“I love you,” he said gruffly. “You feeling safe with me means everything. I’ve spent my life helping people and didn’t really think much about it. I feel as if every mission in my past was preparing me for you and Mario. To protect you both. To make your lives as easy as possible.”
“We don’t need easy—we just need you,” Cassidy said.
“You’ve got me.”
Putting her hand on his cheek, Cassidy simply stared at the man in front of her. She loved him so much it almost hurt. It was terrifying at the same time. If he left them, or hurt them, or was somehow killed while on a mission, she knew it would destroy her.
As if he could read her mind, Leo said gently, “We didn’t go through all that we’ve gone through in this life only to lose each other now.” Then he leaned forward and kissed her gently. “Come on, let’s go see what snacks Archer’s cooked up since we’ve been gone.”
Cassidy chuckled. She’d quickly learned that it seemed to be Archer’s goal in life to feed anyone who walked through Silverstone’s doors. Mario had certainly filled out since they’d moved to Indiana, and she’d even noticed more curves sprouting on her own body that hadn’t been there before. Not that she was complaining.
She climbed out of the vehicle, and Leo immediately reached for her when she got close. They walked into the building hand in hand.
Forty-five minutes later, Cassidy was sitting on one of the couches talking to Skylar, Molly, and Taylor when Bart rushed into the great room. Smoke, Bull, Eagle, and Leo had been standing in the kitchen chatting with Archer. Everyone’s attention focused on the Silverstone employee.
“There’s a massive pileup on Interstate 70,” Bart announced. “Reports are saying at least fifty or more cars and trucks. Hazmat is on their way because it’s believed at least one fuel carrier was involved. The call’s gone out for as many tow trucks as possible to assist. I’ve already contacted everyone who isn’t already on a job.”
“We’re on it,” Bull told him.
Bart nodded and turned to head back to the dispatch room.
As one, all four Silverstone men moved toward their women.
Cassidy stood and watched with wide eyes as Leo stalked toward her. She couldn’t help but be proud of her man, and his friends. They didn’t have to wade into the situation. They were the owners of the business, but here they were, not hesitating to help out where they were needed. It was one of the many reasons Cassidy loved Leo.
He approached her and put his hands on either side of her face, tilting her head back. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone,” he told her.
“It’s okay.”
“Stay here with Mario. Archer’s got plenty of food in the fridge for you guys to eat for dinner. If I’m really late, you and Mario can take one of the sleeping rooms. Oh, and I was going to help Mario study for his social studies test in a few days—don’t let him get too involved in practicing his cheers and his newest dance routine and skip studying.”
Cassidy grabbed hold of Leo’s wrists. “I won’t,” she whispered. She supposed some women might get irritated that their new boyfriend was giving her orders about her own son, but she loved that Leo had taken such an interest in Mario and his school. He was strict, but not mean. He only wanted the best for her little boy, and both she and Mario knew it and blossomed under his care.
“Be careful,” she told him softly.
“Always,” Leo returned. Then he leaned down and kissed her. It was a fairly chaste kiss, but they both knew he didn’t have time for anything more.
“Love you,” Leo said.
“Love you too.”
Then he turned from her and headed for the door.
Cassidy watched as the other guys followed, and a silence fell over the room when the door shut behind them. She looked at Skylar, Taylor—who was holding baby Kevin—and Molly, who was standing with a hand on her pregnant belly.
“Well, that was exciting,” Cassidy quipped.
The other three women chuckled.
“You’d think I’d be used to that by now,” Skylar said, “but it’s always a little surreal.”
“What? That they go out to help when there’s an accident?” Cassidy asked, confused.
Skylar shook her head. “No. How the second our men hear someone needs help, they’re one hundred percent in. It doesn’t matter if it’s a missing child, an accident, or a natural disaster. Serving others is in their DNA. They’d never be satisfied with a desk or management job. This is what they were born to do.”
“Agreed,” Taylor said. “Although sometimes I wish they’d figure out safer ways to serve than heading out to the far reaches of the earth to hunt down bad guys.”
“Right?” Molly said.
“Worrying about them won’t make the evening pass any faster,” Skylar said practically. “How about we head downstairs and find something to binge-watch on Netflix?”
And just like that, the three women began to argue about what they wanted to watch. Cassidy followed behind them, smiling. She knew if she were by herself, she’d probably be worrying about Leo driving around in the foggy weather, but being at Silverstone meant she wasn’t alone.
She’d always felt alone. Even when she’d been married to Alfred, she’d known she was on her own as far as dealing with Mario. When he’d been sick, it was she who had stayed up with him. When he’d been upset, she’d soothed him. And in Jamaica, she’d had no one to rely on but herself.
Having a group of friends she could share her hopes and fears with felt amazing. They wouldn’t laugh at her if she was scared for Leo. They wouldn’t brush her fears aside. They’d listen, truly listen, commiserate, and do whatever they could to make her feel better. She knew that because she willingly did the same for them.
Writing those letters to the FBI had been scary, but they’d brought her Leo. And Silverstone Towing. And these women. Sending a brief prayer of thanks upward, Cassidy headed down the stairs to the basement.
Gramps scowled as he drove along the shoulder toward the massive pileup on the highway. The accident was worse than he could’ve imagined. Cars and trucks driving upward of fifty or sixty miles an hour had plowed into each other. One driver at the front of the disaster had slammed on his brakes, and because of the fog, the vehicles behind hadn’t seen what was happening until it was too late.
Ambulances and fire trucks were parked everywhere. Lights from police cars spun in the quickly darkening sky. The scene was complete chaos, and he knew it would be a while before the tow trucks were needed. The injured victims needed to be tended to first. There was already a long line of tow trucks on the shoulder waiting to help clear the scene, and Gramps stopped his truck behind the one Bull was driving. He hopped out and headed for his friends. He knew they all wanted to help, but first they had to find someone in charge. The last thing they wanted was to contribute to the confusion by wandering around.
The four Silverstone men walked toward another group of guys standing nearby. The seven men reminded Gramps a lot of his team. He recognized an air about them, as if they’d been in the military, or perhaps were still in the military. He guessed they were in their midthirties or forties, same as him and his friends. They seemed tense, as if they wanted to jump in to help.