Page 40 of Somebody's Watching Me
Once the hug was over, Liam led everyone into the parlor. Rowan snatched Annabeth’s hand, keeping her with him before she could run off.
“Your mom needs a hospital.”
Chewing on her bottom lip, Annabeth nodded. “I know, but Klausen is here. She won’t leave with him in the house.”
“Klausen?”
“The guy in charge of the Zanmi task force.” Samuel appeared on the stairs, carrying Evie in his arms. “Or I should say Toby’s task force since they refuse to acknowledge Zanmi as a threat.”
Annabeth leaned up to whisper as Samuel set Evie gently on the ground. “She’s on bed rest, and stairs are a big no-no, so he carries her. It’s sweet.”
Samuel and Evie were always touching. It was one of the first things Rowan noticed when they made their relationship public. If in a room together, one always had a hand on the other.
“Where are the girls?” Samuel asked.
“In the parlor with my mom.” Annabeth released his hand, and while it annoyed him, Rowan understood this was a stressful time and he shouldn’t push. “Ben is here.”
“So, that’s the earthquake we heard.” Evie scrunched her nose at the police gathering in the hall. “Let’s get this over with.”
Rowan stood in the corner of the parlor, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Typically, his height worked against him blending into the background, but it wasn’t much of an issue in a room with two Fairweathers and Liam.
A small couch on the side wall held Simone, Jamison, and Annabeth. Abe sat parked next to his mother, an agitated nervousness about him. One leg bobbed in place while he talked to Selah on his phone in a low voice.
Near the doorway, a few detectives loitered, hovering under Ben’s watchful eye. He and Samuel had taken up the front corner, withEvie and the girls between them. Both men glared openly at the law enforcement personnel, annoyed over being kept waiting.
And then there was Liam.
In the center of the room, arms crossed and clearly pissed, Liam stared down the detectives right along with the Fairweathers. Rowan thought it was rather ironic how well the man fit in with a family that was no longer to be his.
“Where the hell is Klausen?” Liam directed the statement at a plainclothes female detective. “I have a person in need of medical attention.”
The woman sauntered in from the doorway. “Ms. Howard is more than welcome to leave.”
“As are you,” Liam shot back before either Ben or Samuel could respond. Rowan smirked, impressed by the move. Not many people were as fast as a Fairweather when telling someone to fuck off. “Get out of this house and send in your superior.”
“Agent Klausen will be with you shortly.”
“I’ve had enough of this.” Ben approached the woman, who smartly headed for the door, making it through just before he slammed it in her face. “We’re all going to the hospital to get Simone checked out, and then we’ll talk to Klausen.”
Painstakingly, Simone shook her head, sending a clear message. None of them were going anywhere until this was settled.
“Mama, please.” Annabeth took Simone’s hand. “We can do this later.”
The door opened again, and an older man appeared. Judging by the way all conversation ceased and the smug demeanor of the new arrival, Rowan assumed this was the guy in charge.
The man waved a file at Ben. “Have a seat, Mr. Fairweather, and we’ll make this go as quickly as possible.”
To no one’s surprise, Ben remained standing. “Hurry the hell up, Klausen.”
Klausen took inventory of the room, and when he came to Rowan, a gray eyebrow shot upward. “And who might you be?”
The guy was obviously not on good terms with the family, and Rowan wasn’t sure if he should shake his hand or adopt a stance of indifference like everyone else. Ultimately, he decided to pull the united front card and offered only a curt nod.
“Rowan McIntyre.”
Suddenly interested, Klausen came closer. “Would that betheRowan McIntyre, who is head of Fairweather Holdings IT department?”
“That’s correct.” Rowan gave the man a once over, deciding he was likely in his fifties. He wore regular clothes like the detectives, but he didn’t carry a sidearm or display a badge as they did. “And who are you?
