Sighing, he watched his blood flow through the narrow tubing into a clear bag hanging below. Luckily, he’d been back from Afghanistan for several years now, so concerns about malaria hadn’t prevented him from donating.
Later—after he’d given his pint and was holding down a chair in the Pediatric waitingroom, unable to sleep—a slim, dark-haired woman in rumpled scrubs entered the room and strode toward him, her expression carefully neutral. “Mr. Patarava?”
“Yes?” He sat up too fast and his head spun.
He’s okay. He’s okay. Hehasto be okay.Jeff’s eager heart bruised his sternum.
Her face gave away nothing. “I’m Dr. Kayani. I have news about your son.”
“It’s one a.m. This betterfucking be worth it.” Rick sat up with the phone to his ear, his back turned to Sonya, who lay naked beside him, asleep. Or at least pretending.
“I found her,” Hyper said. “Is that fucking worth it?”
“You found Tara?” Rick stood and snagged his underwear off the floor, struggling into it while holding the phone with his chin. “Where is she?”
“She was in Wilmington, North Carolina, but thenshe rented a car—”
“I don’t give a shit where she was. Where is she now?”
“Chill, dude. The rental company tracks its cars, so I can too. She’s at an apartment building in Myrtle Beach.”
“Address?” he snapped, still trying to shake off the vestiges of sleep.
“Money?” Hyper shot back. “I’ve already sent the invoice.”
Shit. He couldn’t afford to piss off his best asset. “Sorry, I’m crankywhen I first wake up. You did a good job.”
She sniffed. “I know.”
Rick shook his head. These hackers and their egos. But she had earned every ounce of arrogance. And every penny he owed her. “Hang on.”
Rubbing his face, he strode to where his laptop sat on the dresser and opened it, calling up his bank’s website. Hyper billed his legitimate firm as a computer consultant, and he paid herout of legitimate funds. Everything was aboveboard as far as the IRS and feds were concerned.
“Nice abs,” she said.
“What?” Rick stepped back. “How can you see me?” He donned the robe hanging on the hook just inside the closet door.
“You should cover your webcam with a sticky flag or something. A less scrupulous person might share pictures of you and your mistress with your wife.”
Hisfists clenched, but he tamped down his anger. He knew better, especially when dealing with people like Hyper. She’d even warned him that she’d done her due diligence on him before taking a dime. This was her way of pushing his buttons and reminding him that she could ruin him if he stiffed her.
“My wife wouldn’t give a shit.” He entered the transfer info and hit Send.
Hyper laughed. “I know.She has her own…side interests.”
Rick scowled. As long as Katerina was discreet, he didn’t want to know. “Money’s been transferred.” He read off the confirmation number.
The sound of tapping keys came over the phone line. Within minutes, she said, “Okay. I see it. Here’s the address.” She passed along the info. “I believe she’s on her own now, but you should know, the guy who lives there,Mick Fury, is a former Air Force PJ. Special operations. I looked them up. They’re like Navy SEALs but with medical and search-and-rescue training. He works as a paramedic for the fire department, and is probably armed when not on duty. His wife works from home as a database analyst. They have a three-year-old boy, and I’m ninety-percent sure she’s pregnant based on their recent expenditures. TL;DR,this guy’s a badass with things to protect.”
“Got it. Is Patarava with her?”
“Not sure, but if I get a hit, I’ll let you know.”
Rick managed not to groan. This job should have been a piece of cake. Instead, it got more complicated by the minute. “Fine.” He ended the call and moved his laptop into the dining room.
He’d have to tell Hank to watch himself. And to make sure this Fury guywas out of the house, if possible. Except they didn’t have much time. Narwhal had been clear. Tara needed to be eliminated today.
After arriving just past midnight on Sunday morning to relieve Mick’s friend, Tara had curled up on Robbie’s bed with him and BooBear—his favorite stuffed teddy bear—until he fell asleep. But it was now two in the morning, and rest eluded her.
