Page 114 of Jameson’s Salvation

“Let me see that cute little furball.” McKenna held out her hands for the puppy but she was staring at Kennedy.

McKenna did that a lot. They all did. Jameson hadn’t been the only one who’d gone through hell the day Kennedy almost died.

McKenna had been the one Kennedy had directed her conversation to. The two women had been friendly before, but now they were damn near inseparable. Kennedy had been folded firmly into the family of brothers. She’d forged her own relationship with each of Jameson’s friends and to say they were over-protective would be an understatement.

Much like after McKenna had nearly been beaten to death, Nixon, Weston, Chasin, and Holden had circled around Kennedy, vowing to never let anyone hurt her again.

“What’d you name him?” McKenna asked.

“Cutie Pie,” Kennedy lied.

“For the love of all things holy.” Nix came into the room. “Please tell me she’s full of shit.”

“Tank,” Jameson corrected.

“Killer would’ve been better,” Nix announced, and Jameson raised an I told you so brow to Kennedy.

“I’m not namin’ my dog Killer,” she protested..

“Does he have a brother?” McKenna cuddled Tank. “I want one.”

Nixon’s face lit with excitement.

“He does. You should get him,” Kennedy answered.

McKenna looked at Nix and he shrugged. “Call the breeder, we’ll go today.”

Before McKenna could say anything, the buzzer chimed, announcing someone was downstairs trying to gain access to the office.

Nix pulled his phone out of his pocket, opened the security camera app, and frowned, though he said, “Come on up.”

“Who is it?” Jameson asked.

“No clue,” Nix answered as he walked to the door and opened it.

A pissed-off looking woman stood with her hand up ready to bang on the door.

“Is Weston Beil here?” the woman asked. Fire shooting from her hazel eyes.

“And you are?” Nix inquired.

“Silver? What are you doing here?” Weston asked, coming into the room.

“Are you always such an asshole or do you have something personal against me?”

Jameson shot his friend a what the fuck look and waited for his answer.

“I got nothing against you. I told Alec and the Lieutenant Commander with you in attendance, I think you lack experience. Not that you weren’t good at your job or incompetent, but the operation needs something you don’t have and that’s experience and finesse.”

“Well, thanks to you, I’ve been pulled. Which is utter bullshit, Weston. I brought this to the Coast Guard. I sat through months of meetings with Alec Hall. And all of a sudden, hotshot know-it-all Weston Beil barges in and takes over. Screw you.”

Everyone’s head in the room bounced back to Weston and waited for his reply.

“If you think that, you lack more than experience, you also lack common sense and self-control. Two more things needed to run the op.”

“I know these waterways better than anyone. I grew up on them. I have more hours on the water and piloting vessels down river than anyone else on the team. And most certainly more than you.”

A few pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. Silver was the maritime pilot Weston had recommended being removed from the next month’s contract. Her name hadn’t been in the file Jameson had.