Donovan shuffled into the kitchen and drew water into a coffee mug before slipping it into the microwave. While he waited for the time to elapse, he filled two glasses with ice and took the pitcher of tea from the fridge.
When the microwave dinged, he pulled the hot mug out and dropped the bag into it. Remembering that she liked sugar, he spooned the right amount and gave it a quick stir. Balancing one of the tea glasses between his arm and chest, he picked up the mug and the other glass and headed back to the living room.
“How have you stayed single this long?” Maren teased as she took the proffered cup. “I love a man who spoils me.”
Steele grunted again and shot her a bemused look. Donovan chuckled because it was widely known that Steele absolutely spoiled both wife and daughter.
Steele took the glass from Donovan’s hand but didn’t drink. He leaned forward, setting the glass on the coffee table, and looked expectantly at Donovan.
“It’s bad,” Donovan murmured.
Steele’s expression immediately blackened. “What the f**k? Sam said it was safe.”
Donovan shook his head. “Not what I mean. It’s safe for Maren. I wouldn’t bring her into a situation that put her at risk. You know that.”
“Then what the hell do you mean?” Steele demanded.
“Steele.”
Maren’s soft voice immediately brought the team leader to heel. If the situation hadn’t been so serious, Donovan would totally have given him shit over it.
“Not very far from here, a young woman is living in a run-down, piece-of-shit trailer with her two younger siblings. Cammie, her four-year-old sister, is sick. Travis, her fifteen-year-old brother, is working part time in the hardware store to put food on their table, and Eve . . . She’s trying to keep it together.”
Steele frowned.
“They’re running from something,” Donovan continued. “They’re all scared shitless.”
“Well, f**k,” Steele muttered.
“How sick is Cammie?” Maren asked, her eyes narrowing in concentration.
Steele reached for the baby, deftly taking her from Maren’s arms as she sat forward, her gaze trained on Donovan.
“I don’t know,” Donovan admitted. “That’s why I wanted you to go with me to check on her. I’d say she’s been sick several days. Their living conditions are deplorable. They don’t have enough to eat. I took groceries over today, but their roof—if you can even call it that—leaks in a hundred different places, and with all the rain we had last week, I doubt that helped Cammie’s condition any.”
Maren grimaced, her eyes shining with sympathy and concern. “Of course I’ll go.”
“I’ll go with you,” Steele said.
Donovan shook his head. “No way, Steele. I know it chaps your control-freak ass to stand down on this one, but if you show up, I guarantee we won’t get anywhere near them. Not to mention they’ll likely bolt. When I say Eve’s trying to keep it together, I mean trying, as in barely managing it. She was spooked enough with just me there. You show up?”
“He’s right,” Maren said, looking pointedly in her husband’s direction. “You’ll scare the poor woman witless.”
Steele scowled.
“Maren is in no danger,” Donovan said. “The only people who live there are Eve, Travis and Cammie. Travis is a good kid. Shouldering way too much responsibility, but you have nothing to fear. I’ll be with Maren the entire time. No way I would let her go into a situation where I wasn’t absolutely certain she’d be safe.”
Steele’s lips thinned, but he didn’t argue the point.
“Besides, I’ll need you to keep Olivia,” Maren said in amusement.
Steele’s gaze automatically fell over his daughter, and his expression softened. His face lost the hard lines that seemed permanently etched in his skin, and his eyes lightened with love.
“I’m trusting you with my life,” Steele said as he lifted his gaze back to Donovan.
They were words echoed from months before when Donovan had pulled Maren from the helicopter wreckage while Steele had waited, helplessly pinned.
“I know,” Donovan said quietly. “I’ll take care of her. I promise.”
Steele nodded and then glanced in Maren’s direction. “You ready? Little bit is about ready for her nap.”
Maren laughed. “Which means she’ll eat on the way home first.” She shook her head. “I swear this kid eats more than Steele does.”
“What time do you want her here tomorrow?” Steele asked as he rose, cradling his daughter in the crook of his arm. “I’ll bring her here and wait for y’all to get back.”
Maren rolled her eyes. “Because heaven forbid I drive myself.”
Steele shrugged. “I need to talk to Sam.”
Maren nodded, a quick look exchanged by the couple. Donovan lifted an eyebrow.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. I know you’ve had my team, Van, and they couldn’t be in better hands, but I’m ready to get back in. Maren and I have talked about it and it’s time. Her practice is established and she’s going to be taking the patient load back on, and it’s time for me to get back to my team before they forget who they belong to.”
Donovan chuckled. “As if that’s going to happen. I’ll miss them. It’s been great working with them over the past several months. But I know they’ll be glad to get their team leader back.”