into the tub.
“Oh, Mia. Why’re you laughing?” I cock an eyebrow, tossing the pineapple loofah into the tub as it fills with water.
“Daddy’s funny.”
“Mhmm, if you were aware of the meaning of ‘hag,’ you wouldn’t—”
“Means witch. I’m a witch.” She starts toward me, arms raised, chocolate-covered fingers stretched out like a zombie. Cackling, I help her out of her clothes and into the tub.
Despite my past, I wouldn’t change my present. Every kiss, every hug, even the arguments with Leith that my brain blows out of proportion, I’d keep them all. Because that just means my husband will fight with and for me.
Chapter 28
Leith
“So, ye’re saying my Audi R8 is no longer . . .” At the sound of Chevelle and Mia’s laughter floating near, I quicken my steps onto the balcony. I roar into the phone, “It’s an R8, worth almost two-hundred feckin’ thousand dollars! Where. Is. My. Car?”
“Sir, if you’re going to cuss—”
“Nae, I’m gonna sue.” But I’d prefer wrapping my fingers around yer feckin’ throat and squeezing the life outta ye!
“Sue, my ass. The car was picked up about twenty minutes ago by someone from Infinity Corp. The man had a written document claiming the vehicle was company property. Take your matters up with them.”
The call goes dead. The blood in my veins is hotter than a fat wench’s tits after a night of bad diddy-rides. I remember the day I took the car off the lot. Chevelle jokingly asked if I still loved her the same. Nobody but me paid for that ride.
Seething, I grip the dark blonde hair from the crown of my head. “What the bloody feck!?”
Alright, this is another tactic of the ned, another show of his baw size! Silently, I calculate my next move. He’s operating under the guise that I’m totally in the dark. Although I haven’t searched for the yacht photo, I’m confident Jiang’s associate is the right lad. Initially, I’d wanted to hold that bit of knowledge for the next time the arsehole tricked me into a mission.
But as I’ve said, we’re talking Hen Two, my Audi. I dinna feckin’ play with my rides. Striding through the house, I step into my office and go straight to the computer. I link my iPhone to my laptop to upload the screenshot I took of the refrigerator picture. In less than a minute, the mystery that’s plagued me for months has been solved.
Douglas Yates and I have one thing in common. We attended MIT, the same alma mater. Like many eejits of the time, he was expelled for racial statements made on Twitter. After which, Phelps, who had previously acknowledged Yates in public, must’ve become a silent partner with him. It seems Yates is a wee, disgruntled fecker.
Though his address is unlisted, I dial Yates, and it goes straight to voicemail. Keyed up, I throw all my cards on the table and snarl into the receiver. “Listen here, ye—”
“Baby, are you talking to Mable?”
“Aye.” Biting my lip, I stop hunching over my laptop and shove on a smile. Chevelle appears in the doorway, wearing a silky blue slip dress that has my dick twitching, despite my predicament.
Effortlessly, I press the off button with my thumb while continuing to talk. “Mable, all ye gotta do is go to the short-term parking lot at the airport. I’m emailing them my driver’s license and a short statement. They know yer coming.”
Feck, my wife’s still standing there.
I continue the charade. “Mhmm . . . mhmmm . . . aye. Cat food and a new cathouse. Nice doing business with ye.” I make like I’m hanging up before adding, “Hag.”
Chevelle shakes her head, laughing, oblivious to my deception. “Cathouse?”
Feck, I hate myself for this. “Aye. Cathouse. Like doghouse for cats, lass. Be glad ye’ll never be in such a predicament.”
Leaning against the doorframe, she smiles. “Thank you for snatching me off the market. Anyway, I believe they’re called cat trees. So, would it have been cheaper to leave the car in the lot for five days or?”
I rise from the computer chair and round the desk, finishing her question. “Be exploited by an auld biddy with sweaty tits?”
“Leith, my self-esteem might take a hit soon. We discuss your roommate’s breasts way too much.” She grins, fisting her breasts in her hands. “I don’t have much of these.”
“Och, but ye got all that arse. Still, I like these.” I reach down, replacing one of her hands with my own, and give her neck a wee nibble. “Nae.