TWENTY-FOUR
WENDY
Wendy sped outside, Oriane following at her heels. “Sam?” she called. “Sam!”
She ran down the path, slowing when she saw that real estate woman, K’thrynne Nobett.
“…is it proper to take away a little boy?” Oriane shouted past Wendy. She was clearly as scared as Wendy.
“Now, now, he’s just getting a little tour,” K’thrynne Nobett cooed.
“What is that you say? Atour?” Oriane shrilled, eyes rolling and arms crossed—and Wendy was very glad she had never been the recipient of a toxic build-up of unused thirteen-year-old sarcasm.
Wendy put out a hand to hold Oriane back, and glared at the woman. “Where’s Sam?”
“Calm down, calm down,” Ms. Nobett said. “If you’re as smart as I think you are, your snot-nosed brat will spend an hour or so in the van, with a gallon of ice cream stuffing his mouth. That’s if you cooperate. Let’s take a little ride ourselves.” That diamond flashed on K’thrynne’s hand as she indicated her luxury car parked below.
I’m coming,Alejo said over the mate bond.
Wendy blinked at Oriane’s anxious face, and whispered, “Go straight to the house. Lock yourself in.”
Oriane ran.
What should I do?Wendy asked Alejo.
Looks like they suckered us, and I was deflected. Can you stand to go along with it? I’ve just alerted Joey Hu and Mikhail Long. They are dropping everything to back me up. I’m on my way—I’ll be following you.
Wendy turned to K’thrynne Nobett. “What do you want?”
“What I want is this property—the small one for choice, but I’ll take this one if my partner decides to pass. Your kid is on his way to my partner’s house. Get in.” She pointed down at her luxury car.
Ah, giving Alejo a target.
“I want Sam,” Wendy said. “Take me to him.”
K’thrynne said with a roll of her eyes that reminded Wendy of Oriane, but looked less pleasant on a grown woman. “Your wish is my command.”
Wendy followed her down to the car, slid into the seat, and buckled in.
K’thrynne minced around to her side in her stilettos, and started up the car with an impatient poke and a slap at the gear shift. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know why my partner in this deal wants that property so much. It doesn’t do to press, with some people. This is a little hint to you, by the way. Cooperate, your kid comes back, everyone goes away a winner.”
Wendy bit back a nasty comment. Be nice, smile, her mother whispered. You catch more flies with honey. “What do you get out of this kidnapping?” Wendy asked.
“It won’t be a kidnapping, if you’re smart,” K’thrynne said. “Give the man the intel he wants, and little Four Eyes has an adventure, with a ton of sugar.”
“Sugar?”
“Don’t all brats love sweet stuff? I told them, load the kid with ice cream, and that’ll stop the yelling.” K’thrynne made a face. “If he hates sweets, I don’t want to hear about it. I can’t stand kids. They’re sticky, dirty, and loud. Far as I’m concerned, they should all be locked in a cage until they’re at least twenty-five.”
She sped up the road, the tired squealing.
Wendy said, “I should probably remind you that I’m just a caretaker for Godiva Hidalgo’s house. I do not own it, nor do I have power of attorney.”
“You own the beach house, though,” K’thrynne said with a shrewd glance. “My interest is solely in that. My partner in this venture at this point wants information, as near as I can tell. I don’t understand it. I don’t have to. My interest is in taking this complete waste of potential and turning it into a money-making venture.”
“The coastal commission might have something to say about that,” Wendy commented.
K’thrynne lifted a silk-covered shoulder. “Money talks. And everyone has their price. All I have any interest in is making money. Or marrying it.” She threw a knowing look Wendy’s way.
