“Honey, give me a few to straighten things out. I’ll call you back.” Afterhe hangs up, my jaw drops.
Clearly, I misjudged my employer, as did his daughter.
Francine’s the ringmaster. The rest are her clowns.
Chapter 15
Dean
A farmhouse full of dead bodies and we’re still no closer to finding the nukes.
Shit. Keeping my disappointment to myself, I lift my cell to my ear. “Charlie, you did well. Your father will come around. I’m sure of it. Hand the phone over to my brother, if you would.”
“Which one?” The tease in her tone tells me they’re listening in.
“The smartest.” Snickering while my siblings argue in the background, I pull Sky out of the bedroom.
Her hand in mine, I help her step over the deceased terrorist and lead her into the kitchen where two more men lie lifeless, eyes vacant.
Unlike earlier, she stares into space and ignores the gore. “Since when does an arms dealer ask anyone for permission?”
“Sorry, what now?” Outside, I trot her by the guards who only minutes ago enjoyed their last cigarette.
“O’Malley said he needed to check withher, first. That’s nuts.” The brunette’s beautiful mouth puckers and not for the first time, my mind wanders to what it might do in the bedroom.
Clearly, I need more caffeine. “And who isher?”
“My boss’s third wife, Francine Baturina. Fran.” The Russian name gives me pause.
Remembering my brothers, I raise my phone higher. “Are you guys getting this?”
Drac speaks up first. “Good copy. Ophelia, what more can you tell me about Tommy’s current spouse?”
The bodyguard-slash-Mahta Hari closes her eyes. “Jeez. I only met her once or twice. Brunette. Bitch. About forty. Evil stepmother…”
“Got it. Talk soon.”
Knowing my brother’s about to absent-mindedly hang up, I quickly barge in. “Wait. How long before the Feds get here? We have a bit of a mess to clean up.”
“Right, sorry. I’m handing the phone to Adrian. Buh-bye.” The computer whiz says something to my older bro’who gets on the call.
“O’Brien should be pulling in any second now. I’ll have Drac text you a safe place to stay. I called in a favor. Say nothing to the FBI until our lawyer arrives. Ping me when you can.”
“Copy that. Later, dude. And thanks.” Hearing sirens, I take Sky’s hand, raise it in the air with mine, and outside, drop to my knees.
By the time the Feds finish their interrogations, the sun is directly overhead. Exhausted, I drive toward the room my hacker brother reserved. We all agreed Ophelia shouldn’t be left alone, but I haven’t yet had time to explain our sleeping accommodations.
While I instruct my cock to stand down, the manager hands us a key in the dark paneled lobby. “Here you go Mr. and Mrs. Baker.”
One eyebrow raised, the bodyguard leads the way to room one-fifteen and nods at the highway-facing front door. “Cement block building? Excellent choice.”
Color me impressed. Ignoring the dirty bedspread and stained carpet, she walks to the bathroom. “Gotta use the facilities, okay?”
“Sure.” The fact she hasn’t mentioned the one and only bed surprises me, but it shouldn’t.
A second later her smiling face pops up. “We can crawl out the back window, if needed. This place is perfect. Text Drac two thumbs up.”
Chuckling, I shake my head, no. “His ego’s plenty inflated without me adding to it. Besides, he would never believe it was me and would send SWAT to see what happened to us.”
