Tabitha retreated back to the kitchen, not wanting to intrude on the conversation with his wife, if that’s who he was speaking to. She took a seat at the island and chatted with Florence while the woman baked a cake. When Florence mentioned her new grandbaby, Tabitha asked to see photos. She might not want them anytime soon, but Tabitha loved kids.
“Forgive me if I’m out of line, but I’m surprised you took a job instead of being there for your daughter.”
Florence looked over Tabitha’s shoulder before lowering her voice. “They live in London, so I’ve been saving up to move across the pond. This will be my last job, if we make it out alive.”
“Why would you say that?” Tabitha reached out and took the older woman’s hand. “Major and I are good at what we do.”
“I’ve been here less than seven hours, and the alarm has gone off twice already.”
“Yes, but the first wasn’t a threat. Nobody knows we’re here except for those in this house and one person at the studio.”
Florence squeezed Tabitha’s hand before pulling away. “This is Hollywood, Miss Stone. Everyone talks whether they’re supposed to or not. If I weren’t bound by confidentiality agreements, I could tell you stories that would rival any blockbuster film or salacious romance novel.”
“Have you worked with Craig before?”
“No, but…”
“Let me guess; you’ve heard stories?”
Florence smiled but didn’t respond otherwise. “You and Mr. Lazlo seem close.”
Tabitha understood why the woman would change the subject. “We are. Our families have known each other since before Anthony, my twin, and I were born. As a matter of fact, my parents and Major’s dad worked together in the same capacity that Major and I do, and they were successful in securing their client and leading her to safety.” That wasn’t the complete truth, but close enough. “Both our families have been guarding others a long time, so it’s what I was born into. Anthony also works for Steele Securities, but he has his own mission at the moment.”
Tabitha reached out with her Goyle’s senses to try and locate Major. He’d been gone longer than she expected. Since they hadn’t completed the mate bond, she could only tell he wasn’t close to the house. She then reached out for Anthony. Their twin bond made it so that they could feel each other’s emotions, and his were off the wall. It wasn’t fear, so she took that as a good sign.
“Strawberry or cream cheese icing?” Florence asked.
“Oh, cream cheese please. Major loves it.” Florence raised an eyebrow, and Tabitha shrugged. She had already said she and Major were close. The woman could deduce her own conclusion. “I haven’t seen Trista touch anything sweet while I’ve been guarding her.”
“And you won’t. She’s diligent about keeping her weight in check while filming. This cake is for you.”
“Me?”
“Mmm hmm. Someone offered to pay me extra if I would bake you something. He mentioned making it a belated Valentine’s Day treat.”
Tabitha’s heart melted. Why hadn’t she thought of doing something sweet for her mate? Florence chuckled. “I remember those early days. My Rhett was a long-haul truck driver, and every time he came home, he’d bring me a trinket from the town he stopped at. It was usually a thimble since I like to sew. If he couldn’t find a thimble, he’d get me a cheesy T-shirt. At one point, my drawers were too full, so I cut the shirts and made quilts out of them. He kept those quilts with him in the sleeper so he’d feel close to me on those long trips.”
“How long have you been together?”
“Forty-eight years. He now wraps up in the quilts when I’m on a job.” Florence got a faraway look in her eye. “To tell you the truth, he’s the reason I’m retiring. Don’t get me wrong. I can’t wait to visit little Emaline, but I’m ready to spend the rest of my days with Rhett. Get back to the young, adventurous couple we were when we first met. The distance while he was on the road was the roughest part of our relationship, but the coming together when he got home was the good stuff. I always had a sweet treat waiting on him. It’s funny; strawberry cake is his favorite too.”
While Florence returned her focus to icing the cake, Tabitha rested her elbow on the island and propped her cheek on her palm. She loved that Florence’s marriage wasn’t ruined by the distance. In her heart, she knew she and Major would make it work somehow.
He’s coming.
Tabitha rushed to the back door and peered out. When Major came into view, she punched in the alarmcode and opened the door. “Set the alarm, please,” she said to Florence before stepping out onto the patio. She didn’t have to be a shifter to sense he was pissed. Major stopped and motioned her closer. When she was a couple of feet away, he thumped the metal box cradled in one arm, snarling. “Fucking drugs. I caught the guy delivering them, and when I voiced him, he said they were for Don Corvus.”
“Corvus?”
“I asked him if he was sure, and he showed me the text from his supplier.”
“How did he get into the neighborhood? Fred and the other guards are supposed to be checking everyone they let in.”
“He parked at a store and walked through the next neighborhood over, crossing through the woods between the two, then he hoofed it around the lake. His instructions were to leave them close to the dock. He had a map of the houses based on drone footage. This dock was specified.” Major handed Tabitha the paper, and sure enough, there was a red X over their property. She studied the map, pissed at herself for not researching the area better.
She folded the sheet and slid it into one of her cargo pockets. “What did you do to him?”
“I asked for his I.D. and took a picture of it. I also have him on audio admitting to everything. I then convinced him not to leave town.” Major ran his free hand through his hair. “Either this Corvus lives somewhere close by and didn’t want the drugs delivered to their home, or Daniel could be using an alias. This could be what he was talking about when you overheard his conversation.”
