***
Anderson arrived the following afternoon with less than wonderful news. “DeLario’s missing,” he said, leaning against the kitchen counter. “We sent agents to his home with a search warrant. They turned that house upside down, questioned his cook, and found nothing. He’d taken even his computer.”
I exchanged a glance with Jade. “He’s on the run.”
“The cook said he hadn’t been there since the day before yesterday.”
“When that worker tried to kill us,” Jade said, scowling. “Could he be here? In DC?”
“That occurred to me,” Anderson admitted. “I’m putting agents on this house. Two will be in here with you at all times.”
“Not Agent Creepy.” Jade rolled her eyes.
Anderson frowned. “You mean Carlson? Jade, that man has the tenacity of a pit bull. And he can shoot a pig’s eye at a hundred yards. As a protector, you can’t ask for anyone better.”
“Sorry, he’s just strange.”
“Okay, so his social skills aren’t much. Just don’t give him a hard time, okay?”
“No worries.”
“I’m working with local agencies to find DeLario,” Anderson went on. “And his house of cards fell in.” He smirked. “Shit has hit the fan for the governor and all those who participated in his schemes. We’ve arrested dozens in his organization, shut down his human trafficking ring, set to shut down more in coming days.”
“You work fast, Anderson,” I commented. “I thought shutting him down would take longer.”
“I had a system in place for when we’d get the evidence and warrants,” Anderson replied. “I just gave the word.”
“So he has been on your radar,” Jade said.
“Oh, yeah. And you gave us exactly what we needed.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jade
Being forced to live with FBI agents wasn’t the dreadful situation I’d envisioned. After a time, Carlson loosened up enough to smile and crack a few jokes. His partner, Agent Morgan, turned out to be cheerful and an excellent cook. He prepared gourmet meals once Carlson returned from the grocery store with Morgan’s list of ingredients.
“That’s why I get this detail,” Morgan said. “My cooking keeps the subjects in the house and not roaming to Mickey D’s or Wendy’s.”
I breathed in the delicious scents. “What about the agents outside?”
“They have to brown bag it,” he replied. “Can’t give them away by taking them dinner.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Luck of the draw.”
“My pop’s a sneaky bastard,” Magnus commented, entering the kitchen. “How would they know if he’s out there?”
“They’re trained observers,” Carlson replied. “They know this block, this neighborhood. If something isn’t right, they’re on it like stink on shit.”
He glanced at me with his mouth open. His skin turned a dark red as he muttered, “Sorry, ma’am.”
I chuckled. “I’ve said a lot worse, believe me. Don’t worry about it.”
Life with federal agents wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d feared. Over meals, Magnus talked of Arnaud, his organization, his life under Arnaud’s strict rule. He grinned at me. “But thanks to him, I found the love of my life.”
“Even after you kidnapped her?” Morgan asked.
