But it was what it was, and frankly, the way father and daughter were behaving, he didn’t give a fuck.

His phone beeped with a message and Garrett decided the staring contest was over.

“Be well, Justin,” he muttered, turning as he reached into his jacket to pull out his phone.

He’d taken one step away from McClintock when the man called his name.

Garrett drew in a calming breath and turned back.

“She loves you,” McClintock said quietly. “Loves you like you wouldn’t believe.”

Out of respect for a decent man, just a shit father, he replied quietly, “If she did it the way we both needed it, Justin, she would have weathered the storm.”

McClintock flinched.

That got in there.

Yeah, he wasn’t stupid. He’d raised a weak daughter. One who had no idea how to fight her own battles. One who had no idea how to hold on.

Not all McClintock’s fault. Mia was an adult.

But he hadn’t helped.

“Like I said, and I meant it, be well,” Garrett repeated, then he turned and jogged up the steps so McClintock couldn’t suck any more of his time.

As he went, he saw the voicemail was from Tanner. At the top of the steps, he slid his thumb across the cracked screen as he glanced toward Mike, lifting his chin to say he was ready to roll.

He put the phone to his ear, moving to his desk to nab the car keys.

“Merry, brother, don’t know what you’re doin’ but need you at my office as soon as you can get here. Found Ryker, or I should say, Ryker found me. He’s got company. They’ve all got a story to tell and these stories are ones both you and Mike are not gonna wanna wait too long to hear. Give me a call and then get your ass over here. They don’t got a lot of time and you need to hear it before that time runs out and they take off.”

While listening, Garrett had stopped not only because he got the news that the vanished Ryker had resurfaced and all the other things his brother-in-law had shared, but because Tanner’s voice sounded strange.

It sounded like he was close to laughing.

He took the phone from his ear and looked to his partner.

“Ryker’s at Tanner’s office,” he told Mike.

Up from his desk, ready to go, Mike’s brows rose. “No shit?”

“They’ve got someone with them and Tanner said we need to get there ASAP.”

“Then let’s go.”

They headed to the front stairs, Garrett texting Tanner, On our way.

“Things go okay with Mia’s dad?” Mike asked as they moved down the steps, both their eyes scanning the area at the bottom to see Kath back at her desk and Justin McClintock gone.

“No. But it went,” Garrett answered.

Mike didn’t reply. Then again, there wasn’t much more for Garrett to say.

On the sidewalk, as they hoofed their way down the block toward Tanner’s office, they had a brief discussion about the fact that they’d be swinging by Mimi’s to get a coffee on their way back.