“But he’s leaving them for you again,” Angus said softly.
Nari cleared her throat. “Should you quit your job or work remotely? Maybe make it more difficult for him to find you?”
Jethro shook his head. “No. I won’t run or hide from my brother. Besides, it would just tick him off, and he’d do something to make sure I came out into the light. We’re doing this my way, which means I keep teaching and living my life.” His jaw set in astubborn tilt.
Fair enough. Angus took a drink of his wine. “Is it odd that he’s communicating with you through notes?” The action seemed beneath Fletcher.
Jethro nodded. “It’s odd but I think I get it. He’sbeing an ass.”
That about summed it up. “I figured,” Angus murmured. “He’s making fun of our last case and the fact that you’re working with us. The notes are just him having a little fun.” No doubt Fletcher believed that the ragtag group within the HDD was nothing compared to MI6.
“Exactly,” Jet said, his gaze on his wine.
Angus lifted a shoulder. “I have no problem being underestimated. You need to understand that even though he seems methodical, there is emotion involved here. You caught him and turned him in to the authorities. In other words, you beat him.” It wasn’t difficult to profile the jackass.
“Yes.” Jethro sat back. “Fletcher was always a jealous little shite, and now he wants revenge, although he’d argue he’s above that. He is not. The farther away all of you stay, the better.”
That wasn’t going to happen. Not nowand not ever.
Angus smiled.
Chapter Thirteen
Gemma spent all of Saturday making sure the house was safe. She installed another lock on the basement window. Though the window was small, a man could twist his body in such a way to make it through. So she also put sharp tacks and broken glass across the sill. Then she installed a lock on the outside of the door thatled downstairs.
The windows and main doors had good locks, so she just purchased thin wooden rods to ensure that neither the windows nor the sliding glass door by the breakfast nook could be opened. She’d also purchased more bullets.
Finally she and Trudy had eaten dinner, had a bubble bath, and then gotten into bed. Well, Trudy was in bed. “Okay. That was three books,” she whispered, leaning over to kiss Trudy on the head. Her hair fell forward onto her daughter’s face.Her real hair.
Trudy giggled and grabbed a strand. “Mama’s hair. Just like mine.”
“Yeah,” Gemma said softly. “Just like yours.”
Trudy looked up into her eyes. “Blue eyes like mine. Yours and mine.”
Gemma nodded. “Yes. But we keep a secret, right? Just you and me.”
Trudy’s little face scrunched up. “Why?”
Gemma smoothed back her daughter’s hair, helplessness choking her. Then she swallowed. “It’s a grown-up reason, and someday you’ll understand, but right now you have to promise. It’s our secret.”
Trudy grinned.“Okay. Secret.”
Hopefully the little girl would understand. Gemma had a good reason—several really—for keeping the child’s biological father away from her. But what if he could’ve been a decent father, even though he was a crappy fiancé? Every instinct in Gemma’s body screamed that Monty was dangerous not only to her but to Trudy. “Night, sweetie.”
Trudy closed her eyes and snuggled down, falling asleep almost immediately.
Gemma listened to her breathe for several long moments, taking comfort in the fact that they appeared to besafe. For now.
She forced herself to stand and return to the living room, where she was folding laundry when her phone buzzed from the credenza. “Hello?” she answered, keeping her voice low tocamouflage it.
“You sound odd. Are you ill?” Jethro askedover the line.
Relief had her straightening and moving into the living room to sit on the comfy gray sofa. “I was whispering because I just put Trudy to bed.” Her heart rate picked up. The sexy professor had called her, and she could take one moment to enjoy that fact. “I’m still mad at you,” she said, not having the energy to put any heatinto the words.
“About that.” He cleared his throat. “I owe you an apology for being overbearing about the tires. Not a half-assed one where I justify myself by saying I was doing the right thing. I’m sorry.”
She looked around the quiet room with the curtains hiding the darkness and her heart warmed whether she wanted it to or not. “What brought this on?”
