Chapter 37 Talbot
TALBOT
“Fucking finally,” Lawrence says, climbing up on the roof of the city hall, the tallest building in Maplewood Falls. I have a clear view up to Briarhill, where Ryan’s house is and where Austen has sequestered himself.
“You trying to snipe him? You should have just killed him at that engagement party.” Jake comes up behind him.
“Yeah, no shit.” I scowl as I watch Misty and the rest of the West family return from the big hockey game in Boston against Seattle.
“How the hell did they lose this game?” Jake scoffs.
“It’s Seattle—they’re the reigning champs,” Anderson says.
“Yeah, but they didn’t even score, and Emil was out for an injury. Also, they aren’t even that good this year. The fucking Islanders beat them,” Lawrence argues.
“You should just snipe Austen. There have to be a bunch of people who lost money betting on that game. We could pin it on one of them,” Anderson says, pulling out his own binoculars.
“Yeah, I’m on message boards. It’s gnarly.” Jake makes a face.
In the scope, I watch Austen, head ducked down, furtively scurry into the house. It’s like Misty’s ex knows people are after him, which is a problem for me. Usually, I move quickly after being signed off on a job so that I can catch my targets unsuspecting.
Austen seems to always keep Brielle right in front of him, never traveling alone, never walking anywhere, always taking a car. It’s been a frustrating last two days.
“Do you want me to run drone surveillance?” Lawrence offers. “Early Christmas present.”
“No drone surveillance,” Hudson barks as he climbs out of the mechanical hatch onto the roof. “We don’t have drone surveillance money.”
“Wow, is this a family reunion?” I ask.
“This is peer pressure. You’re the only one with an outstanding job on the docket,” our eldest brother complains.
“Yeah, hurry up and close it out,” Jake complains. “Come on, it’s almost Christmas. We need to deep-fry a turkey.”
“Wrong holiday.” I glower.
“Um, I bought turkeys on sale after Thanksgiving, and we will be dipping them in oil and admiring the big explosion.”
“I can’t even after I finish this,” I tell them, still looking in the scope.
“Well, not that that’s happening any time soon,” Anderson says, binoculars glued to his face. “Austen doesn’t look like he’s getting ready to head out.”
I sigh. “Fuck.”
“Though you’d think after he blew that game that he’d have the shame to just go home and not hang around Ryan West’s house,” Anderson says.
“You like Christmas.” My youngest brother is still badgering me.
“We can make a gingerbread house. Later,” I promise him absently, still hoping Austen comes out alone.
“You hate decorating gingerbread houses.” Anderson looks at me.
“I’ll do it for Jake.” I run my fingers through my hair.
“Someone’s either moved by the Christmas spirit or just got laid.” Lawrence smirks.
“Anyway, I can’t until after the holidays. We are going to Colorado,” I tell him.
“We who? You and Rudolph?” My younger brother snickers.
“Misty and I.”
Through the scope, I see her head outside, Cocoa waddling next to her, swaddled in multiple knit sweaters.
“You both?” Lawrence is shocked.
“I know you failed English, but come on,” I spit out.
“Why are you going to Colorado with a client?” Hudson demands.
“She’s not a client. I mean, she is, but she’s more than a client.”
Hudson’s teeth grind. “Fitzgerald called me again. Have you gotten with him to review that new job?”
“No one calls him that,” I scowl at my brother, suddenly annoyed that they’re all here. “And you need to tell him I’ll deal with him after the holidays.”
“After your date with a client,” Hudson sneers. “I thought you were just sleeping with her to keep her quiet.”
“It worked, and you wanted to give her a refund,” I snarl at him.
My phone rings again. Misty’s been calling me for the last hour. I see her in the scope, mouth pinched, phone up to her ear as it goes to voicemail.
Misty: We need to talk.
Jake peers over my shoulder.
“Uh-oh. You might not be going to Colorado after all.”