the mudroom and into the garage. I popped the trunk and Luke hesitated a beat before he dropped my bag next to my tact helmet and vest—two things I didn’t take out of the car. Guns, extra mags, cuffs, radio—those all came inside and were locked up safely but the vest and helmet stayed put.
The creases around his eyes turned into deep grooves. If I’d had more courage I would’ve asked what he was thinking about, but I didn’t and I needed to get on the road.
Luke slammed the trunk closed and walked me to the driver’s side door. When he opened it for me I tried to break the tension.
“Were you checking out my ass in my cargos?”
The joke fell flat.
He didn’t return my playful banter but instead gave me a tight smile.
“I’ll see you tomorrow after work, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“If you’re up for it, text me when you get home.”
He wanted me to check in.
I didn’t have time to process why that made my belly feel funny and my heart pound instead of pissing me off.
“Okay.”
With another kiss to the top of my head, he walked out of the garage. Luke was in his truck with it idling at the curb when I pulled out. I waved goodbye and he flicked two fingers and gave me a chin lift.
I pushed all thoughts of Luke, the warm squishy feeling he gave me, the orgasm he helped me find, and seeing him again tomorrow out of my mind.
It was game time.
I pulled into the parking lot of First Central Bank that the team was using as a staging area. Two armored personnel carriers were parked next to a dozen vehicles and off to the side was the command post van the negotiator would use to do his work if necessary.
I parked, went to my trunk and pulled out my vest, and strapped it on. I was still shoving magazines in the front pockets when Echo stopped at my side.
I was surprised to see him. It happened from time to time. He worked the drug unit and it wasn’t unheard of for SWAT to get called in to serve a warrant.
“You’ve been dodging my calls,” he accused.
“Personal lives don’t cross into work,” I reminded him.
This was a rule—a line drawn that we all agreed on. With four siblings in law enforcement, we needed it. Our paths crossed and when they did it was important that family ties didn’t cloud our judgment. Our jobs intersected—Echo worked drugs, River worked gangs, and Phoenix worked guns. Between the four of us, we had all the special squads covered.
I loved that the Kent family worked hard to make a difference. Nothing would ever make what my dad did right, nothing would bring a dead man back to life, but the four of us could give something to the community, to the departments we serve. It wasn’t enough but it was something.
My brothers felt the same way, only they wished I’d elected to be a traffic cop. It was too bad for them; growing up they taught me not to take shit from anyone and be who I was and who I wanted to be no matter who was standing in my way. I reckoned they never thought it would be them I’d go up against when it came to choosing my career. Obviously, I won. I became who I wanted to be and worked a job I loved and simply ignored them when they bitched and complained.
“You’re not briefed, the job hasn’t started.”
I glanced down at my bulletproof vest then back up at my brother.
“Funny, I thought the second I put on body armor and holstered my weapon I was on the job.”
“There’s nothing funny about you not taking my calls,” Echo continued. “River said he was at your house and some asshole showed up.”
My temper flared and I’d learned a long time ago not to hold back when I was dealing with my overbearing ape of a brother.
“First, do not call Luke an asshole. Second, it wasn’t River’s business to tell you who was at my house. And third, it’s not your business so back off.”
Echo stood to his full six-foot-five inches, crossed his arms, and stared down at me. My brother was big, huge actually. He’d grown into his height by the time he was seventeen—that meant he’d towered over me my whole life. When I was a petulant teenager and he got this way, I’d stand on a chair so I was eye level