Chapter 241
852 Words
“So where are we staying?” Sully asked.
“You’re wealthy, successful people with high standards, so we opted to not have you stay in a hotel,” Dallas said. “We found you a rented house in a high-end neighborhood in Lawrence.”
“Is that where the meet is?”
“Yeah. The middleman is based in Lawrence.”
Cordelia didn’t know much about the geography of Kansas, and she made a note to do some research into Lawrence that afternoon. She also tried to avoid thinking about staying in a fancy house with Hunter. Not staying in a hotel room took the whole ‘playing a married couple’ thing up several levels somehow, and she wasn’t sure that she liked it at all. Then again, the Bakers would most definitely stay in a massive house so with a bit of luck, she’d never run into Hunter once they entered the front door and he disappeared into his man cave or whatever he was going to do.
Dallas turned his attention to Cordelia. “Millie Baker is a rich woman, Cordelia, one who is totally desperate for a baby. She isn’t stupid and she isn’t vapid, but she does present herself a certain way. I need you to meet with Caro and have her fit you out with a complete wardrobe.”
Cordelia nodded, made another note. Caroline Hatt owned an exclusive clothing shop in Denver, and Dallas used her when he needed crazy expensive suits for the guys to go undercover, and dresses and jewels when Selena was on assignment. Cordelia had seen the receipts when she did the expense reports, and she figured that Caro made a killing off Dallas’ business.
“I’ll call her this morning and arrange a visit for tomorrow morning, first thing,” she said.
“Good. I’ll set a budget and Caro will stay within it.” Dallas grinned. “You just shop ‘til you drop, Cordelia. Shoes, dresses, jewelry, bags.”
She grinned back, loving the thought of re-enacting the ‘Pretty Woman’ shopping scene, minus the prostitution, of course. “Sounds good, boss.” Then she became more serious. “Dallas?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you – are you sure I’m up for this?”
“Hell, yeah.” He leaned forward, held her eyes and opened his hands, and she saw nothing but honesty pouring off his massive frame. She relaxed, knowing that he was telling her the truth, one hundred percent. “You’re so ready. Jack says so and I believe him. Plus, every single person in this office has seen how good you are at non-verbal cues and communication.”
Sully nodded fervently. “True. People say you’re almost psychic.”
Cordelia glanced at him, taken aback at his admiring tone. “What?”
“Yep.” Now he smiled at her, and she was shocked to see pride on his hard, closed face. “You can see so damn much without people even saying a word, and we all know it’s science and psychology, right? But it looks like mind-reading sometimes.”
“Oh, my God.” She felt her face flush. “It’s just observation.”
“Sure.” Sully shrugged, hating how she always downplayed her gifts and hard work. “But you have to know what you’re looking at, right?”
“Uh. Yeah.” She looked down and away from those dark eyes. “That’s true.”
“Jack says that you’re the most talented natural he’s ever worked with, Cordelia,” Dallas said softly. “I have every confidence that if I send you into a meeting with that scumbag middleman, and to meet the people hiding the kids, you’ll see a thousand times more than anyone else I have. I trust you. You can do this.”
Moved, stunned, almost teary, she nodded again.
“Now.” Dallas’ blue eyes were serious. “Personal safety.”
Sully sat up straight. Yeah, he was worried about this, no doubt about that. If the s**t hit the fan, he’d be the one to have to get both of them out in one piece. He’d do it, no f*****g hesitation, but he wondered if Dallas had anything to add. Turns out, he did and as always, it was out of left field.
“I know you have your gun license,” Dallas was saying to Cordelia and Sully gaped at both of them. “It’s current?”
“Yes.”
“Wait,” Sully blurted out. “You can carry? Like legally?”
She gave him a narrow look. “Yes.”
“Since when?” he demanded.
“Almost eight years.”
“You – what? Why?”
She shrugged. “We don’t live in the best neighborhood, and we always have drugs in the house for Sean.”
“Yeah, but… your son’s been sick for two years, right? You’ve had your gun way longer than that.”
Now she looked very uncomfortable and Sully felt that he’d massively overstepped somehow, though God knows what he’d done.
- Writer
