“He’s probably afraid I’m going to break down again on him like I did in the car.Sob fest.”
Lillian handed her the plate.“Well, I think any time someone breaks into your house in the middle of the night and tries to kill you, you’re allowed a few tears.It’s in the rule book.”
Summer picked up a piece of bacon and began eating it.Somehow she doubted Lillian would’ve cried if anyone had broken into her house.
“I have to admit, I’m a little surprised Fitzy was at your house given the look of death you gave him at the grocery store yesterday.”
Summer shoveled a forkful of eggs into her mouth.“Yeah, I wasn’t too happy about finding out his real profession that way.I thought he was my condo’s maintenance man.”
“If it helps at all, he’s wanted to tell you for a long time.Once we found out what was going on—you make delicious muffins by the way—we ragged him unmercifully.”
Summer shook her head.“That should make me feel better, shouldn’t it?But it doesn’t.You all knew about what he was doing.Laughed about it.You must have thought I was an idiot.Ashtonmust have thought I was an idiot.”
Lillian just smiled, her dark eyes full of compassion.“Not at all.We thoughthewas an idiot.And made no bones about letting him know that.But he would never have let anyone say even the slightest bad thing about you.Even if any of us had thought it, which we didn’t, he wouldn’t have let us say it.”
Lillian didn’t strike her as the type who would lie just to save someone’s feelings, but it was still hard to believe that was the truth.
Summer shrugged.“He’s a good guy.I know that.Maintenance man or member of SWAT, he’s still a good guy.”
“Definitely true,” Lillian agreed.“I would want Fitzy at my back in any situation.He’s a hell of a shot.”
“Is that his specialty?”Summer asked glancing at the other woman.“To be honest, we didn’t get that far in our conversation about his work.Just that he worked at Omega.”
“He’s one of the best sharpshooters I’ve ever seen.He’s got instincts and patience that make him stellar in multiple situations.Particularly hostage ones.”
Summer took a bite of the food Lillian provided as she studied Ashton again from across the room.He was still talking to other people and poring over a computer.“I believe that.He’s solid.Focused.”
“I’m just glad you were able to get past everything.Fitzy cares a lot about you.But with the whole situation with, you know—” Lillian glanced over at her, waving her hand “—everything, he’s overthought it all to death.”
“I don’t understand.”
Lillian shrugged.“That’s a problem all SWAT members have, particularly snipers.When a situation goes wrong, we overplay it in our minds.Trying to figure out what we would’ve done differently to get a different result.Almost like a reverse chess game.”
“If you had done such and such five moves ago, maybe the end result would’ve been different—that sort of thing?”
“Yeah, exactly.All of us hate it when a hostage situation goes wrong.But Ashton really tore himself up about it.Even though he’s been completely cleared.There was no shot to be made.”
“I don’t know why he would feel that way,” Summer responded.“He got Chloe and me out.I don’t know what more he could have done.”
“No, I’m talking about—” Lillian abruptly ended her sentence.She shook her head.“Never mind.It’s late.Let’s just leave it that Fitzy overthinks everything.Like you said, he tries to be too many moves ahead.”
Summer felt like she was missing a critical piece of a puzzle she hadn’t even realized she was putting together.
Or maybe she was just exhausted.
“You should eat.”Lillian pointed to the plate.“You don’t realize how fast your body burns calories when you’re in shock.You’ll need the nourishment.”
“Somebody tried to kill us tonight.”She took another bite.Lillian and Ashton were right.The food was helping.She felt less like she might crumble at any moment.
“Yeah, everyone is pretty focused on that.We take it pretty seriously when someone tries to harm one of our own.”
“Ashton.”
Lillian smiled.“Not just Ashton.I know we’re all pretty new to you, but you’re not new to us.First because of Joe and then because of Fitzy.”
“They’re putting Chloe and me in a safe house.”
“That’s the best place for you.It’s not wonderful, but it’s not too bad.That way, Ashton and the team can concentrate on catching this guy and not be distracted with worry about whether you and your daughter are safe.”
