Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 121755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
“Think I can manage to put his mind at ease.”
Yeah, by being at my side and breathing.
“He might challenge you to twist a band of rebar into a Celtic knot,” I forewarned. “You don’t have to do it though.”
Another chuckle.
Man, I loved that sound.
“Okay, I have to go to Raye’s,” I told him. “I don’t know how long it takes to break and enter and search a house, but barring getting arrested, it probably won’t take long. See you in a few hours.”
There was no chuckle after that, but I didn’t miss the heavy sigh.
“Bye, baby,” I said softly.
“And then she makes it worth it,” he muttered. “Later, cupcake. Be safe.”
“Always.”
And we hung up.
THIRTEEN
INVISIBLE MAN
“So, we have a plan. Gemma in the car. Shanti on patrol. And Willow and I are going in,” Raye stated.
There was a bang in the kitchen. It was alarming. But since it wasn’t the first during our briefing, we all ignored it.
“I still think I should go in,” Shanti said.
“I brought the gloves,” I reminded her.
“Gabe gave you those gloves,” she reminded me.
“You can do the next house search,” Raye assured Shanti.
And there was another bang in the kitchen.
Cap’s inner caveman was now his outer caveman, and we were all pretty happy he couldn’t get his hands on a club.
“Right, we ready to roll out?” Raye asked.
“Ready,” I said.
“Absolutely,” Shanti said.
“Since I’m just sitting in a car, sure,” Gemma said. “And don’t take that as a complaint. I’m the new girl on the block. But I call dibs on the next search too.”
Another bang.
We got up to go, but we all stopped to watch in wonder and awe as Raye approached the beast in the kitchen.
She got close and tipped her head back for a kiss.
Even though Cap made no bones he wasn’t thrilled about our evening activities, he didn’t hesitate to touch his lips to hers.
Aw!
They were so cute!
“Later,” we heard her whisper.
“Later,” we heard him grunt.
Raye was smiling a happy, private smile to herself. One that stated she had the ring of such a good man on her finger. A man who was protective and honest, but he was not about to stop her from being who she was even if he wasn’t entirely at one with it.
And I got how she felt.
Which made me smile a happy, private smile.
We were almost out the door when Cap called, “Remember.”
We turned back.
“Full circle drive around, once,” he instructed “You don’t want anyone seeing you casing the house, so even if you’re nervous, don’t go around again. All four of you keep your eyes out for someone watching it on the first go. Park a discreet distance away, but not too far you can’t hoof it flat out to get back to the car.”
He so knew none of us went to the gym.
He also wasn’t done.
“Listen to your guts, plural. If one of you gets a bad vibe, all of you haul ass. Yeah?”
“Yeah, honey,” Raye said.
Cap jerked up his chin, then put away a skillet with a forceful clatter.
We left.
We all then piled into Raye’s bright-yellow Juke she called Tweety (me and Raye in the front, Shanti and Gem in the back) to head to the storage units to switch out to the Kia Sportage, one of the three vehicles Arthur had provided to go incognito for missions.
We were on the road when Gemma said, “How is it cute when a man is essentially throwing a hissy fit in the kitchen?”
“I don’t know,” Shanti said. “Maybe it’s because he cooked Raye dinner in that kitchen. Then also did the dishes while Raye sat with her girls in the living room, making plans to commit their upcoming felony. And he managed to do that by tossing around some cookware and not tying her to the bed and sending us all packing.”
“Yeah, that must be how he pulled it off,” Gemma agreed.
“You know, if you want me to, I’m all in to make your wedding cake,” I told Raye.
“I’d hoped you’d say that, because I couldn’t imagine getting married without knowing one of your wedding cake extravaganzas was waiting for us at the reception,” Raye replied.
How much did I love every single member of my posse?
Allow me to answer that.
A ton!
“So I’m all in if you’re all in,” she continued. “But it’s not a gift, babe. We’ll be paying you.”
“On no,” I said. “It’d be my pleasure.”
“I know, babe,” she responded. “But Cap and I called Dad and Debbie yesterday to give them the news. When we did, Dad told me they’ve set aside some money for us to get married, and the amount is larger than a down payment for a house. I was floored. I lost it. Cried almost as much as you did this morning. It was so bad, we had to call them back. So we’re totally paying you.”