“Connor flirts with everyone.”
I wince.
Declan smiles. “You like my brother.”
I don’t deny it. “He’s cute.”
“Cute?” Declan laughs.
The front door opens, and boot steps cross the marble floor. Both Declan and I walk toward the hallway, hoping Connor will emerge, but another man appears. He wears a black tactical uniform and hands Declan a tablet. “Here’s all the surveillance. We can’t get the private phones. Connor usually does that.”
Declan accepts the tablet. “Are the men coming in?”
“Yeah, almost everyone is here. We’ll be ready by noon for sure. Are we notifying the local police or…”
“Not yet.”
The man departs as quickly as he came, and Declan studies the tablet.
I take Hanna to the kitchen, where we eat breakfast and wait for news on Connor.
About two hours later, Dina and Chi-chi join us. Dina takes one look at poor Declan, who’s beside himself pacing the floor, and takes mercy on him. She kisses him and comforts him as best she can, but once she leaves his side, he starts to pace again.
“How long has he been like this?” she asks.
Men in tactical uniforms are filing into the house. There are at least two dozen of them.
Chi-chi takes Hanna. “Can I take her back to the guesthouse?”
“Sure, and she might want to nap.”
“Perfect.” Chi-chi leaves with my baby.
A phone rings.
Declan fetches my phone from his pocket. “It’s him.”
Dina and I rush over. Silence falls like a hammer. The men are trained to shut up instantly.
“I will put him on speaker,” Declan says. “Speak normally. Try to get his location or the destination he’s going to. Whatever you do, don’t sound alarmed.”
“I’m freaking out,” I say, terrified I’ll say something wrong and someone will kill Connor while we’re on the line. I really shouldn’t think this way, but the amount of testosterone in the house makes me uneasy.
“Deep breaths and you’re on.” Declan lifts two fingers, and a pair of men place their headphones over their ears. They watch their computers. Are they tracking the call?
“Hello,” I answer in a shaky voice.
“Hey, my girl,” Connor greets me.
My cheeks heat up when Declan narrows his eyes.
“Hey, Connor, how are you?”
“Fine, fine. Are you at your apartment or did Dick pick you up?”
I’m pretty sure he just called his brother Dick on purpose. “I’m at your house.”
“Perfect. I’m on speaker, aren’t I?”