Page 111 of Barristers & Bones

Ivan quit twirling the pen. “Yeah. I downloaded her data while I had her phone. When she gets home, I can probably access her laptop too.”

I resumed pacing. “If we find his account passwords, can we drain his balances?”

Ivan watched me carefully. “If he finds out she’s been coming to see you, he’s going to suspect you’re involved.”

Roman straightened off the desk. “This could make him come after you again.”

I didn’t bother to deny it. “I hope so, then I can watch them burn each other to the ground.”

On my first day back to school, Roman and I argued. He insisted on sending Milo with me, but I didn’t want a bodyguard anymore.

“Lionel is dead, and I don’t want to live with someone tailing me for the rest of my natural-born life. When we make a move on my father, then he can be my shadow again.”

“And I want your natural-born life to be more than just a few more days,wife. You’re the one who wanted to stir the hornet’s nest with your father, and do you think Silas and Jerome Strack don’t believe we’re the reason Lionel is missing?”

I filled my coffee thermos and grabbed an apple from the fridge. “They know who my adopted family and husband are. Come on, they can’t bethatstupid. I also have your collar and tracker on, and you’ve bugged my phone, my car, and probably my backpack.”

Roman stared at me. “How’d you know about the other trackers?”

The man didn’t even bother to deny it. I rolled my eyes. “Because I’m not stupid, and you’re a tad overprotective.”

Milo snorted and then tried to cover it up with a cough.

Roman studied me. “You have two options, mouthy girl. I can sendtwobodyguards with you who will walk beside you to every class and sit there with you–in class–or we can compromise and Milo will shadow you and be reasonably discreet. But he’ll drive you in the SUV, and you won’t go anywhere alone for the foreseeable future.”

I glanced over at Milo, who leaned against the kitchen counter drinking coffee and watching us with an amused smirk. He’d recovered well, and he looked much better–except for his smirk.

My molars ground together, but I knew Roman wasn’t bluffing. “Fine. I see your point but don’t expect me to be happy about it. And you’re still a bossy asshole.”

Roman grinned and stalked toward me. “I would never presume, and I’m fine with being a bossy asshole if it keeps you alive. Milo, make yourself scarce for an hour. Arguing with my wife makes my dick hard, and since she doesn’t have to be there for a while, I want to–”

“Oh, my God! Don’t finish that sentence,” I cried, blushing furiously. Roman didn’t stop coming, so I turned and ran into the living room then sprinted down the hall.

Roman

Later that morning, I walked intoEuphoriato meet with Fennick and Kilian Spade. The Spades were a powerful, violent, strangely close-knit family, and if I needed someone in my corner besides my partners, they weren’t a bad choice. That didn’t mean they didn’t get under my skin.

Samuel stood next to me, and Fenn pounded him on the back as they walked in. “How’s Misty?” he asked.

“She’s recovering. Luna and Sylvie come by regularly to help keep her from going crazy while she heals.”

Fenn grinned. “They probably bring the crazy with them.”

Samuel’s lip quirked. “It’s a good crazy. Misty and Sasha are going to give them pole dancing lessons when Misty heals.” Fenn laughed, and I grunted in surprise. Luna hadn’t mentioned it.

Kilian shook his head. “That’ll be interesting, and not something Ieverwant to see.”

Samuel showed us to Fiona’s empty office, and Fenn turned to me as soon as the door closed. “What’s this about?” Our business interests often competed, so I understood his question.

I gestured to the chairs, and we all sat. “Don’t worry. Today isn’t the day I inquire about the Spade family trying to buy out the strip club a block away to compete with Euphoria. Or the Spades starting a marijuana grow facility in the same block as Ivan and Drakos’s lofts.”

Fenn leaned back and laced his hands behind his head. “That’s a relief. If Drakos doesn’t want industrial neighbors, maybe he shouldn’t live in the middle of an industrial neighborhood. And I won’t bring up Ivan putting surveillance cameras at the mortuary and cheating his ass off at cards to get his hands on Alexa.” Fenn lost his grin and leaned forward. “Or you drugging Luna and coercing her into marrying your sorry ass. Sylvie talking me down is the only reason you’re not buried out in the fucking desert somewhere.”

Kilian sighed. “Fennick, will you wait until we hear what this is about before you start a war?”

I mentally counted to ten, trying to bring my temper under control. Fennick could drive Mother Theresa herself to take a swing at him. “Luna ismine,I don’t care about the rest. This meeting is about Luna’s parents and the shit storm that’s about to erupt. Luna’s mother is fucking her uncle, and she’s going to bring Montgomery Cross here sooner or later. We need to be prepared.”

Fenn grimaced. “The thought of that cold bitch fucking anyone makes my skin crawl, and I have no idea how her two demon-spawn parents created someone like Luna. Whatever your plan is, I want in.”

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