will be that cross and Sean O’Sullivan. Sounds like a lot of people could be after that artifact, and that makes this whole thing a lot more dangerous.”

Sloane sat on her lap and reached for the pen. Beatrice grabbed the discarded pacifier and handed it to her, but the baby wanted nothing to do with that. She wanted the Mont Blanc. “One thing at a time. First, we get Finn back, then we’ll deal with Sean and the cross.”

Trace’s gaze fell on Sloane as she wiggled enough to reach the pen. “I can’t wait to have kids.”

Beatrice smiled. The SFI family was continuing to grow in more ways than one.