Sorry for the wait. Had a death in my family at the end of the week. Spent more time with extended family this weekend than I have in the last four years.

Thanks to SirSnikrs for their review. You're awesome!

Read, review, follow, and favorite! Without encouragement, I'll stop writing.

Onward with the story!

Chapter 10. 20 hours later.

Jim sat behind the mirrored glass, watching as Devon drifted off to sleep and jerked herself back to wakefulness. Finally, she slumped forward on the table and didn't sit up again.

"Now." He growled at Victor. The hired muscle raised a gun to the back of the head in front of him and pulled the trigger. Jim rattled the doorknob and pushed it open as Devon jerked into a sitting position, her eyes terrified, "Devon." Jim breathed, acting like he was relieved she was okay. She stood up on shaky legs and regarded him silently, "I'm here. Your dad's here, too. Let's go home, Devon. Let's go home."

"They...They want you…why?"

"We'll talk when we get home, Devon." Jim wrapped his suit jacket around her and pressed a protein bar and her phone into her hands, "You need to eat, don't you?" She warily opened the bar and Sebastian ran up to them after punching one of the men helping him get to a car when the man tried to stop him.

"Devon!" He wrapped her in his arms and stroked her hair, "Are you okay?"

"Let's get in the car." Jim guided them to his car, pressing a protein bar into Sebastian's hand as well. Once they were on the road and Devon was leaning against Sebastian's side, Jim started questioning them.

"Did they do anything?"

"Fear mongering." Devon whispered, "A crappy good cop-bad cop routine."

"One of them used a Taser on me." Sebastian muttered.

"One guy threatened me with a Taser." Devon added. Jim wrinkled his nose.

"Nothing too serious though?"

"They wanted information on you. Why?" Devon demanded.

"Did they give you any hints?"

"That you're very powerful. And you're dangerous."

"Only to the people who dislike me." Jim smiled. Devon sat up and looked at Sebastian.

"They said we're the only ones who've gotten away from you." She leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees, "And that they want to bring you down."

"Yes…they think I'm a threat."

"One of them gave me a name. Accidentally-on-purpose I think. Holmes. Mean anything to you?"

"He's the dangerous man." Jim countered, praying his plan was working, "He runs the government. Tells people he's a "minor position" but he runs the whole thing. Me? I run a business…a consulting business of sorts. That's all I am. A simple consultant. And he wants nothing more than to see me burn in hell."

"You wanted us for a reason."

"I did. You two have skills I've never had the pleasure of working with."

"So you want us to work with you." Sebastian said.

"Not with per se…"

"No. Either it's with or not at all." Devon snapped, "And no more 'I get hurt, you get hurt' shit. If we get hurt, then you'd better goddamn help us, because if you get hurt, we'll help you get back on your feet. Deal?"

"Interesting." Jim leaned back against his seat and pretended to think about it.

"Do we have a deal?" Devon insisted.

"We do." Jim smiled and shook their hands, "Welcome to the family business, Devon and Sebastian Moran."