“That’s right,” Grant said with a nod. “Password is Laurel’s birthday.” Then he handed Diesel the Bible he’d picked up from Kaiser’s room. “For you, with my thanks. I hope you mend quickly. Give my best to Stone. I’m going to find my wife.”

Cincinnati, Ohio
Wednesday, March 20, 3:00 a.m.

“Where to?” Marcus asked when they were all in his Subaru.

Dani grabbed Diesel’s hand. She’d just finished a quick call to Grant’s wife, telling her he was on his way. “The condo for a few hours so Diesel can sleep. Deacon and Faith are there with the boys, and they’re asleep, too. We can go back to my house when everyone’s woken up.”

Scarlett twisted around from the front passenger seat to look at them. “The kids must have been so scared. But Troy said they were so good in the van. They did everything he told them while he was getting them back to the condo for safety.”

“We called them as soon as we got to the hospital,” Dani told her. “FaceTimed them so we could talk to Michael, too.” The relief on their faces still made her eyes sting. “We promised them that I’d at least be there when they woke up in the morning.”

“Actually,” Diesel said, his head leaned back, his eyes closed, his jaw clenched tight against what had to be incredible pain, “I’d like to go to my house. Just to grab a few things,” he added when Dani jolted in surprise.

“You need to rest,” she said. “Take your pain meds and rest.”

“I can pack you a bag and bring it to you,” Scarlett said warily. “If you’re okay with me going through your things.”

Diesel’s mouth quirked up, even though his eyes remained closed. “I do trust you, Scar, if that’s what you’re asking. I don’t trust all the cops who swarmed my place when Stone got shot. I promise I’ll obey doctor’s orders when we get to the condo, but I’d sleep better knowing that nobody touched my stuff.”

His “stuff,” Dani thought, was all the computers in his office. He’d brought only one laptop with him when they’d raced from his house to the condo. “Can we load some of his hardware into the back?” she asked, thumbing at the cargo hold.

“Of course.” Marcus set a course, and for a while, nobody spoke. Diesel’s breathing had softened, slowing, and Dani hoped he would be able to sleep for the twenty minutes it would take to get there.

A thump got her attention and Dani realized she’d dozed as well. The thump was the Bible that Grant had given Diesel falling from his finally relaxed hand to the floorboard at his feet. Taking care not to jostle him, she leaned over to pick it up, then gave it a hard look.