“What’ll you do if you get an alert while you’re at work?”
I smiled while swiping my phone screen.“My tiger loves a good hunt.Can you mute the TV?Connor sent me a text to call him.”
When Lucian hit Mute, I noticed he had stopped on cartoons.
“Hi, Connor.How’s everything?”
“Grand,” he replied in his pleasant Irish accent.“And how’s your da?”
“Good.Thanks for asking.I want to knock this trip out of the way as quickly as possible.This is one of the few days on my calendar I actually have open.I’ve also got personal things going on at the house.”
“Anything serious?”
“Just working on home security.”
“Aye.Need to be doing that meself.You haven’t had any trouble out there, have you?”
“Just a small fire.The usual petty nonsense.Anyhow, I called because I need the key to those cuffs—the ones Peter calls Satan’s Wedding Ring.I also need the itemized list so I can match it up with everything we hand over.”
“Them and their fecking lists.Aye.That one’s in the bottom desk drawer of me office.”
Connor always usedmeinstead ofmy, which drove Hiroki nuts.Having Irish and Japanese partners was always entertaining with their cultural clashes.
“And the keys?”I pressed.
“Don’t be telling no one about this.I put the keys in the arse of me gnome.”
“Your what?”I jabbed Lucian in the ribs when he barked out a laugh at the cartoon.
“You got a fella with you?”Connor asked.
“My dad.I was on my way to the office but wanted to touch base so I can get this done.The earlier I can leave, the sooner I can get back and finish up work at a decent hour.You said it’s in your gnome?”
“The garden gnome on me office shelf.”
“The biker.”
“The very one.If you turn him over, there’s a cork in his arse.The keys are inside.Be sure you lock everything in that portable trunk, and keep it covered in the boot.”
“What’s a boot?”
“That’s the word we use for a car trunk.Fine, have it your way.Put the trunk in your trunk.You see how corny that sounds?”He laughed.“Drive the speed limit, and call Hiroki if you run into trouble.I don’t want to take another chance with a racist arsehole.”
Once, during a drive to San Antonio, a state trooper pulled me over for driving a few miles over the speed limit.He ordered me to get out of the vehicle, and when I asked why, he lost his mind and started shouting.While I was well-versed in human laws and knew he had no probable cause, refusing him would only escalate the situation.Luckily, I’d called Connor the moment the cop’s lights flashed in my mirrors, and within minutes, a Vampire was on the scene.Since our Vampire insider was also local police, he could approach the trooper without issue.I was on a deadline and left the scene.After that, I was cautious about watching my speed and following traffic laws.I couldn’t be careless going forward—not with all the contraband we transported.
“If those weapons fall into the hands of the coppers, we’re all in trouble,” he tacked on.
“I know the protocol.I’m gonna give my car a thorough inspection to make sure all the lights are working and stickers are valid; I’m not giving them any reason to pull me over.”
“Coppers always come up with reasons.You know that.”
“What time should I tell Peter you’ll be at the jail?”
“Afraid I won’t be back until later.I’ll keep me phone on if you run into trouble.”
“All right.Thanks, Connor.I’ll see you later.”
I breathed a sigh of relief that Connor hadn’t lost the keys.
