Chapter Twenty-Seven
JANE PUT the last piece of her Shrimp Po’boy into her mouth. Day forty nine of my captivity and she’d just finished the best sandwich of her life. She had locked herself away in Declan’s bedroom so she could be alone with her sandwich. Jesus this was so good.
She and Declan had been back from L.A. for two days and for those endless days every bite of food was scrutinized. By Mick, Chill, Hoss, Twist, and Repo. Preach had nothing to say, but that was only because he was still on maternity leave. You’d think they were having this baby. They were on eggshells around her. Even in the training session they were taking it easy on her. There was a knock on the door. “Come in.”
The door opened and Paige Ernest walked in. “Hey.”
Jane was relieved to see her former West Point roomie and sometimes ops buddy. “Finally.”
They hugged. “I had a job I couldn’t turn down.”
“What kind of gig?”
She jiggled her eyebrows. “One I can neither confirm or deny or even turn down.”
She was doing a CIA job. “Shit. Good money?”
She nodded. “Albanians can’t keep it in their pants.”
“Thank God, right.”
“Yeah so is it true?”
Had the boys told Paige anything? She wanted to tell her friend. “What have you heard?”
“Nothing, but tell me what put that guilty look on your face.”
Paige was a human B. S. detector. “Nothing.”
Paige scanned around the room. “There’s only one bed.”
“Maybe I sleep on the floor.”
Paige shook her head. “Maybe you sleep with Declan Shaw.”
Jane didn’t say anything.
Paige raised her hands. “Your silence speaks volumes.”
Jane gave her a nasty snarl. “Or maybe it says I can’t believe you said that shit.”
“Yeah. Right.” She laughed. “Give it up.”
It’s not like she wouldn’t find out sooner or later. “I’m sleeping with Declan Shaw, I ended up pregnant and Malcolm Elliot is my half-brother.”
Paige tilted her head. “Is that all?”
“You don’t seem shocked?”
“I’m processing.” She sat down on the bed next to her.
“Does Malcolm know?”
“Everybody knows and dear old dad rented a house around the block. We are having dinner tonight.”
Paige put her hand together in prayer. “Can I come? I want to be a fly on the wall. Because you never have drama. I want to see it so I not just imagining it.”
“Just because you’re family is nothing but drama, doesn’t mean you can enjoy mine.” Paige’s former investment banker father was doing a stretch for investor fraud. Her mom just married a tennis pro who was barely twenty-five. Her celebutant sister had a sex tape floating around the internet.
Straight arrow Paige was the family rebel. “I had to try. How are your mom and dad taking this?”
“I haven’t told them.”
“Why not? You can talk to them.”
Which was true, but there was so much swirling around in their lives with the new baby and Jane’s family reunion, and Declan still had a target on his back, she was waiting for a calm moment. “I will as soon as I make a decision or until Declan’s safe.”
“Addy’s going to be thrilled.”
“I know, but I just dropped the Fox Elliot is in my life bomb so I think they might need a breather. Speaking of family their anniversary is Saturday. Par-tay at the Peterson’s.”
“I’m in.” She grinned. “Even if Malcolm is your brother can I take him for a twirl?”
“Please do, but have you met him yet?”
She nodded. “Yeah he was checking me out. And I don’t blame you, this is the house of hotness.”
“That it is.”
“Are you and Declan together-together, because I’m informing the Alumni newsletter. You know you were voted most likely to bore someone to death.”
“Thanks.”
“This is something cool you did that we can talk about. It beats Alan Hewson running for Congress.”
Jane frowned. Alan Hewson was voted most likely to be fragged by his own men he was such a dickhead. “That ass?”
“Yeah I haven’t decided if I’m going to find something on him. Bastard made our lives hell.”
They’d survived him and a hell of lot worse. “You could let it go.”
Paige eyed her. “Hell no I’m a patriot. I’m saving America.”
“That’s my girl.”
The high fived each other. “I need to get all set up and get to work.”
“You find anything?”
“The phone call did come from New Orleans, I tracked the burner phone to a mom and pop store in the French Quarter. I’m running through surveillance photos to look for your girl, but I swear to God the camera tape comes from the stone age.”
“Work your magic.”
Paige jiggled her eyebrows. “I will. Declan Shaw is too pretty to die and my god kid needs a name, and a college fund.”
“How do you know I was going to ask you?”
“Who else would you ask besides maybe Mick.”
“Mick volunteered to adopt the baby if I decided not to keep it.”
Paige’s hazel eyes widen. “Mick and Doctor Sexy want a
kid?”
“Yeah.”
“Will wonders never cease?”
Before Paige could answer the bedroom door opened. And Declan popped his head in. “Jane, you busy?”
“Nope come on in and meet Paige.”
Declan whipped out his Golden God smile. “Hello. You’re the computer genius?”
Paige wiggled her fingers. “That would be me.
“Nice to meet you. Gavin is already salivating over your hardware.”
“You better go down to save it.” Jane said.
“We’ll talk later. Nice to meet you.” She walked toward the door, then turned around and gave Declan’s ass a glance. Then mouthed the words nice ass.
Jane laughed. She was really glad her friend was here.
DECLAN WASN’T sure but he felt a little objectified. “She was checking out my ass wasn’t she?”
Jane nodded. “She’s always been an ass girl.”
He sniffed the air. “Do you smell shrimp?”
Jane spied the wrapper in the trash can. “No.”
He raised an eyebrow. “But there was.”
“I was hungry.”
“Aren’t you going to dinner in an hour?”
“Are you judging me?”
He raised both hands. He didn’t mean any harm. “No.”
“It feels like you are.”
“You’re eating for two.”
“I can’t help it all I want to do is eat and fuck and fuck and eat. My hormones are killing me.”
“I am shocked.” Then he heard her stomach rumble.
Her face paled, she jumped up and she hurried to the bathroom and he heard her throwing up. He followed her and knelt beside her. He pulled her hair back with one hand and with the other began to rub the small of her back. “That’s it get it all out.”
Jane heaved a few more times then she laid her head on her arm.
“Better?”
She raised her head. “Why are you being nice to me?”
“You’re letting me.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
They were going to have to be a little better with the cussing. “You know we might consider taming the bad language around the baby.”
She flipped him the bird. “Really shut the fuck up.”
Declan laughed and leaned his head against hers. He kissed her head then stood. He took a bottle of mouthwash from the gilt edge medicine cabinet, and poured some into a glass. He handed the glass to Jane. She took it from him and took a healthy swig and gargled. While she was doing that he took a navy washcloth and put it under the tap and let cold water run over it. He squeezed out the excess water and folded the washcloth and knelt down to her again and put it on her forehead. “Feel better?”
“I always do after I throw up. Now I want to eat again.”
“What would you like me to get for you?”
“There is something I want.”
“What?”
“Take off your clothes and get on the bed. I’m going to brush my teeth then I’m gonna fuck you.”
“I am okay with that.”