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She quirks a brow. “How much do you hate this?”
I look over my shoulder, seeing Danny and James heading this way, drinks in hands. Talking. Quietly. “Are we about to hear the truth?”
“It’ll be economical, I expect.”
The men reach the table, and both Beau and I sit back in our seats, waiting. They place the glasses down. Take their chairs. Get comfortable.
“We thought we’d found Nolan.” James kicks things off, clearly not wanting to drag this out. I peek at Danny, not liking his stoic expression as he watches James. “Chaka moved in. Reported Nolan wasn’t there. We heard gunfire break out. Chaka’s off grid.”
“You mean dead?” Beau says.
“We can’t reach him.”
“He’s got kids,” I blurt. Hundreds of them! “And a wife.”
Danny turns his glass slowly on the table. Just that move tells me he’s about to say something we won’t like. “King wants to see Pearl.”
Beau starts laughing but stops when the men stare at us across the table, their expressions serious. “You’re not seriously entertaining that request?” she says.
“We have no choice, Beau,” Danny replies. “It’s delicate.”
“He’s her uncle,” I whisper, shaking my head. “What kind of animal is he?” The worst kind. I can tell by how tense my husband is.
“He doesn’t know Pearl’s no longer a virgin.” James goes on. “He has Nolan. He wants two hundred million, and he wants to see Pearl. If not, no Nolan, and the Russians and Mexicans get what they need to try and take us out.”
My God.
“Where’s Brad?” Beau asks, shooting up from her chair.
“He’s with Pearl. He’s okay.”
Okay? We all know Brad will not be okay.
I look between The Brit and The Enigma. I can tell they’re not confident about how this is going to go. A nasty feeling comes over me, and I just know Beau feels the same because her back straightens as she lowers back down to her seat.
And then I see Tank and Fury emerge from the house and that nasty feeling amplifies. “What’s going on?” Beau asks calmly, spotting them too.
“The jet’s waiting for you,” Danny says, his face impassive. “You can go quietly or make a noise. The former is preferable.”
I stare at my husband as he stares at me. Safety in numbers. Support. Maybe hope that at least one of us will see reason. That person is guaranteed to be Beau. “I’m going nowhere,” I declare assertively.
“Wrong,” Danny says. “Would you like to finish your drink and enjoy this time on the terrace before you go, or not?”
“I’ve not even started my fucking drink,” I snap.
Danny leans forward, his scar glowing. “Then start it.”
I swipe the glass up, stand, and throw the drink in his face. He closes his eyes, takes in air, settles back, and picks up a cloth napkin from the table, wiping his face. “You’re still going,” he muses.
James’s eyes are on Beau’s hand on her stomach. She won’t put up a fight.
“I fucking hate you,” I hiss at Danny, pivoting and storming away, Tank on my heels. “I’ll go,” I yell back at him. “No need to brace yourself for a fight.” I stomp through the house, up the stairs, and into our room. Two suitcases have been placed on the carpet. Maggie’s in her car seat. Esther is looking quite sheepish beside them.
“You know it’s for the best,” she says, coming to me, arms outstretched. And I burst into tears. “Oh, Rose.” She takes me in a hug. “He just wants to protect you and the kids. You always said you’re a mother before anything else. That includes The Brit’s wife.”
“I should never have to leave his side.”
“We all know he needs full focus. He can’t have that with you and the kids around. Come on, now.”
