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“That is all I feel I can tell you, for your own safety as well as the secret’s. Do you understand?” Papa was more intense than Kylee had imagined he could ever get. But this was an intense moment.
She was stunned once again how fully these people trusted her. She could easily be a plant from her evil grandmother and be transmitting any information back to Chicago and on to King Frederick. Not one of the family looked at her as if they suspected she would ever do something so underhanded. If Papa and Chandler trusted her, they did as well. She loved these people. If only she could be part of this family. She glanced quickly at Chandler. He met her gaze and she had to look away before she begged him to never let her go.
“Thank you, Papa,” Myrna said. “For sharing that. I know the level of trust you have in each of us to reveal that much.”
Papa gave a half smile. “I’d trust any of you with my life.” He looked slowly around the room. “But the Delta secret is much, much more important than my life.”
Some of the family protested at that. Papa held up a hand. “I’m an old used-up man missing the love of my life.” He smiled wryly at them, then got serious again. “But I want you all to know that each of you is more important to me than any secret, any weapon, anything on earth.”
“Thank you, Papa,” Jessie said softly.
Kylee felt the sting of tears being included in such a proclamation. For some crazy reason, she felt like Papa valued her as much as anyone else in the room. But he couldn’t. Not like his own children, grandchildren, or those marrying into the family. Could he?
There was also the sting—no, it was a gouged-out wound—of her grandparents not caring about her at all. Instead of showing their granddaughter, their only descendant, that she was important to them, they’d sent a hitman after her simply because they thought she’d overheard Mimi’s evil plans. She shivered. Chandler rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand and sent tingles up her arm. She glanced at him and the look in his blue eyes was sincere, warm, and committed. To her.
Was he for real? Could she hope he wouldn’t bail on her after enjoying a few days or a week together? Would he break her heart again like he had at sixteen, or were they both more mature and ready for a relationship? What about all those women he’d dated or was currently dating? He was probably missing dates to be here, just like he was missing practice. Once this all settled, he’d surely want to go back to his busy, fun, rewarding, and women-filled life.
She shook away those thoughts as Papa moved on. “We’ve been using all the communication we are privy to and the connections we trust and we found theinnocentbusinessman, at least a businessman who hasn’t been caught for his fraud and murders yet, that King Frederick will use to fly into Chicago Saturday night.”
Kylee’s eyes widened and horror made her stomach pitch. She could see similar expressions throughout the room. She thought it, but Esther was the one who said, “But Papa, that’s in two days.”
“Yes, love,” Papa said.
“How are we going to get set up to protect Kylee at that party in less than forty-eight hours?” Esther’s voice sounded desperate.
All eyes turned to Kylee, and she wished she hadn’t enjoyed all of that delicious food as she was tasting it again. Her worst fears were about to come true. They were going to ask her to walk into a party with Mimi and King Frederick. What did they think she could accomplish? Her grandmother and Frederick might torture and kill her simply for the sport of it.
“She’s not going into some party with the woman who sent a hitman after her, and King Frederick as well,” Chandler protested for her. “Frederick’s a psychotic masochist.”
Kylee could add that her grandmother was just as bad, but at least her grandmother wasn’t murdering people in mass amounts, maybe just in singles.
“I know, son, and I told you it would be her choice.” Papa looked back at her. “Kylee … we need you to walk into that party and get close enough to Frederick to get a hair sample from him.”
“A hair sample?” Aiden clarified.
Papa nodded and looked back at her. “Then you can get out of there. We’re going to find a way to get Bailey, Klein, and Reed in as servers.” Bailey gave her a brave smile while Chandler held on tighter to her hand. The sheriff nodded to Kylee from his spot next to Esther. She knew Klein was the well-built contractor guy marrying Alivia, but he was on guard duty right now. “You’ll all have cameras on so we can get proof of who attends the party, helping us get a better bead on who’s loyal to our country or not.”
“Smart,” Aiden said. “I’ll happily interrogate any of them.”
Papa smiled but didn’t comment.
“Bailey is going to try to get the hair as well, but as a server she might not get close enough. He’s all about class distinctions.” Papa’s voice was full of disgust. “But Frederick also loves beautiful women, so we’re hoping one of you can get close enough to use the small kit you’ll have with you, a small tool that will quickly rip out some of his hairs and the follicles as well, then you’ll slip it into the container and give the word. Bailey, Klein, and Reed will surround you and get you safely out of the house, where we’ll be waiting.”
Kylee’s heart was beating high and fast at the idea of waltzing into that party and getting intimately close to one of the most dangerous men in the world. Would Mimi shoot her on sight?
“The rest of us are too recognizable to get in and out undetected, and we have no way to alter the guest list.”
“I’m not on that list,” Kylee said.
“No, but it is at your grandparent’s home, so we’re hoping you can bluff your way in.”
She probably could. The staff they usually hired all knew and liked her. She wondered if Papa Delta really could trade out servers. Mimi was very particular about who she let in her home and Kylee knew most of them by sight if not name.
“We will be outside, and if things go badly, we’ll hang the consequences and crash the party. I’ve let slip to the government officials I trust that Frederick is making a trip to our soil. It’s bold of him, but so far I’m getting the ‘red tape’ and ‘we’re not involved in the conflict yet and can’t risk an incident’ jabber.” He shook his head. “Heaven willing, we can get some kind of solid proof to have your grandparents arrested and Frederick caught and removed from power, but I’m not counting on it. Unfortunately, even my contacts who trust me aren’t willing to risk an international confrontation based on a conversation overheard from a pantry.”
Kylee felt the sting of that, but she’d known it would be that way. The fact that all these people trusted her meant the world to her.
“A hair?” she managed to ask. What could a hair do?
