Chapter 8 #2
“That’s why we provide a chef to come in a few days a week,” Clint explained.
“Our chef cooks much better than I do,” Theodora clarified. “She often leaves enough meals until she returns. But like I said, I asked her not to return until I was ready.”
“Well, what are we going to eat?” Her mother asked indignantly.
Clint had the answer. “Why don’t you join us at the big house for supper tonight? You can then ask the chef’s staff to resume their normal rotation.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to put your mother out with two unexpected guests.” Kimmy’s smile was as fake as her overly long eyelashes. Her boobs were probably fake too. He’d be willing to bet a month’s paycheck she had someone on speed dial for Botox. Parts of her face didn’t move.
Clint didn’t like false females. He’d always preferred naturally healthy women who were proud of who and what they were.
That was one of the many things that had attracted him to Ashlin.
There was nothing fake about her. She didn’t hide her scars.
She wore sleeveless blouses in the Nevada desert heat, and her bikini didn’t cover much, especially where a bullet had grazed her bicep and a scar where she’d taken a knife to the back.
He had to glance away from Kimmy, who looked as plastic as an aged Barbie doll.
“No worries, Mother isn’t even home, and when she is, she rarely cooks.
That’s why we have chefs. My brother and I can’t cook for sh—” He caught himself quickly and corrected, “Crap, and nobody wants my father to cook. His food is passable over a fire in the middle of the desert when you’re starving, but he has no clue what to do in the kitchen.
I’ll just notify the staff that we’ll have two more for supper.
They’re already cooking for a crowd because Xena’s home.
” He couldn’t withhold his smile, excited to see his sister.
She had been on back-to-back missions, so it seemed like months since he had seen her. He missed their sibling banter.
Clint stood in an effort to escape. “I’ll see you at the big house for supper.”
Kimmy popped up from the couch and grabbed Clint’s forearm as he passed. “I can’t thank you enough for helping me today.” She squeezed his arm and turned toward Theodora. “And for keeping your promise to take care of my sweet baby girl and her baby boy.”
He had to practically peel her fingers off his arm.
“I promised Javier that I would take care of Theodora and the baby. I’m hoping we’ll have a transport to the United States very soon so she can take him back to Texas and settle his estate.
Now, Ladies, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my home.
” He hadn’t had time to put the necklace in his personal safe.
It was still in one of his cargo pockets.
He reached for the door handle, and Kimmy asked from right behind him, “Theodora has told me so much about the family home you call the big house. Will you have time to give me a tour?”
Showing people around his family home was not something he’d ever done, nor wanted to do.
He made a production of looking at his watch.
“If you get there early enough before supper, I’ll see if I have time.
Spending the whole day in Addis Ababa has put me behind.
” That might’ve been a bit mean, but it was true. He’d make sure he wouldn’t have time.
After returning the truck to the fleet garage, Clint inhaled the warm, dry evening air deeply. On the way back to the family house, he remembered the rumor and called Dell. “Did he find out anything about the motherfucker who killed Javier?”
“A little, but not enough to report to you yet,” the computer genius replied.
“His background is too clean. It’s been manufactured.
He’s a gun for hire if the price is right.
I’m tracing the payment now. I can tell you for sure he was not part of the camp you were there to check out.
But I have no idea why he was on the same mountain as you two.
I don’t know if he was paid to spy on the same camp and he saw that Javier was in his way or… ” There was a long pause.
Clint didn’t know whether Dell was going to propose the unthinkable. “Or what?”
“It’s possible that Javier was his target. I’ll keep digging.”
“Let me know the minute you have any concrete information.” Clint continued toward his Ethiopian home, safely ensconced in Eden’s compound.
Was someone hunting his team? If so, they were already too close to home.
Who knew about their mission, right down to the exact spot they were going to use for overlook?
Was he next? There was a possibility of him getting hurt or killed on every mission, but things had changed since he married Ashlin.
Minutes later, Clint strode down the hall to his suite of rooms but stopped short as he passed the open door to Xena’s rooms.
“Xena Riggs. Whom am I speaking to?”
His sister’s tone put him on edge, and he protectively stepped into her room and mouthed, everything okay?
“Oh. My. God!” Xena squealed, grabbed onto his shirt, jumping up and down with a huge smile. “Please tell me you’re in the area.”
Clint wished he had a clue who she was talking to, but she seemed to want him to stay.
“I’m in Eden. Where are you?” she asked, then quickly added, “This is a secure line. We can talk freely.”
That piqued his interest.
“Name it. You know I’ll do whatever I can for you. You’re like sisters to me.”
Clint froze in place. Could she be talking with one of her friends from JAFSOS, the Joint All-Female Special Operations School she attended while in the Navy? Was there any way that she was talking to Ashlin or her team?
She was quiet, listening for a long time before she said the magic words. “Clint is here, but Van is in Saudi Arabia. We expect him back shortly after dark, Ashlin. I’m so glad you’re with Kayla. I can’t wait to see you again.”
At the mention of his wife’s name, Clint’s knees almost gave out. Ashlin. His sister was on the phone with the woman he would give anything in the world to talk to. If they were talking, she was safe. And perhaps her mission was over. If she was headed back to the States, so was he.
“I can’t wait to see you guys again. I promise we’ll have a secure refueling set up for you. We’ll see you around midnight.” Xena said excitedly.
“Who did you say is coming?” Clint asked immediately after she disconnected the line.
Then he realized his mistake. He shouldn’t care who was coming.
Nobody in Eden knew he was married, least of all to one of Xena’s best friends.
Clint pulled his sister into a hug and changed the subject.
“How are you doing?” He kissed her on the forehead before releasing her.
“Are you heading back out on a mission, or do you get a few days down? I had a chance to talk with Blade on the chopper to Addis Ababa, and he wasn’t sure. ”
She hugged her brother around the neck and kissed him on the cheek before stepping back. “First question first. My friends from when I was back in the Navy.” She started to dial, but Clint reached out and touched her hand.
“Your JAFSOS friends? Some of the ones who’ve been here before?” He could only hope that Ashlin was one of them.
“Yeah. You might remember Kayla Scarlatto. She’s got dark, wavy hair and huge brown eyes.
Definitely Italian heritage. Kira Frost: She’s cute with short spiky blonde hair, the nurse practitioner.
And Mia McCormick, the sassy one who gave you such a hard time when she stayed with us last Christmas, is going to be here, too.
Piper Knight is the swimmer who skipped the Olympics to join the Navy.
Her brother is a SEAL. She hasn’t been here very often.
” Xena looked around before returning her gaze to her brother.
“You probably remember Ashlin Cartwright. She’s been here for several holidays.
She’s usually quiet until she gets a few drinks into her, then she’s a wild woman.
They’re just dropping in to refuel around midnight. ”
“I’ll be there.” He turned and walked away, then added without looking back, “To help.” He practically ran to the computer in his rooms while texting Ashlin.
Clint - Is it true that you are coming to Eden?
Ashlin - Yes. Can you video now? I have about three minutes.
It took Clint less than a minute to connect to Ashlin.
“Are you okay, my little tiger?”
Her smile touched his heart. “Yes. I’m fine. The mission was kind of a bust.” Her smile grew huge. “But we’re on our way home, and best yet, we’re stopping in Eden. Xena just told us that you’re home.”
He knew his own smile showed two rows of teeth, possibly all the way back to his molars.
“I’m sitting in my suite as we speak, and I can’t wait to see you.
” He leaned in closer to the camera and spoke just above a whisper.
“I can’t wait to hold you in my arms once again and kiss you.
You’d better be prepared to get kissed a lot.
I hope the other women can handle the refueling and anything else because I’m not going to let you go once I have you in my arms again. ”