Expired Cache - Lisa Phillips Page 0,48

training or during some of their most intense missions. Even when his teammates’ lives had been in danger. When innocents had been caught in the crossfire.

“Ellie!”

As they jogged over, Dean called back to Jess, “Don’t get up. Stay there.”

But she sat up. Ellie hugged her sister, a tangle of limbs until she realized the blood on her sister’s head. She looked at him. “Is she…”

“She needs to be as still as possible until—”

“Dean!”

He turned to see two firefighters, two EMTs, and a uniformed police officer sprint toward them. He waved. “Over here!” And then looked around. “Where is Stuart? He was lying over there.” Dean pointed to the spot.

Jess nearly shook her head, and winced. “He was standing when I woke up. Said he was going to walk it off.”

Dean found his phone in the grass. While the EMTs worked on Jess’s head injury, he texted Stuart asking what he was thinking walking off like that. If he got back a reply quickly, one that made sense, then he’d know Stuart really was okay.

Then he sat back on his heels and took a long inhale.

His phone buzzed in his hand a second later.

It’s only two miles home. I have a headache, and my legs still work fine.

Dean replied that Stuart had better text again when he got home, or he’d be doing all the chores for a week. It was an empty threat, and Stuart would know that, but he wanted to know his friend and roommate got back safely.

“This place is a mess.”

The two firefighters had no equipment. No truck. Thankfully the blaze had calmed to smoldering. Still, it gave off a considerable amount of heat.

He’d really been standing on the porch? He probably should be dead, but then he could honestly say that about so many of the dark days in his life. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d had a near miss. Alive still, for a reason.

He looked at Ellie. They shared a relieved smile.

Was she the reason he was still here? Thank You, God. Spending time with her, even if it was only as her protector, was a gift he recognized.

As he watched, she took in the burned-out ruins of her grandfather’s cabin, her cabin. What was left of it. Tears rolled down her face.

When he had first met her, she’d needed help but hadn’t wanted him to help her. Now that he was there to help her there was nothing he could do or say to lessen the pain she felt over this loss. So fresh on the heels of losing her grandfather. Now she’d lost what he had left her.

And there was nothing Dean could do.

Except be there for her.

“Dean!” Conroy trotted over, followed by Ted.

Dean’s kid brother looked like he wanted to be sick. “What—”

Ted slammed into him. His thinner arms wrapped around Dean’s chest like a vice.

Dean winced. “Easy on the shoulder, yeah?” He tried to sound light and breezy, but he wanted to throw up.

“No.” Ted moved his arms to Dean’s waist, but arguably squeezed him harder. “I thought you were dead. You got blown up.”

“Wasn’t the first time.”

Ted reared back to thump him in the chest. “Not funny.”

Dean grabbed his wrist. His brother was really shaken up about this. “I’ve been in danger before.” He glanced at Ellie, who was staring at them. “I’m fine. Why don’t you go check on Jess?”

He pressed his lips together and shook his head. “The EMTs will do more than I can, and she has her sister.”

Okay, so there was more to this. Dean would have to ask him about it later.

“We’re all good. Even Stuart, who told Jess he was going to walk it off. He’s probably already home by now.” Dean checked his phone and found the text. He showed Ted. “See? All good.” He squeezed his brother, the tendon between his neck and shoulder. “But I do need to ask you something real quick.”

“What?” The fear on his brother’s face was starting to settle. Dean wasn’t used to having his brother here, needing to be reassured. He usually came home weeks or sometimes months later off one Navy mission or another. Not less than an hour after, where Ted got an eyeful of the repercussions. Like now. It looked like a war zone up here.

“Do you know where Dad is?”

Dean still had a hold on his brother’s shoulder, so he felt Ted flinch. “Why would I know where he is?”

Dean wasn’t sure that was the truth. “I gotta