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two of them the business would be fine. Hell, he didn’t even really need to tell anyone what he was doing.
    After he hung up from the doctor, he shoved a few things in his desk and got ready to leave. Shannon peeked in as he was getting ready to go.
    “Was that good news or bad?”
    Duncan grimaced. “Well, good overall but troubling. I have to go to Kansas City.”
    She nodded as if she already knew. “Want me to make you a flight?”
    He nodded and limped past her. “John in his office?”
    “Yep.”
    Palmer was hunched over his keyboard when Duncan walked in, but he glanced up. “Hey. I have a lead on why Malone is being such an asshole. I’m gonna dig a little deeper then I’ll send you a report.”
    Duncan nodded. “Good. I have to run to KC for a bit. They found Willingham.”
    John sat back in his chair in surprise. “No fuckin’ way…”
    “I don’t know what’s going on, but I need to get to the bottom of this guy.”
    John wheeled away from the desk. “Absolutely. Go dig. And let us know what’s going on. There’s nothing here we can’t manage while you’re gone.”
    Shannon walked into the office and handed Duncan a slip of paper. “Your flight is booked. I only made it one way because I didn’t know what kind of time frame you were looking at. You have two hours to get to the airport.”
    He took the paper and folded it away into his wallet. “I don’t know either, but I’ll keep you posted on what’s going on.”
    Duncan walked out of the office building knowing he had a team at his back that would take care of everything.
    *     *     *
    Chad’s night relief came in the smiling form of Zeke Foster tapping lightly at the front door. Chad let him in, giving him space to get through the entry. The big man reached out for a manly shoulder bump and Chad was surprised. Zeke was one of the more standoffish guys in the office.
    “Hey, big man.”
    Zeke grinned down at him and Chad had to take a second to remind himself what the guy had looked like before. Just a couple months ago Zeke had gone in and had another reconstructive surgery, smoothing out some of the scar tissue on his face. Ember, his kind-of girlfriend at the time, had gone ballistic because Zeke hadn’t told her he was going in. “Ember still as awesome as ever?”
    Zeke shook his head in wonder. “More so every day. I don’t know what she sees in me, but I’m never letting her go.”
    Chad grinned, truly glad that his buddy had had such a change in his life. Not too long ago they’d been hanging in the bar window-shopping. None of them actually had the balls to do anything about the women they saw. They’d been publicly shot down too many times.
    Ember had been different though. She’d never looked at any one of them like they were to be pitied, though the group had been pretty rough. Something about her and Zeke together totally worked. She saw the good guy he was at heart.
    Chad sighed at the contentment he could see in his buddy’s face, but he couldn’t be petty about it. Zeke Foster truly deserved that happiness.
    The big man rested a hand on his shoulder. “You okay, boss man?”
    Chad nodded, forcing a grin. “Heck yeah, I’m just wondering where I can get a wingman now. You’ve changed your hours to be with Ember and her son more, and Ortiz left for the rich and famous with Grif.”
    Zeke snorted. “Sorry, dude.”
    Chad could tell he wasn’t, though. And if he had the kind of home life Zeke was now getting used to, he wouldn’t either.
    “Ms. Malone has gone to bed, and I think I may just sack out on the couch for tonight. If she wakes up and finds you in her house, she’ll freak. I didn’t have a chance to tell her you were coming.”
    Zeke grimaced and his massive shoulders shifted. “I’d have t-t-tried to get here earlier if you’d let me kn-know sooner.”
    Chad waved his words away. “Don’t worry about it. If you hear her getting up, wake me to run interference.”
    Zeke