“Most women do,” he agreed, turning to look back out atthe dark night.
Gemma swallowed. Jethro had mentioned he used to work with the twins. Did this mean she was in a vehicle with three ex-MI6 operatives? Former spies? When had her world gone down the rabbit hole? How was this even possible? And that Nari was with the local team Jethro had helped? Gemma had so many questions she could barely contain them, but she needed to speak with Jethro alone. She couldn’t talk in front of Trudy, and maybe she wasn’t even supposed to know that these guys were MI6; she didn’t want to gethim in trouble.
Maybe the twins still worked for the mysterious agency.
The SUV skidded on the ice and Jethro easily corrected, keeping them on the road.
“Where are we going?” shefinally asked.
“Somewhere safe,” he murmured. Finally he pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store. “We need to switch vehicles here. I had this one checked for bugs, but I’m taking no chances.” He looked at Oliver. “You two okay staying atthe apartment?”
“We’re fine, Mom,” Oliver said easily. “I hope he comes after us and not you.”
Jethro looked back at Gemma. “Angus and Nari are picking us up, and we’re taking you to a safe house.” Had he not mentioned the location on purpose? These spy guys were over the top.
She could only nod. Once she got her feet under her, she’d decide if it was time to run or not. Right now having trained agents around gave her a sense of safety she’d lacked for years. Yet the promise in Jethro’s eyes that they weren’t done talking made her stomach turn over. She’d lied to him from their first meeting and she was finewith that fact.
If he had a problem with her secrets, it was too bad.
A black truck drew up beside them, looking fairly new. A tall man who must be Angus jumped out of the driver’s seat and opened his back door before opening Gemma’s. He held out a hand to assist her and she jumped down, turning to release Trudy’s seat.
“I’ve got her,” Angus said. He was just as big as Jethro, with a quiet aura about him. While he wasn’t as obviously scary as that Wolfe person, he emanated a tension that hinted he might be even scarier underneath.
Gemma jumped into the back seat and scooted over, assisting with the car seat when Angus placed Trudy inside.
The little girl giggled, holding tight to her blankie.“This is fun.”
Gemma’s head hurt. “It is fun, isn’t it?” She made sure the car seat was secure and then double-checked Trudy’s seat belt. If her head got any worse, it would be a full-on migraine. She didn’t want to throw up in Angus’sspotless truck.
Jethro hauled himself inside andshut the door.
Nari turned from her position in the passenger seat and smiled. “Hi, Trudy. You’re awake now. I’m Nari and this is Angus. You already know Jethro.”
Trudy stared at the woman. “You’re pretty.”
“You’re pretty, too,” Nari said, her brown eyes sparkling in the dim light. “That is a very nice blanket. Green is my favorite color.”
Trudy plucked at the blanket. “I love my blankie. Pink is my favoritest color.”
“That is a lovely color,” Nari agreed, turning back around as Angus jumped in and drove away.“We’re clear?”
Angus nodded. “Wolfe followed us here to make sure nobody else did. We’re clear.”
Gemma had been on the run for years, but she’d never coordinated a move this smoothly. Maybe she could learn a thing or two from these folks. “Now can I know where we’re going?”
Angus and Jethro were focused outside the truck.
Nari turned again as much as her seat belt would allow. “We live in a small subdivision in Virginia, and Serena just finished building a house in our neighborhood. She doesn’t mind sharing with you, so we thought you could stay there until we figure out what’s going on with Jethro and his brother. He hasn’t told us all he needs to, but I’m not angry about that.”
“I am,” Angus said quietly as he drove.
Gemma could almost feel Jethroroll his eyes.
He reached over and covered Trudy’s pajama-clad legs with her blanket. “I agree with this decision, but Serena hasn’t even purchased furniture yet, if I recall.”
Nari nodded. “Dana is on it right now. By the time we get there, there will be beds and bedding at least. Knowing Dana, we’ll have dishes as well.” She looked at Gemma. “Dana is Wolfe’s fiancée, and they live across the street from the house Serena just built.”
“Sounds cozy,” Gemma said, the lights of a migraine bursting behind her eyes.
