Expired Getaway (Last Chance County #7) - Lisa Phillips Page 0,88

toward Ted. “Whatcha got for us, babycakes?”

Aiden nearly barfed. “Wow.”

Ted shot her a look. “Say what now?”

She shrugged. “I’m trying stuff. To keep things fresh.”

Aiden’s nausea didn’t go anywhere. “Maybe you could keep it fresh when I’m not around to hear about it.”

“You’re just jealous.”

Ted cracked a smile.

Aiden nodded. “Probably. Still…”

Ted motioned to his laptop. “I’ve been looking at Clarke’s phone since Bridget gave it to me. So far the FBI just wants to know if there’s anything related to Capeira, so I’m handing that over. But everything else is going to Conroy, who is coordinating between the two.”

Aiden nodded. “Have you found anything that can help us locate him, or give us a heads-up about what he’s up to?”

Bridget was on the case. If he could help, she’d be done faster.

“We already know he was playing off people he owes money to and pitting them against each other.”

Aiden couldn’t remember all of that. “Including Capeira?”

“It looks like it.” Ted tapped a couple more keys. “I also found an indication he’s planning to chop up the database and sell it in batches to the highest bidders. The location of hundreds of former spies and special operators from all military branches. Former feds. Government staffers. They all have bounties on their heads, and they’ll be outed to whoever has a grudge against them.”

Bridget had told him enough about their company for him to know that Clarke getting his hands on their computer client list was a bad thing. “He doesn’t have it though. Not yet?”

“Right.”

“It takes two of them to access it, or something like that? For their passwords.”

Jess shot him a look. Aiden didn’t know what that was about. So what if he knew specific details?

“That’s what Bridget told me. They were worried about Clarke capturing one of them. Or getting leverage that would force them to meet with him and hand it over.” Aiden blew out a breath. “Eric and Conroy wanted them in protective custody—separately. Millie didn’t agree. She let Bridget leave the hospital before anyone could stop her.”

He was still mad about that. And the fact she hadn’t answered any of his texts since.

The only saving grace? Millie had planted a tracker on her. Eric’s wife refused to share the details with Aiden, so he couldn’t find her unless she wanted him to, but at least someone could.

Jess blinked. “So that’s why she’s staying away.”

“To keep Sydney safe.”

Aiden didn’t figure Jess needed to understand Bridget. However, it was good that she did. He wanted them to eventually be friends. “Bridget would never do anything that might put Sydney’s life in danger.”

“Good.” Jess nodded.

Aiden blew out a breath. “Is it going to be like this until I get to the end and everything is settled?”

She worked her mouth for a second. “What if it’s never settled? What if it’s just one thing after another for the rest of your life?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Life is life, Ade.” Jess shrugged. “It doesn’t ‘settle,’ it just changes. You get into a new season, or Sydney does. Things move on, and then you have new challenges. New joys, and new griefs.”

Aiden stared at her. “What’s even happened to you?”

“Christmas.” She lifted the cookie and took another bite. “Duh.”

Ted cracked a laugh. “My girl. She’s wise and she loves the holidays.”

“I don’t even know who you guys are right now.”

Jess hopped off her stool. “We’re two people who should head out because it’s late. Where’s Butch? I wanna say bye.”

Aiden tried to figure out if she was serious. “In Sydney’s room, so don’t wake her up.” She didn’t need to know he’d cracked the door so the dog could get out whenever he wanted to roam the house. Still, Jess shouldn’t be going back there when the jingle of his dog tags would wake Sydney.

“Fine.” She pulled on her coat with extra attitude.

All he could think about was Sydney’s first words when he had gotten home.

How a blonde woman who was so tall let her keep Butch. How she was so excited to spend more time with him. And how she so badly wanted to know everything about that woman, why she’d just give up her dog like that, and how she was connected to Butch.

Aiden had told his daughter Bridget’s name, how she was Butch’s owner—though nothing about what happened to her dad—and how she’d asked for them to make sure Sydney took very good care of Butch. His daughter was ecstatic about the whole proposition. She’d been asking for a