“Eh, I was thinking Spyros and I have more in common than is comfortable.” Spyros worked on a team, much as Gabe had, and probably took pride in doing a good job. “He took money to kill people, and when I worked for the mercs, so did I.”

She gave him an incredulous look. “You took money to kill innocent women?”

“No.”

“Would you have?”

“No.” Not for all the money in the world.

“Spyros lacks any moral code. You have a very strong one. Being a mercenary wasn’t a good fit for you.” She went up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

Well. His mood lightened. Goldilocks was right. There were lines he wouldn’t cross.

Smiling, he kissed the top of Audrey’s head. She certainly had a talent for putting things into perspective.

As they walked into the meeting—late—he saw the place was packed, again. At the front, Dante was announcing that Baumer had been dismissed.

“That seems very high-handed of Chief MacNair.” His deep-set eyes flashing with anger, Parrish leaned forward, looking at the townspeople. “We’ve perhaps given an Outsider too much control over our town. What does a police officer from the Lower 48 know about Alaska and how we operate here?

“Oh, he knows.” Guzman snorted. “He can also track better than anyone I’ve ever met.”

Chevy rose, moving stiffly. “He saved my son. I’d say he knows a damn lot.”

“Knows how to deal with moose,” another yelled.

Dante’s wheezing laugh stilled the comments. “Gabe an Outsider? Bullpucky. He grew up in a dry cabin down by Seward. His father was a Green Beret buddy of mine. Our chief here was a Navy SEAL—yeah, served our country—and an Anchorage cop.”

A SEAL…Anchorage…dry cabin? Whispers ran around the room.

Jesus. Who knew the whiskered old man was so chatty. Gabe frowned at Dante.

Parrish scowled. “He worked in Los Angeles.”

Unfazed, Dante grinned. “For a bit. He fell for an Outsider woman who dragged him to the States to work. But now we got him back home, and we’re not going to let him go again.”

The cheers and hoots of agreement made Gabe freeze. Cheers?

Abandoning the Outsider argument, Parrish pointed to Gabe and shouted, “You fired Officer Baumer for no reason.”

It was time to lay some cards on the table. “You mean I fired your boy, Mr. Parrish?” Not reverend because he was sure no man of God.

Parrish stiffened. “Officer Baumer isn’t one of mine.”

“He lives in your compound. He’s yours.”

The man’s mouth compressed.

“Let me show you the reason he was fired.” Gabe nodded to Uriah who’d set up equipment to project the video on the white wall behind the council members. “For crime prevention, security cameras were installed in high-risk areas. Since medical clinics are high risk, there’s a camera in the parking lot here, behind our municipal building.”