“So we’d be, what…bodyguards for charity?”
“Not charity, Lucky.” Logan shook his head. “We’ll still charge, and you’d all be paid well.”
“Reallywell.” His wife made sure that was clear. “And you wouldn’t just be taking on bodyguard jobs. We’d offer a number of services to our clients.”
“Bodyguards, surveillance, security systems, investigations…” Logan listed off the proposed duties. “Bottom line, I want us to use our training, skills, connections, and knowledge to help those who find themselves in danger but have nowhere else to turn.”
“Don’t get us wrong, the cops we dealt with through all this were great,” Natalie pointed out. “And I know they wished there was more they could have done. But everyone knows how understaffed and overworked the police are these days. There’s no way they could’ve afforded the manpower for the kind of personal protection I would’ve needed. And if I hadn’t had you guys and Logan looking out for me…”
She didn’t finish, but every man in that room knew what would’ve happened had they not been there to stop Albert Schwartz that day. Natalie would’ve died, and the bastard would’ve gotten away with it.
Just like he and Frost thought they’d gotten away with killing Peter Weiss.
“Not to mention the rules and policies those guys have to adhere by,” Archer commented.
Logan looked over at his friend and nodded. “Exactly.”
“Okay, just so I have this straight.” Chase pushed himself off the mantel and stepped toward the center of the room. His turquoise stare met Logan’s. “What you’re proposing is…we all quit our current jobs, move to Seattle, and start up a private security company catering to the average Joe.”
“Yes.”
That was exactly what he and Natalie were hoping would happen.
“You want us to be bodyguards.” A statement from Donovan, not a question.
Logan clarified with a quick, “I want to keep people safe from assholes like Schwartz.”
“But not just big guys like that,” Natalie joined back in. “I mean, take Ronnie Beechman, for example. There are all kinds of assholes out there going after people the way he targeted Logan. Disgruntled co-workers, a psycho ex, an obsessive stalker… There are normal,goodpeople out there dealing with all kinds of terrifying situations. And as well all know, the cops aren’t always in the position to be able to help.”
Logan was nodding before the caring woman was even finished. “Which is where we’d come in,” he told his former teammates.
The other four men in the room shared a look, but no one said anything more. Sensing they needed a little more convincing, Logan played his other hand.
“I fucking hate my job,” he confessed without a lick of shame. “Now I don’t know about the rest of you, but—minus the fact that Nat was the one in danger—it felt damn good to be in the middle of the action again.”
“Fuck yeah, it did.” Lucky agreed.
“Okay, see?” Logan motioned to the other man. “This is what I’m saying. Do you actually look forward to going to that investment firm you work for every day? He looked at the others, his focus landing on Archer. “And what about you? You like flying around a bunch of rich assholes who probably don’t even bother taking the time to learn your name? And Van…”
“You want to get the band back together.” The other man lifted a palm. “We get it.”
“We want each of you to do what you feel is best for you,” Natalie amended sincerely. “But before you can do that, there is one more thing.” Natalie looked down at him, those brown eyes of hers urging him to share the rest.
“Well don’t leave us in suspense, Boss.” Chase used Logan’s old Black Squadron One nickname.
Meeting each of his friends’ gazes, Logan filled his lungs and shared his final revelation.
“I’ve been looking into what happened the day Hunt died.” On reflex, he glanced up at his sweet wife and squeezed her hand. “That last op was a set-up, and I’m not going to stop until I find the person responsible.”
“It was a fucking ambush.” Archer scowled. “No way those assholes should’ve known we were coming.”
“Not unless they were tipped off,” Lucky agreed.
“So what are you saying?” Chase looked to Logan for clarification. “We work the security stuff during the day and become super spies at night?”
“I’m saying there’s a reason our asses got kicked to the curb.”
“At least that handed us our honorable discharges as their boots were hittin’ our cheeks,” Lucky quipped. “Can you imagine what kind of work we’d be doing if SECNAV had pushed fordishonorables?”