Page 141 of Ford
He got up, walked away, his hand cupped behind his neck.
“I gotta get home,” Tate said after a bit. “Back to Glo. I left my team in charge, but Glo is pretty much under house arrest while I’m gone, and she and the Yankee Belles have an NBR-X gig this weekend. Knox will be there—I’ll fill him in on what’s going on.”
“Wait—are you talking about the band my sister Kelsey is in?” Ham said suddenly.
RJ definitely had missed something. “Kelsey is yoursister? Um, our brother Knox is dating her.”
Ham just stared at Tate. “Wow. Okay. We don’t talk much—my fault, but apparently we have some catching up to do.”
Tate’s eyes widened and he glanced at RJ. “So, you don’t know about the bombing in Texas, at the arena where the Belles were performing?”
Ham looked like someone had taken a two-by-four to his gut. “No—what?”
“They’re fine, but…seriously dude. Were you hiding on some mountain somewhere to not know about the attack on the Yankee Belles?”
Ham swallowed. “Something like that. Are they okay? Why is her bandmate under house arrest?”
Tate shook his head. “I didn’t mean—she’s just…being protected.”
“That’s right. Her mother is Senator White’s running mate,” Ham said, his voice sounding far away. “Was my sister in the bombing in San Antonio?”
RJ actually felt sorry for him, the way his face paled.
“But you caught the bomber,” Ham said. “Right?”
“We think there’s another one, still at large,” Tate said.
Ham drew a breath.
“Your sister is with my brother. He’s not going to let anything happen to her,” Tate said.
RJ nodded, still wrecked by the man’s expression.
“You don’t suppose the bomber is connected to the Bratva, is he?” Ham asked quietly.
“Why would he be?”
Ham traced his finger down his sweating lemonade. “Experience. Gut feeling. I don’t know…” He turned to RJ. “Isn’t Senator Jackson on the Armed Services Committee?”
“So is presidential candidate Isaac White,” Tate said.
“What about this shadow CIA group? What do you know about them?” Ham asked.
“Just a rumor,” RJ said. “Our first confirmation was this hit ordered on the general. And the fact that the CIA blamed me.”
Ham frowned. “The CIA blamed you?”
“Apparently, I can’t go back until I’m cleared.” She looked at Wyatt. “And I think the only one who can clear me is Coco. She has the proof that my emails were hacked.”
The information was akin to a horsefly biting Wyatt. He stalked up. “I’m going to Vladivostok.”
“And do what?” Ford said, now climbing to his feet. “You don’t have a visa, you don’t speak Russian. You’re a hockey player, for cryin’ out loud. I nearly got RJ and Red killed, and I actually know what I’mdoing.”
“I can handle myself,” Wyatt said, something sparking in his eyes. He had a look about him coupled with his broken nose that made him seem just a little crazy.
Out of all of them, Wyatt led with his heart. It made him a personality on the team, charming, a magnet for the women…and sometimes reckless.
Tate held up his hand. “Ease back there, bro. We all know how you feel about Coco. We care about her too.”