All familiar characters belong to Janet. The mistakes and new guys are mine.
Steph impressed me not only with her initiative, but also in how she wanted to ensure my safety. Before she led the way back to my office, I felt I had to ask my oldest something first.
"Would you like to stay on five and see Rangeman in action? Or would you prefer that you, Olivia, and I, let Steph work on this while the three of us find something less ... upsetting to do? I don't want to waste what little time we do have together working."
"I'm with Steph, Dad. I may not be able to find someone unless it's tracking them by their social media posts, but I can spend time with Olive while you and Steph help Mr. Shiv out."
"That's our girl," Steph told me, as she and Olivia hugged Julie. "Always ready to protect your Dad and take out a bad guy."
"Count me in," Shiv commented, rubbing his hands together annoyingly.
"You're being seen to an apartment on four until we locate Espada," I told him. "Your participation in this is keeping your hide out of sight, and out of trouble, until I end this turf war."
"Ending this is what I'm participating in. You're not cutting me out like knife-guy here," Steph warned me.
"Relax, Babe. We'll find Espada."
"And make him pay," she finished. "Pretend you didn't hear that, Jules."
"Sure, but I wanna help too. You probably noticed with Scrog, I don't like Dad being shot at either."
"Your parents aren't going to be happy about this," I said, trying to prepare her for a potential cut-off if Rachel and Ron deem me too dangerous for my daughter to be around.
"We don't have to tell them," my beautiful as well as brave child stated.
"Your parents want what's best for you."
"Yeah, but you're my parent too! And I want what's best for you and me, which is getting to be Dad and Daughter now."
I can't describe how that declaration had me feeling.
"So it's settled," Steph broke in, to give me a minute to come up with something to say in response to Julie's words. "You keep Olive from torturing the guys, and your Dad and I will track down this Espada/sword jerk to protect mock-knife man here ... who I'm not sure deserves our attention or help."
"Oh, Stephanie, you wound me," Shiv ironically replied, considering his and Espada's choice of street names. "Of course I'm worthy of your attention."
"If you don't want me shooting you, starting with your extremities and working inward before I let Espada find you, you'll stop attempting to flirt with my wife. She'll shut you down and rearrange your nuts in the process, but then it'll be my turn to correct your behavior."
"You're in trouble, Mr. Shiv," Julie broke in. "Dad DOES NOT want anyone hitting on Steph, or putting Olive and I in danger. Those are the biggest pet peeves of his."
"Pet peeves or commandments?" Steph asked her but looked at me.
"Commandments," I answered, knowing my daughter will agree with me. "Smith, show Shiv to his extremely temporary home. Wrecker, you and Álvaro are coming with us. I want to know what - if any - leads Hector had. And there had better be a team ready to move when I have an address."
"Does that mean I'm not going to be part of this takedown?" Steph asked, as we left the garage and entered the building. "I want to show this guy exactly why taking a shot near/at my husband is a big no-no."
Julie cut her brown eyes to Shiv. "Be happy that she only went after your hand. As Dad said, Steph's specialty usually involves a knee and a place that really wouldn't like a meeting with it."
"Tu esposa no puede controlar sus emociones," Álvaro said to me.
No, my wife definitely cannot control her emotions when it comes to me and our girls.
My office was far more enjoyable with Shiv not being inside it. Steph was returning to my desk with our baby ready to take the seat behind it as they had while I was gone. But Julie hadn't been kidding downstairs, she intended to have some big sister/baby sister time.
"Come on, Olive, I'm going to help you go from scooter to crawler," she said reaching for Olivia, who was more than happy to have her sister holding her again. "Then you'll reeeally get people moving faster than even Mama-Steph does."
Too late for that one. I've had to load and unload Olive's butterfly rocker from the plane since we left the Caribbean, a gift from her Uncles just because she was already moving too fast for them to babysit. They'd been hoping to bribe her into staying still for a minute.
Olivia had both little hands splayed on Julie's collar bones, pushing herself back and kicking her sandaled-feet into her big sister, sensing the impending fun they're about to have.
"We have to act fast," Julie continued in a conspiratorial whisper that she made sure we could hear. "I know your Mommy, and I bet she finds this guy who almost hurt Daddy before we even manage to escape the office."
