Kel waited in a coffee shop near Maggie's apartment. He'd driven there and found a spot, but wasn't willing to go any closer. He would give her the necessary information and then be done. She should go to the cops and let them handle this.That wasn't the advice the Foley brothers had given him. Too bad. He didn't want to be involved. He wanted to keep his distance. His meeting with the Foleys reinforced that the goblins were up to no good."Not my problem," he said to no one.The coffee shop was in that lull after breakfast and before lunch. The commuters had all left half of an hour ago and the only ones occupying the place were job hunters and freelancers. Everyone tapped away at keyboards and the fact that he didn't have a computer in front of him almost made him feel as if he'd arrived at a ball in jeans. Almost. He shifted in his chair, staring out the window in the direction Maggie would most likely approach the place. He wanted this meeting over with. The Foleys had been all r

Maggie put her phone up to her ear, hoping that her call would go to voicemail. She didn't know what she would feel when she heard Brandon's voice. She hadn't spoken to him in six months. She hadn't even heard from him or about him.He couldn't get away from her fast enough. He hadn't been supportive of much of what she'd done and in that last case, it had seemed as if he'd put obstacles in her way. She didn't know for sure. "Maggie?"That would mean that he had her number in his contacts. Still. Even after six months. "Hi.""Hey, what's up?"He seemed glad to hear from her. "Well, I need your help with something."He sighed. "I'm not sure I can help you, Maggie. I got a lot of heat from the higher ups about the last time."She chewed on her lip. "I don't need you to do anything other than give me some information.""About what?""Where do homeless teens hang out?"A chuckle came through the phone. "Is this another one of your crusades?""Of course, but I just need to know then you c

Maggie was moving her legs as fast as she could, but was only just keeping up with Kel. "Sorry."He slowed his pace. He stopped in front of a truck that was big enough to impress her that he parallel parked it. She eyed the vehicle. "Yours?""Yes.""Okay."He opened the door and helped her in. It wasn't a new truck, but she saw it as a true reflection of Kel. A little battered, but probably managed to get him from point a to point b. He climbed in the other side as she clicked in her seatbelt. "Are you really taking me there?"He started the truck. The dash lights illuminated part of his face. "Yes. Against my better judgment.""I don't need your protection, Kel. I don't need a guy with a hero complex. I've had enough of those."He turned his head to her. "Maggie, you need protection from yourself as well as from the people who will be where we are going."She bristled at the idea. "I don't."A chuckle rumbled from deep inside of him. "You do."He pulled out onto the street. Full dark

"You can't save all of them."Maggie put up her hand. "I've been hearing that my whole career. I will never stop trying."Kel rested his head onto the headrest. This wasn't a one and done. She was going to go off onto a crusade. "You think there is something we can do?""Yes," Maggie said, no trace of the sobbing she had done in her voice. She'd recovered quickly. He had to admire that. "What do you have in mind?""Well, first we'll go to the authorities? We'll try to work within the system.""Then what?"Her gaze turned to him as he lifted his head. "If that doesn't work, we'll go around the authorities."***Maggie left Kel in his truck while she trudged up the steps to her office. The sun had risen. They'd eaten breakfast and now she was ready to do battle. Well, not really. She was exhausted, but this had to be done. No time like the present. With or without Kel, she had to fight for the kids, but he didn't seem to be deserting her at the moment. Surprisingly, Chelsea was in her

Not before Billy Malone went missing and she met Kel. Was this a good thing or a bad thing?Not that she considered herself naïve. She couldn't be, having moved ten times before the age of fourteen, with three more moves before she aged out of the system. You came to adulthood with a certain wariness when you hadn't been raised by adults you could trust. In fact, you raised yourself. She ordered a beer and it was half empty when Kel walked in the front door. He did have a presence about him and how did he get here so fast? Then again, she didn't know where he was. Maybe he had a friend in the neighborhood. Or a girlfriend? A tinge of jealousy reared its head. She had no claims on Kel, but she had to admit she liked him. As he strode through the bar, people moved out of his way. He didn't push them, but he clearly knew they would move. He was too nice a guy to get upset if they didn't, but even those not looking at him, shifted to get out of his way. She couldn't help watching him as