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“I know, I know. I wanted to talk to you, but I didn’t have your number. So, I figured I’d drive up here and see if you’d be down for a chat. Worst you could do is say no, right?”
I could do a hell of a lot worse than that to nosy trespassers.I kept those words to myself.
“Well, I’m saying no.” I started back toward the house, eager to check on the kids.
“Oh, come on,” she said, hurrying to my side. “I told you I was doing a piece on second and third generation farmers. Not to mention, there’s a lot of interest in those four hunks over at Thousand Acres and you happen to be right next door.”
“Good for you. But I’m not about to say anything about it.”
“You have to saysomething,” she said, keeping pace with me as I made my way to the front door of the house. “It’s just…”
“A privacy invasion?” I cut her off, stopping and turning to look at her.
“No, more of a… public interest sort of thing. Think about it – if you were living in town and there was some mansion up in the hills where four possible criminals lived with two kids, wouldn’t you want to know more? That’s my job as a reporter, after all.”
“Wait, what? Possible criminals?”
She cocked her head to the side. “You mean you haven’t heard the rumors? Word around town is that those guys are all mercenaries – the ‘kill whoever you want for the right price’ sort of men.”
“That’s not true. They do security.”
She arched her eyebrows. “Is that right? Or is that what they told you.”
I opened my mouth to speak, no words coming out. “That’s… no, they’re on the level.”
Janet kept the grin on her face, as if the conversation were going exactly how she had hoped.
“You sure about that? See, this is why I’m doing this piece. Everybody’s got questions. And the fact that they’re keeping the kids from their bio dad is—”
“They’re not keeping them from anyone,” I cut her off, real anger coming into my voice. “The kids’ mom wanted them to be with their uncles, and they’re great with them.”
“Just saying, heistheir bio dad. And he’s got plenty to say about how those four made their fortunes traveling the world and killing for top dollar. Aubrey, this is your chance to tell your side of the story, paint the guys in a good light.”
I sighed. Part of me wanted to defend the guys. The smarter part of me knew that I should talk to them before I talked to the press about anything.
Janet shivered, rubbing her hands over her arms. The temperature was dropping, the dark clouds in the distance growing closer and closer.
“You hear about the blizzard?” she asked. “Supposed to be the worst in decades. I wonder how your neighbors will pass the time?”
I’d had enough. “I gotta get inside,” I said. “And you should get home before this all comes down.” I nodded toward the clouds.
“Sure, sure. Stay safe, Aubrey. And you have my number!”
I made a mental note not to use it, if I did, she’d have mine, too.
With a wave, she was off. I hurried inside, shutting and locking the door then rushing up the stairs to check on the twins. They were still sleeping, but I could sense they wouldn’t be down for much longer.
I took out my phone, dialing Adam as his was the first name to pop up.
“Yo, Aubrey. What’s up?”
“Hey. Something just happened you guys should know about…”
I filled him in on Janet, telling him that she was poking around in service of some tell-all article about them and the kids posed as a piece on farming. I could almost feel his anger through the phone.
“Thanks. I’ll let the guys know. Oh, and just FYI, Tyler’s coming back with a satellite phone. Should be there in ten.”
“Why is Seth saying you guys are criminals?” the words came out of my mouth in an inelegant blurt.
