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"I don’t know," Donovan ado with me to check on her I’d say she’s been sick several days Their living conditions are deplorable They don’t have enough to eat I took groceries over today, but their roof--if you can even call it that--leaks in a hundred different places, and with all the rain we had last week, I doubt that helped Cari with syo with you," Steele said

Donovan shook his head "No way, Steele I know it chaps your control-freak ass to stand down on this one, but if you show up, I guarantee on’t get anywhere near the to keep it together, I h with just ht," Maren said, looking pointedly in her husband’s direction "You’ll scare the poor woman witless"

Steele scowled

"Maren is in no danger," Donovan said "The only people who live there are Eve, Travis and Ca way tooto fear I’ll be with Maren the entire tio into a situation where I wasn’t absolutely certain she’d be safe"

Steele’s lips thinned, but he didn’t argue the point

"Besides, I’ll need you to keep Olivia," Maren said in aaze autohter, and his expression softened His face lost the hard lines that seehtened with love

"I’aze back to Donovan

They ords echoed from months before when Donovan had pulled Maren froe while Steele had waited, helplessly pinned

"I know," Donovan said quietly "I’ll take care of her I prolanced in Maren’s direction "You ready? Little bit is about ready for her nap"

Maren laughed "Which means she’ll eat on the way home first" She shook her head "I swear this kid eats more than Steele does"

"What time do you want her here tohter in the crook of his aret back"

Maren rolled her eyes "Because heaven forbid I drive ed "I need to talk to Saed by the couple Donovan lifted an eyebrow

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah I know you’ve had my team, Van, and they couldn’t be in better hands, but I’et back in Maren and I have talked about it and it’s ti the patient load back on, and it’s tiet who they belong to"

Donovan chuckled "As if that’s going to happen I’llwith thelad to get their team leader back"

Donovan walked out to Steele’s SUV with them Steele turned back to Donovan, his expression serious

"Give Saet bad Don’t know if he’s had an eye to the forecast or not"

Donovan frowned "Will do Y’all be careful too"

Maren rolled her eyes "Oh, we’ll be spending the night in the basement, no doubt After the baby was born, Steele set up a bedroom down there, and if there’s so much as a chance of severe storrunted "Can’t be too careful Not uy"

"Got a point," Donovan said "See y’all in the "

Donovan watched as they drove away and then glanced across the way to where his brothers’ homes were They were all separated by several acres and Nathan’s was even farther away, nestled on a bluff overlooking the lake Things were quiet No currenttoday

The new team had trained extensively over the last several iven the thee had moved closer to the compound while Swanny still lived with Joe in Sae spent a lot of tiood for them to bond Build camaraderie and form the foundation of a solid teaether for the last few ive the out et it done

It was hard for Donovan He’d admit that He had complete faith in all the teams, but it didn’t est brothers They’d always be his younger brothers, which meant his instinct was to protect them whether they needed it or not

And the truth was that Nathan, Joe and Swanny had all been through hell Nathan and Swanny more so, but Joe hadn’t had an easy time of it either Donovan worried from time to time that they weren’t ready

But he and Sareed They were solid It was time

So the next mission would be drawn by Nathan and Joe, with Steele’s tea back into action, things would get back to normal and Donovan would step back and not take as active a part in the missions

Not that he’d ever just stand back and keep out of action Saerial position over the last year They coordinated, did the planning, called in the teams as needed, but they’d stepped back

They both had wives--and now both were expecting new additions to the faed first to their wives and then KGI Of all the Kelly brothers, Donovan and Joe were the h Nathan had stepped up as the new teawell He winced, not wanting to jinx thes were definitely quiet on the home front Everyone washappy They’d survived setback after setback and had coer for it

Even the teaht he’d see the day that Rio and Steele would positively ooze dohters and were no longer eating, sleeping and drinking all things KGI

They had all turned their eyes toward hi that he was next And it wasn’t that he didn’t want that Of all his brothers, he’d probably been the least resistant to ht woman yet