She came from her room to take the piece of mail from him. “I guess Liberty informed them. She is anal about things like that.”
Opening up the letter with her finger, she quickly read it and frowned. “Chaney and I are being summoned for pre-trail prep next week.”
“Where?” he asked.
“That law building where we first met,” she said. “I guess they want to start working on making sure we hold up under pressure. Liberty mentioned they’d want to do that. I wonder if she’ll be there?”
“She might,” he said.
Justus flopped onto the sofa and hugged a pillow to her chest. “Why can’t this all go away? I was just getting to the point of feeling normal again.”
“You were?” He sat beside her, eager to hear more. Was he possibly part of why she felt that way?
She nodded. “Strange, right? I’ve been complaining for weeks that I wanted it to happen, and it suddenly starts to feel that way out of the blue with you.”
He smiled at her confession. “I don’t think that is so odd at all.”
“You don’t?”
“No.” He took her hand, lacing her fingers with his own. It felt so natural, this closeness she afforded him.
“Good. Because I like you more than I probably should. I have ever since we met.”
“Really?”
She nodded.
He wasn’t sure how to take that because he’d been sure hated him at first. Her further confession prompted him to scoot closerand he leaned in, brushing his lips to hers. She kissed him back, tossing the pillow away so she could get closer to him.
For All barked and jumped at their feet, but they ignored him as they held one another, breathing shallow as they slowly came up for air.
“This could get dangerous,” Rafferty admitted, brushing his lips against her temple.
“Why? Aren’t you up for the challenge?” she asked, her voice sounding breathless.
CHAPTER 13
Leland poureda cup of coffee and helped himself to a generous slice of the coffee cake the chef had prepared for breakfast last night before he left. He settled at the round kitchen table and picked up the morning paper to see what was going on in the world. He’d missed reading the news. Another luxury he’d had to go without while hiding away in his RV.
His cellphone rang before he finished the first column of the headline story. He put down the paper and glanced at the caller ID to see who would dare call so early.
“Landry,” he muttered. Swiping to answer, he tried to sound pleasant. “What news do you have for me today?”
“Good morning to you too,” the attorney said. “I was working last night with Felty and he informed me to be prepared to put together pre-trial motions next week because the US Assistant District Attorney will be in town for pre-trial prep.”
Leland frowned. “And I care about that because?”
“He’ll be meeting with Justus and Chaney for that prep, I believe you have been wanting to find them,” Landry explained. “He’ll be meeting at the same office where he held the deposition. It’s the perfect opportunity for your men to snatch them.”
“It won’t be that easy to get at them.” He pushed the half-eaten coffee cake away his stomach knotting at the thought. “Each have a Brotherhood Protector watching them.”
“I’m just supplying you with the information, it’s up to you to execute your attack,” Landry said. “But you might like to know that Felty has an informant at the FBI who supplied him with a juicy nugget about Chaney’s protector. Apparently, he has a lung issue.”
“Why would the FBI know this?” Leland questioned, becoming more interested by the second.
“The other protector had reached out to the agency for some reason which prompted a background check on him and his partner. Felty’s informant just happens to work in that department,” Landry continued. “Both were medically discharged, one for shrapnel to the knee, the other for damage to the lungs after exposure to toxic fumes from an explosion. I think you could use those injuries to your advantage to take the girls away from them.”
“Yes. Your call has been very useful to me,” Leland said, realizing his mistake in not valuing the attorney’s helpfulness. “If you learn anything else, be sure to pass it along.”
