Chapter 27
Clover was glad Micah was gone when she woke up. Mostly because she felt awkward about last night. Or maybe not awkward—she loved what they’d done, but… things couldn’t progress past sex.
She had no doubt he knew that as well. Because sure, last night had been amazing, but their siblings were getting married.
Married.
That was a huge deal. Their families were going to be linked forever, so when things went sideways with them… Ugh, whatever, she’d deal with the fallout later. Though she now had to figure out how to face him next time she saw him. Because last night had been so much more than she’d imagined.
Ahem, fantasized about. Far too often.
And now she had to act all normal, like she hadn’t just had incredible sex with a man she shouldn’t be falling for.
That started with a shower. Once she was ready and dressed, she smelled something delicious coming from the kitchen. Could hear the others talking.
At that thought, she really, really hoped they hadn’t heard them last night. She didn’t think they’d been loud but she’d been so focused on naked time, she hadn’t given anyone or anything else a second thought.
So there was that.
In the kitchen, she found that Micah was making everyone waffles, which…was weirdly domestic.
And she hated the flutter that erupted inside her at the sight of him cooking. Oooh, that flutter didn’t stop when he grinned at her.
“Morning,” he murmured.
Feeling beyond awkward, she was pretty sure that she managed to respond. Maybe she murmured morning too? Or maybe she just grunted a couple nonsensical things that sounded like a greeting? Either way he didn’t look at her like she was a weirdo, so she figured she’d pulled off being mostly normal.
For now anyway. She wondered if things would be strained when it was just the two of them.
“We have a plan,” Ilena announced as she made a beeline for the coffeepot.
“Yeah? How long have you been awake?” Clover inhaled the rich scent of the coffee, already waking up even more.
“Oh, hours,” Ilena said. “And Monday is the best day to break into Maeve’s house.”
“Fortress is more like it,” Maeve muttered.
“Whatever. You’ve got people on your side and now is the time to do this.” Ilena’s tone was determined. “Before you get stolen back into your parents’ clutches.”
“Did you just say clutches?” her sister muttered, looking the least awake of the three of them. Unlike Ilena and Maeve, Taryn’s hair was up in a messy bun and she was still in her pajamas. And she looked a little feral.
“They’re villains, it fits,” Ilena snipped.
It was clear they’d had this conversation before.
When it looked like Taryn was about to snap back, Clover said, “So, tell me more about this plan.”
“Monday is the day most of the staff is gone,” Maeve said.
“Or it’s the lightest. Landscaping is Wednesday through Friday.
The cleaning company works on Mondays but they leave around eleven almost exactly.
Then they spend most of the day Friday back at the house, and while my parents sometimes have parties on Saturdays and Sundays, Monday is usually their recovery day.
It’s not like they have jobs,” she muttered, her tone bitter.
But then she straightened. “The only people working that day are the main chef, Eunice, and she likes me, and then the normal security. And that’s only two guys. ” She paused. “Sometimes three.”
“They might have increased security,” Micah murmured as he opened the waffle maker and popped out a perfectly crisp and browned waffle and set it on the nearby plate. “You hungry? The others have already eaten.”
“Yeah, please go for it,” Ilena said, clearly wired. “I put the fruit in the fridge already but I’ll grab it if you want some.”
“That sounds nice, thank you.” It was clear Ilena needed something to do so Clover sat next to Maeve as she continued. It also gave her a little distance from Micah.
“They probably will increase security, but only once they have me back.”
“They’re not going to get you,” Taryn muttered.
Maeve gave a ghost of a smile. “Agreed. But they’re too cheap. They won’t bring in a new group of guys until I’m back. I know how they operate. If I’m ever going to get those recordings of them, it has to be now when their guard is down.”
“So we all break in on Monday?” Clover looked at everyone.
It got weirdly quiet.
“What?” she asked.
“We need you to distract her parents,” Micah said as he set a plate in front of her.
She couldn’t read his expression and couldn’t ask him what he was thinking in front of everyone either. “How so?”
His jaw tightened. “Set up a meeting through Sinead to talk to them—or the Feds, more specifically. Say you have information on Ilena and Maeve. For the record, I don’t love this.”
She picked up the syrup as he continued.
“As of right now they literally only have you on video talking to Ilena. They’ve got nothing else. So if you tell them you have information, they might be able to use it against you later.”
“Not if she convinces them that I came to her desperate to get away from my ex after I’d already escaped with Maeve in tow. She wouldn’t be an accessory before, and really, not after if we keep the time frame right.”
“And it’ll be a moot point anyway, right?
” Clover asked. “Because if you get that recording, it will help Sinead with her case to get your conservatorship tossed.” She knew the badass lawyer was currently getting things in order to do just that.
And if she convinced the judge to toss the conservatorship for fraud, the Morrows were going to be in hot water legally.
“That’s the hope, but if the timing isn’t exactly right it could blow up in our faces.” Micah’s tone was grim.
“I trust you guys to nail the timing.” Because she knew he wouldn’t be breaking into Maeve’s place alone. No doubt his brothers would help too.
“I heard from Krystal this morning,” he said instead of responding.
“She got a visit from the Feds last night too. Directly after they left your brother and my sister, they went to her place. They’re desperate and they know something is up.
They might not have proof, but Special Agent Lee has a solid track record and she knows we’re up to something. I don’t like it, that’s all.”
“Well tell Clover about the rest of the plan.” Ilena was now pacing.
“How about you stop mainlining coffee?” Taryn plucked her coffee mug from her hand and pointed for her to sit.
Ilena huffed, but sat at the island top as Micah continued.
“Like we talked about before, courts—or judges—have a lot of discretion when it comes to conservatorships. Sinead has a judge who loathes how they’re abused. If she has enough proof, it’ll be ‘easy’ enough to end it with that judge on our side.”
Clover already knew all this, could tell that he was working himself up to telling her the thing he clearly didn’t want to. So she simply nodded.
“We need you to steal the judge’s cell phone!” Ilena blurted. “From his country club.”
“I obviously can’t do it,” Maeve murmured. “He knows my face.”
“And we have no idea if her parents are in touch with the asshole or how much he knows about the kidnapping. Not to mention it’s more of a risk for me to get caught on any cameras. Who knows what the Feds have running right now looking for me,” Ilena said.
“So…you want me to steal his phone? That’s it?” She was surprised Micah didn’t just do it himself, considering his background. Her expression must have shown.
“Not steal it exactly,” he said. “I don’t want him to know it’s gone.
According to the intel I have on him, he’s at his country club every Friday afternoon and occasionally Saturday mornings.
But on Fridays he plays pickleball, gets a massage, then has an early dinner with some retired judges.
If you want to grab his phone, the spa is the best place to do it.
They’re really strict about not letting anyone bring cameras or cell phones into the back rooms, so people just leave them in the spa lockers. ”
“The place is really old-school,” Maeve continued.
“Meaning, sexist as hell. The people who collect towels, clean the locker rooms, give massages…all women. The only men who are hired are for valet and bartenders. It’s ridiculous.
There’s no way Micah could snag his phone from the spa.
He’d have to be an actual member to be allowed in that area—this is the same club my parents and I used to be members of so I know the layout and how it works.
You’ll blend in well in the spa if you’re in a uniform. ”
“Then what’s the problem? I’ll do it.” She looked at Micah, wondering what was going on with him.
His expression was still grim. “The Feds still want to talk to you, so there’s an inherent risk of you being seen anywhere.”
“The country club isn’t in Sanctuary Falls,” Maeve murmured.
Clearly Micah already knew that. His jaw tightened again.
“I know the risks and I’m in this. I don’t care about being caught,” Clover said. Some things were worth risking.
“Well I care,” he snapped.
“Are you saying you couldn’t break me out of jail?”
He blinked, but she saw the thaw in his expression. “Obviously,” he muttered. “But it would never get that far. I’d break you out during transport anyway, it would be easier.”
“Then there you go. If I get arrested, I’ll trust you to do your thing.” God, she really liked him. Maybe more than liked him. But she refused to put thought to that word. It was too monumental. Too terrifying. Especially when she had no idea what he wanted for the two of them.
“For the record,” Ilena said. “I would appreciate it if you would break me out of jail too if something happens.”
Micah just shook his head. “No one is getting arrested.”
Clover grinned and speared a bite of her waffles. “Exactly.”
She hoped anyway.