JARED-1(Lane Brothers, Book 4)(36)

That brings at least a small twitch of his lips and I feel some of my tension ease.

“You leave them able to wear a bikini without showing a scrap of cock and we should be just fine,” he quips back and we both laugh.

I almost jump right out of my skin when a knock suddenly explodes on the window beside me and I turn to see Case step back and look apologetic as Jared snarls and grabs me close.

“Shh, it’s okay.”

I can do this. I can so do this, I keep repeating as I steady myself and turn to aim a glare at Case.

“A little warning next time, if you will. I was just about to get dirty with my old man, and you almost gave me a freaking heart attack.”

Case chuckles and holds his hands up in surrender.

“Sorry, sweetheart. We found a good vantage point in some trees just up that hill to the south. Minimal glare off the scopes and a good view into the warehouse. There are already people milling around inside, so I guess it won’t be a bad idea to get ready now.”

I feel my heart start beating wildly before Jared pulls me in and kisses me hard on the lips.

“You won’t leave until you absolutely have to. Got that? Case, stop trying to bust my nuts and get the stuff up there. Tell Jace to make sure he’s got a good view of the back if he can get it. We may need to cover Paulie from there if she has to hotfoot it out that way.”

“Will do, boss.”

We watch him leave before Jared pulls me around and stares into my eyes.

“Now remember—”

“If I have to go out the back, I go in the water and stay under for as long as possible and keep going till you come and get me,” I say before he can tell me this yet another time. “I have it all, baby, trust me. Now stop fretting and breathe with me, yeah? Just think, by this time tomorrow we could be well on the way to getting rid of this whole operation and your brother could be home.”

I keep to myself that the man, as well as myself, could be arriving in body bags because that joke will definitely not go down well, no matter how good it is.

When the hour finally ticks over and I can’t wait anymore, I give Jared a deep lingering kiss and get into the car, hating the pale pall that comes over his face as he closes the door and hunches down to look deep into my eyes.

“You die, I die,” he says for the millionth time, and I swallow loudly just thinking about it.

“Right back at ya, buddy. Now move or I’ll be even later than we planned.”

The drive over to the warehouse takes no less than the ten minutes Jared planned, and I arrive as the absolute last person, feeling my fear spike so hard, my throat swells up with it.

My breaths are shallow now and I get out of the car wearing the sleek thigh-length dress and low heels Jared bought, just in case I do need to swim. This way I won’t be hampered by pants and I can run in these shoes in a cinch.

“Well, well, well, look who finally decided to arrive. Your mom and dad thought you’d be MIA and we’d have to come find you,” Jerry sneers the moment I walk into the warehouse, his ugly face making my nerves dissipate beneath the anger he always inspires.

“Oh shut up, you obese simpleton. You knew I’d be here no matter what, so can your shit and keep your foul breath to yourself,” I snarl, eyeing the guards up and down as one approaches me and reaches out as if to touch me.

I remember everything Jared said and I almost crack a smile when my foot shoots out and lands so hard on his soft parts, I actually hear them squish before he screams like a girl and drops to the ground, yelling in pain.

“I’ll thank you very much not to touch me, you lowlife,” I trill, adopting the same happy tone Mama uses almost all the time.

After giving the next guard a raised brow that turns his face ashen, I turn to the other occupants of the room and glare at them all.

“Look, can we just get this over and done with please? I actually have a life now that I’ve hooked Lane, and I’d like to get back to it.”

I hear Jared chuckle into my earpiece and my teeth gnash when Jerry starts laughing and plops his fat ass down in a chair at the long, scarred wooden table used for all council meetings.

My heart is beating so hard and the feeling just gets worse when I surreptitiously scan the table and fail to see Clyde or Andrew.

“What’s the matter, little Paulie? Looking for someone, perhaps?” Noel Landry quips, chuckling maniacally.

“Your mother, Landry. She still owes me five bucks after I paid for a night with a tenner,” I snarl, almost choking when Jerry starts cackling and shoots Landry an amused glare.

Oh God, where are they? Clyde and Andrew have to be here, they just have to. I’m barely holding on to my control when my vision starts blinking and I feel my arm twitch before going stiff and rock hard.