Dangerous by RGAlexander Page B

can do anything to help, you know I’m in. I have some experience.”
    Tasha leaned over to kiss her husband. “One undercover operation and you’re going to milk it for the rest of our lives, aren’t you, 007?”
    “With the bad guy behind bars and the girl in my arms? Damn right.”
    Jen nudged Brady and gestured toward the salt, then looked across the table at Seamus. “Not to change the subject, especially one that interesting, but I thought Jeremy and Owen would be here.”
    Seamus looked surprised. “You didn’t get the text?”
    She shook her head.
    “I could have sworn I sent everyone a text.” He raised his voice to include the rest of the table. “Did anyone get my message about Owen and Jeremy?”
    Tasha waggled her fingers. “I didn’t get a message from you , but Jeremy managed to send me a funny video of Owen at the airport demanding that he turn off his phone and stop texting me. I haven’t heard from him since so I guessed they went on vacation. Was I right?”
    Everyone at the table turned to Seamus, whose quick glance toward the living room made it clear he felt like swearing. “I was sure I sent a text. And Tasha’s right. They left a few days ago. Owen said they’d be gone for two weeks and to tell everyone not to worry if they couldn’t get ahold of them.”
    Brady shared a look with Ken. That must have been the romantic idea Owen had had when he’d purchased plane tickets instead of pizza. “Good for them,” he said.
    Was Owen actually going to propose? He hoped so. Jeremy was truly one of the good ones.
    Seamus snorted at Brady, obviously thinking along the same lines. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t come back blaming you because it all blew up in his face.”
    Determined not to have his drunken lecture become the focus of a family interrogation, Brady rushed to fill the silence. “I don’t see James either. He always seems to work a double on the nights we get together. Why is his boss such a…” he paused, remembering the children. “Jerk?” he finished proudly.
    Solomon—James’ boss—glared at his younger brother. “He’s busy. Police work doesn’t leave a lot of time for extracurricular activities. I’m sure you remember what it was like to work for a living. All those criminals to catch.”
    “Which is why I like fighting fires,” Noah chimed in, distracting Solomon from talking about Brady’s old job. “Short bursts of daring heroics framed by weeks of childish pranks and drinking.”
    “Plus, we’re the most popular months in this year’s calendar.” Wyatt toasted him again and Solomon shook his head.
    “Settle down boys or I’ll send you to the kids’ table.” He focused on Ken and Brady instantly tensed. “We may be missing a few family members, but I’m glad you’re here, Tanaka. I don’t think I got a chance to tell you how much I appreciated what you did to help the feds catch Burke and get my cousins out of the corner he’d put them in.”
    There was too much of Solomon the Elder in his brother’s tone for Brady to relax, despite the praise.
    Ken, too, seemed prepared for an attack. “I’d like to think anyone in my position would have done the same for a friend,” he said carefully.
    Solomon set down his fork and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “You do a lot for your friends. Make scandalous pictures disappear as if they never existed, give someone a roof and a job exactly when they need it. Stephen tells me you’ve even sent his old friend Trick one or two clients in the last few months.”
    Brady hadn’t missed Jen’s quiet inhalation at the mention of Trick’s name. Damn it. He was definitely going to have a talk with Dunham.
    Ken shrugged. “He was the right man for it, and Stephen trusts him. I didn’t see any reason not to.”
    Solomon didn’t react. “I suppose I’m wondering why a self-confessed hacker—even one who does freelance work for the feds—would take such a benevolent interest in this family.”
    The