If I was lucky, I'd drive Jack crazy, too.
That was my plan at least.
I slowly pulled my wrist from Jack's grasp then gave the man my back. I could see the amusement in Ian's face. He was biting his lip, but his eyes sparkled with merriment.
I raised an eyebrow. "Now, you were saying?"
Jack growled behind me, and a moment later, the front door slammed shut as he stormed out of the house. I winked at Ian, smiling when the man burst out laughing. Hank had a smile on his face as he shook his head.
"I swear," Hank said, "you're going to drive that man insane."
Mission accomplished.
"I'm sure Jack is very good at his job, but he's a total blowhard. He has the social skills of a gnat."
"True," Hank agreed, "but he's a gnat who can put you six feet under if you piss him off."
"Maybe." I never felt that kind of fear from Jack. I knew I pissed him off, but he never scared me. I actually felt safer when he was around. "But what's life if you don't live it a little dangerously?"
Hank chuckled. "Your funeral, man."
"Okay." I clapped my hands together. "Tell me what you've found so far."
I hated being a buzz kill, but knowledge was power. The more we knew, the better prepared we'd be when Atkins did strike.
"Come on in my office and I'll fill you in on what we know. It's not much more than we knew before, but it's something."
"Where is everyone?" I asked as I followed Ian into his office.
"Still at home most likely," Ian said. "They are all supposed to meet us over here in the morning for brunch so we can discuss what we're going to do."
Sounded good.
"Is Ewan on his way in?"
Ian nodded. "He's flying in from Oxford. He should be here later today."
With this mess going on with Atkins, I hated Ewan being across the Atlantic. In an emergency, we wouldn't be able to get to him in a timely manner. It would take hours, and by then, it would be too late.
"Have you talked to Ewan about moving closer?"
"Until I'm blue in the face," Ian replied. "He's determined to finish his studies at Oxford."
Well, I couldn't exactly blame him there. I refused to leave MIT until I was done with my studies, and look how that turned out for me. "I think maybe it's time I looked into finishing my degree through MIT's online program. Do you know if any of the houses in the neighborhood are up for sale?"
Technically, I'd need two houses.
I came with baggage.
"I'll need a place close by for my parents as well." They weren't going to be thrilled with moving, but if I moved, I knew they'd follow. I'd really rather not live with them again if at all possible. It had been hard enough to move out the first time. My mother had cried for a week.
"There's only one available place on this block, and Hank and I already snapped it up as soon as it came up for sale. We'd be happy to sell it to you for a reasonable price."
I knew Hank and Ian had been snapping up whatever houses came up for sale on their block on both sides of the street. Andrew and Cooper had moved in to the one directly across the street. Danny and Abe had moved into the house right next door to them. If this kept up, we'd own the entire block.
"I'd appreciate that."
"As for your parents, there are a couple of houses in the neighborhood that are for sale. Just not on this street. I can find out more information about them if you're interested."
