“Is there a gate that leads into your backyard?” Blood asked.
“Or any exterior side doors to the house?” Tundra asked.
I shook my head. “There are no side doors, but the gate next to the garage leads into the backyard. Why do you ask?”
Blood held my gaze for a moment. “Tundra and I will be in the back yard. You’re right to assume that Frank knows about Punc being here. If Frank thinks something’s up, he’ll probably bring one of his men with him.”
Punc came back inside and went to his bag near the couch. He pulled out a gun and a knife, tucking both into holsters.
I sidled up to him. “You’re probably going to tell me not to worry, but my stomach’s in knots, and I’m getting a bad feeling about all this.”
Punc wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. “Babe, second-guessing things now doesn’t help us. We thought he might do something like this, and we’re as prepared as we can be for the possibility of an ambush.”
After a moment, I said, “It seems too easy.”
Punc shrugged a shoulder. “Get used to it, Smythe. Now that you’re with me, life is gonna get much easier.”
“Just like that?”
He brushed his lips against mine. “Damn right, ‘just like that.’”
I loved having this man looking out for me. A sense of relief was building, but I didn’t quite trust it. I gave him a small smile. “What about the money?”
Punc shook his head. “You aren’t actually paying him, babe.”
“But when he sees me without any cash…”
“I’m gonna be right behind you. That’s gonna tip him off that something’s up.”
Blood set a wad of cash on the end table. “If you want to keep up the ruse, carry that out, and try to be discreet with it. He probably won’t suspect anything because most people get nervous when they have large amounts of cash.”
Punc grabbed the cash, thumbed the end of the bills, and shot Blood a look. “We could send her out with an envelope.”
“I did that the first time I paid him. He told me not to do that again,” I said.
Both men looked at me, anger simmering in their eyes. I quickly filled the stifling silence. “I wrote the total amount paid on the envelope, so that might have been the bigger issue.”
Blood slowly shook his head. “You’re too damn soft for the likes of Punc.”
“What the fuck?” Punc asked.
At the same time, I asked, “What do you mean?”
Blood leaned a little closer. “That asshole doesn’t offer receipts, tells you not to bring the cash out in an envelope because you marked how much you paid,andyou don’t want us to kill him. That makes you soft…‘sweet Ava.’”
I tipped my head to concede the point. “It’s not that I’m soft. I’ve always been told that Karma’s a bitch, and after the past few months, I don’t need any more bad Karma.”
Blood gave the slightest of nods. “Which room is your sister’s?”
“The bedroom on the right, but she isn’t here.”
Blood grinned. “Frank doesn’t know that…hell, from what I hear, he’s likely to assume sheishere. Either way, Cal’s gonna keep watch in her room. The guest bedroom is right next to it, if he hears someone coming in through there, he’ll be on it.”
Something about Blood’s words fired up my nerves. Proving how in sync with me he was, Punc slid his finger along my jaw and turned my face toward his. “Take a deep breath, Savannah. Everything’s gonna be fine.”
I nodded.
My cell rang. I moved to the breakfast bar and saw Frank’s name on the screen. “I’m guessing he’s here.” I picked it up and took the call. “Hello.”
