Chapter 27
Lillian
Eyes closed, Sean collapses beside me. As his breathing slows, the lines etched across his face fade away. Rolling onto my side, I trace a finger along his collarbone.
“You do realize I love you, Mister Clark.”
“Mmm.” The corner of his mouth lifts. “No more taking chances, babe… ’k?”
“Goose and gander. We’re in this together.” Realizing I haven’t eaten since lunch, I swing my feet over the edge of the bed. “I’m going foraging. Can I get you anything?”
One eye cracks open. “I could eat.”
“Is that a promise?” Bending at the waist, I comb my fingers through the many snarls in my sex-tousled hair.
Snickering, he lightly slaps my ass. “Nope. A guarantee.”
My smile wide, I pad to the kitchen where I gather up thick slices of bread, smoked turkey, ham, and cheddar from the well-stocked refrigerator.
While layering the sandwiches, my thoughts drift to home.
I miss my Buddy. I miss the life I had before my father decided to make me his brood mare.
I also miss Grams and Becks. I wonder if they’re behaving at the Brooklyn safe house.
As I’m about to add the mustard, Sean appears behind me and hands me a beer.
When he tries to steal the last slice of cheese, I slap his hand. “Drop it, buster, or I’m buying a wooden spoon. I mean it.”
He nibbles my neck. “Seen my shirt by any chance?”
“Ceiling fixture.” I point down the hall.
Trotting away, he returns, speaking into the mic attached to his collar. “Thanks for covering… yup… you’re hilarious… yeah, in a few.”
“Oh my God. The comms weren’t on while we were…” Face heated, I whisper, “having sex?”
He glances at me as if I’m the crazy one. “What? It wasn’t like you squealed or anything weird.”
“That’s it. I’m moving to Siberia.” Never, ever going to be able to face the guys again.
Sean laughs lightly. “Relax. They’ve heard worse. Here’s your earpiece.”
I slip it in, then lower my mouth to Sean’s neck. “No one says anything about the sex. I have a black belt in multiple martial arts. You don’t want to know how skilled I am.”
Once the team finishes guffawing, my mind shifts back to the States. “Dante, you out there? Is there a burner phone I can use? I want to call my sister.”
Becks answers on the first ring. “Lil? Is everything all right? Are you hurt? Is Sean with you?”
“Sorry. Everything’s fine, but I did want to give you a heads-up. Daddy dearest is here in Ireland. We might be staying awhile.” Unable to wait any longer, I bite into my sandwich.
While I chew, her breath whooshes out. “He’s following you. Be careful, Lil. If he gets close, end him.”
Eyes on my partner, I swallow. “I would, but Sean has dibs. I may have to play rock, paper, scissors for the honor.”
“Men.” She huffs. “So fucking bossy.”
Her vehemence sets off alarm bells. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Before I can finish my question, Ruthie chimes in. “She has the hots for the sexy Mason.”
“Ruthanne!” Becks sounds mortified, so it must be true.
The other one snickers. “Nothing wrong with cleaning your pipes.”
“Forget her,” my little sister shoots back. “She’s old. Suffering from dementia.”
Now Ruthie cackles. “Not hardly! Tallow candles are the new pet rocks. We’re making a killing.”
“There will be one if you don’t stay out of my personal life.” She sounds so miffed, I change the subject.
“How are Buddy and TJ?”
Becks giggles. “Your cat jumped off his perch on the fridge and landed on Mr. Antinori’s head. It wasn’t pretty… Hold on. Ruthie wants to talk to Sean.”
“Sure, no problem. Putting you guys on speaker.”
Slipping his forearm around my waist, Sean leans toward the phone. “Hey, Grams, whassup?”
“The candle is never wrong. You two need to hop on the next plane. Leave Ireland immediately.” She sounds convinced, so I shrug and let Sean take the lead.
“Can’t,” he says. “There’re loose ends to tie up first.” He earns a couple of points for ambiguity, but his grandmother sees right through it.
“No, son. I mean it. You must leave. Now.” If her wooden spoon could travel through the airwaves, he’d be in a heap of pain.
Sean gulps his beer. “Did the smoke gods give you any specifics?”
“It doesn’t work that way. Promise me.” When her voice cracks, her grandson’s expression softens. “We’ll be home before you know it. Don’t worry. Goodnight. Talk soon.”
Daed, having heard only our side of the conversation, clears his throat over the comms. “Care to share with the class, Clark?”
I answer for him. “Grams’s psychic powers say to leave Ireland. Becks misses Mace, and my cat is showing homicidal tendencies. Everything else is peachy.”
After Daed finishes laughing, Sean lifts a finger. “While we have your attention… did you learn anything more about Rehabo?”
His silence says a lot.
Finally, he admits, “Breaking into their network is a lot harder than it should be.”
The implications aren’t lost on me. “Why have so much security unless you’re hiding something?”
“Exactly. Best I get back to work.”
“We’ll help.” Frowning, Sean drops his bottle into the recycling bin, then grabs his computer bag.
So long, orgasm.
Hello all-nighter.