Roman-1(Lane Brothers, Book 5)(45)
I know what he’s alluding to, but I don’t want to believe it.
“Are you telling me that Case…”
“Yup, Jared, old pal. He’s her kid and it seems that he found Mama about five years ago and the two of them have been going strong ever since. He even started looking for that other little bastard of hers. By the way, tell Miah I could use his talents if he’s ever looking to fill some time. That bastard is cold to the core and I respect that.”
“Stop shitting around and finish already,” Jared snarls and I see Mel turn and make her way to us, her lip gripped between her teeth.
“Wait. Did I just hear that right? Is Case, the same man who helped you this whole time, Lynn freaking Conrad’s son?”
Will groans and I just shake my head when Mel narrows her eyes.
“Darlin’, how the hell did you hear us all the way from over there?”
“Miah gave me a few of those bug thingies and this nifty earpiece. I can hear everything that happens around here, even if I’m in the ladies room. Now stop gawking and answer me.”
That means she heard my whole caveman spiel and she’s saving her wrath until later. In private where there will be no witnesses.
“He’s it. He’s military. He knows all about your movements, and he knows about that break in your perimeter line. It all adds up,” Will says darkly, lifting a brow. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
“No. Hell no. She is not freaking bait,” I roar, grabbing hold of Jared’s shirt when he tries to dive over me to get to Will.
We’re all three pretty much half killing each other when I hear the ominous click of a shotgun being pumped and we all freeze to look up at a grinning Mel.
“I warned y’all about fighting in my safe place, assholes. Now sit back down, drink your shit, and stop acting like a pack of animals. Will, honey pie, you want to tell me why you would consider using me as bait when you know for a damn fact Roman will want to murder you right here in front of witnesses?”
“Oh shit. She’s got that sweet tone in her voice,” Will croaks, chugging his beer like a condemned man.
Jared starts laughing his fool head off again and I go to slap him, only to have the muzzle of the shotgun hit my chest.
“My patience is pretty thin today.”
“Dammit, baby girl.”
“No, dammit, y’all. I’ve been abandoned, had a bounty put on my ass, and had your Mama waxing me because she thinks I’m a test subject what with all the free time I’ve had since you kept me at home like a prisoner. My life is a freaking mess right now, and I can’t take this not knowing. And now I get to hear that y’all are discussing one of your friends. And this one,” she snarls, swinging the muzzle over to Will, “seems to think I’m a bait worm or something. I want to know what the heck you’re planning or I swear I’ll pull the trigger on both of you and you’d better believe this thing is loaded this time.”
“Baby girl, I have no intention of letting him use you as—”
“Well hold on now! I wasn’t going to do that. I was just suggesting we leave a little gossip trail suggesting the two of you are on the outs and she’s moving in with me and the crew. If that friend of yours decides to come knocking at my door…well he’ll get what trespassers deserve.”
“Now wait a minute. He went after my…Mel, and he’s been two-timing my family. He’s mine.”
“No. He was my friend. I watched him flirt with my mother for God’s sake. He’s mine,” Jared snarls.
A whistle shreds my eardrums and I look back at Mel to see her smiling darkly.
“You’re all idiots and you know it. Case is too smart to fall for something that easy. I say we set up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that he won’t help but want a chance at.”
“Yeah?”
“Oh yeah.”
I’m thinking the way she keeps smiling is not a good sign for any of us. Especially not Case. I feel my spine stiffen when she grabs the phone and starts yapping into it a mile a minute before throwing us a wink.
“Did she just call Ma?” Jared wheezes.
“Shit.”
***
Melissa
The problem with letting men run everything is that they overcomplicate things on one end and then go and try to oversimplify them at the other. No moderation with that gender, and God help me, I now understand why the dear Lord gave us women the responsibility of birthing and rearing the children.
Men are just not equipped.
For instance, they get so riled about things and take it all so personally that they should know that nothing grabs the attention of a crazy-ass stalker bent on killing you like a social event with security risks.