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“Let’s check to be on the safe side,” Thunder coaxes.
I shrug. “Fine.”
“We’re going to need to search through your parents’ home too. If it’s not with you, it might be with them,” Ghost says.
“They moved. Wouldn’t they have found it when they were packing?” I ask.
“Maybe, maybe not.”
Guard says, “We don’t want to bring Capaldi to your parents’ doorstep. We have a plan to get you in and out of Nebraska. While you’re there, we’ve asked Hawk and his men to step up and assist. They’re all over it. Hawk’s going to meet you at a private airport. He’ll see you safely to the Mariner home and keep watch. Two days maximum, then I want you back.”
“Hawk?” I ask.
“Yeah, babe. The guy looking out for your parents’ safety.” Thunder nudges my memory.
I nod. “Right.”
“Reno is flying in his private plane. His pilot will take you and bring you back. Chances are we’re being watched. We’re going to use decoys to get you out. The flight plan will be altered once you land.” Guard turns to Orion, who does a two-finger salute, saying he’s on it. “Dante is gathering all he can on Aldo Capaldi. So far, we know he’s a part of another Mafia family calledUltimo Morte. Reno is treading carefully on this one. Seems that he knows their leader and wants all the facts before having a face-to-face.”
“When do we leave?” Thunder asks.
“Rose’s place first. With any luck, we won’t have to fly at all. If we find nothing, later tonight, you both fly out,” Guard says. He nods to me. “How are you doing with this?”
“I’m good. The sooner this is over, the better.”
“Mission: search and retrieve is underway,” Orion jokes, lightening the mood, causing the men to chuckle. Even I manage a heartfelt grin.
EIGHTEEN
Aye, Aye, Captain
THUNDER
Luckily for me, Rosie is a stickler for keeping her place nice and tidy. Everything has its place. Only problem is, she still hasn’t unpacked many of the boxes she brought when she came to town. This is both a blessing and a curse. We unpack every box and go through them with a fine-tooth comb, finding nothing that resembles a gold key.
Hours later and much more tired, Rosie plops onto her sofa.
“I knew it wouldn’t be here.” She shakes her head. “She’s never given me a damn thing in my whole life. I can’t imagine her giving up anything of value.”
I hate to admit it, but I think she’s right about that. “We’re not done yet. Pack a bag, Rosie. We’re going to Nebraska. I’ll put these boxes back downstairs and call Guard.”
“Mom and Dad are going to lose their minds when they find out what’s happening,” she says.
“We can make it a surprise trip home.”
“I just opened the shop. They know I wouldn’t leave.”
“Willow and Charli are looking after the shop. You’ve got price lists tacked up on the board. The only thing they can’t do is make elaborate bouquets. The situation may not be perfect, but your shop will stay open. You can tell your parents you have good friends helping you out for a couple of days.”
“What if it’s not there?”
“We’ll deal with that when the time comes.” I sit down next to her. She rests her head on my shoulder, defeated. “Erik and Penny knew who Clarissa was. We’ll try to keep them out of it, but, if necessary, we’ll fill them in and see if this magical key comes to light. I hate opening old wounds, but it might come to that.”
“I hate this for them.”
“Yeah.”
I give her another minute, then urge her gently to go get ready. Risk is meeting us two streets over. Aldo’s men have been watching the house, so leaving the same way we came isn’t an option. War is out back and will guide us over to the car. “Demon and Sofia will be there shortly,” Guard says over the phone. “Later, Saint and Abby will join them. They’ll put everything away. It’ll give them something to do while they hang out here. They’re staying until late, making it look like you got people coming to help out. This will get you out of town and back unnoticed.”
