Innocent Hostage Read Online Free PDF

responsibility. Being leader meant even longer hours. On top of normal police duties, the leaders of the AOS units were responsible for operational policy, planning, debriefing and reporting. Harley Max, the District Commander, would never look at a solo parent as a unit leader. And he’d be right.
    How could Breck cope with all that and one small boy too? Oh shit, oh shit. He felt his smile waver as his stomach turned over. In his mind’s eye he could see a roaring bonfire, and in the flames, all his plans for the future were burning brightly.
    He let the party racket on around him and concentrated on Kit, making sure his son was not awed by the roomful of cops. Breck noticed that Jace seemed to take it all in her stride. She said to him quietly, “Don’t look so worried. I’ve got a temporary solution for you.”
    Breck turned to her and thought once again how damned lucky Abe was. Well, almost lucky. Abe had told him they weren’t able to have kids, but that didn’t stop them from volunteering their time to a couple of kid’s charities, and last year they’d applied overseas to adopt. They’d be great parents, not like him.
    Jace reminded him of Ingrid Rowland. She was pretty too, and she had the same calm, capable mien around kids that Ingrid had. He preferred Ingrid’s softer style though. With Jace, what you saw was what you got. But he had the feeling that Ingrid Rowland had hidden depths. He liked that in a woman.
    Jace leaned over and snaffled a piece of sausage off Kit’s plate. Kit grinned up at her. “Breck, until we’re given the go-ahead for the adoption, I can look after Kit outside of his normal preschool hours.” She dipped the sausage in the puddle of ketchup on Kit’s plate. “How’s that for a bargain? I get a kid to play with and you get peace of mind.”
    Breck stared at her, his heart full. “I couldn’t let you—”
    “Of course you could. Who fielded all our calls from Russia last year when we were going through the initial adoption visit? Who did extra duties when Abe had flu last year? Huh?”
    Breck smiled. “Abe would do the same for me.”
    “Yep. So that’s the plan. I’m sorry I can’t promise you anything permanent because we may have to drop everything suddenly to fly to Russia. And Breck,” she laid a hand on his arm, “I’m really sorry about the promotion thing. Something will come up.”
    Breck shook his head and tried to grin. His throat was so tight he had to swallow so he could speak. “Thanks, Jace. But I don’t understand. You work part-time. How can you—?”
    “Not any more. Since we applied to adopt, I’ve become a full-time housewife. And very boring it is too.”
    Yes. Breck could imagine quick-silver Jace whizzing through the housework by nine a.m. and getting antsy for the rest of the day. Her home gym was probably taking a pounding.
    “Well…I—”
    “Done,” she said, getting up. She waggled her fingers at him and strolled across to where Abe was watching them. He gave Breck the thumbs-up and put his arm around Jace.
    Breck blinked hard. He’d been alone for so long he’d forgotten he had good friends-—really good friends—in the unit. When his marriage disintegrated, he’d gone within himself. The other members of the unit had partners and wives and he’d been a fifth wheel. Anyway, he hadn’t wanted to socialize. Socializing had always been painful for him, but while Tania was there she’d made things easier.
    Yeah, for a short time he’d had it all, and then it had been taken away. Okay. He probably didn’t deserve it anyway. That’s what his parents would say. They’d made him work for every little privilege, and if he didn’t get the privileges, well then…he hadn’t deserved them. And if that hadn’t worked, they used the cupboard. His stomach squeezed just thinking about that damned cupboard.
    He didn’t intend to bring Kit up the same way. He respected his parents but he didn’t like them and he sure as hell