“Tulle.The fabric.”
“Yeah, I think that’s what Finn called it.But that’s not the worst part.He’s got me shoving all these little blue oblong things inside the bags.I think they’re some sort of nuts dipped in candy, but they look like Papa Smurf’s balls if you ask me.”
“They’re Jordan almonds.”
After a beat of silence, Cal says, “Of course.Jordan almondstied up in festivetulle, you completefreak.”
I laugh.“It’s a standard party favor, Cal.It’s not my fault that you’re not civilized enough to know what Jordan almonds are.”
“Just get back here before I off myself, dude.”
I take a sip of my single malt and feel the smooth heat coat my throat.“I’ll do you one better—I’ll hurry back and off you myself.Is Special K with you right now?”
“It’s just Finn, Declan, and me at the moment, but he’s around here somewhere.Want me to get him?”
“Uh, no.But put me on speaker.”
“Do we need a secure line in the conference room?”
“Nope.I’ll tell you about the substance of the meeting once I’m home.This is something else.Let me know when everyone’s within earshot.”
I wait a minute, hearing Finn complain that he doesn’t have time to chat, but soon, all three are gathered around Cal’s phone.
“This better be good,” Finn says.
“Guess who Naval Intelligence sent to the meeting?None other than Captain Harper Dunn-Spence.”
“Wait,” Declan says.“That’s the babe who Done-Dispensed with K’s fat ass, right?”
“That’s the one, yes.But she prefers the term ‘Captain’ over ‘babe’ because she’s an active-duty superior officer, dumbshit.”
“Was it weird?”Finn asks.
“Hellyes, it was weird.I haven’t seen her since she stomped on Kevin’s heart and squashed that sucker flat.That was about three years ago now, right?”
“What’d she say?”Declan asks.
“Nothing much.Just ‘nice to see you’ and then we got to work.I could tell she was pretty rattled sitting across the conference table from a MacLaine, though.”
“Yeah, since she almostwasone,” Cal says.
“Is she married now?”Finn asks.
“Hell if I know.I didn’t see a ring, and I didn’t ask.”
“Should we tell K that you—”
“HELL NO!”
Finn, Cal, and I shout our answer to Declan in unison, the exact same words at the exact same decibel level.
“What’s going on?”I hear Special K walk into the room.
“Oh shit,” Declan says.
“It’s Evander on speaker,” Finn says.
“So?”
