it, would you?”
Stirling nodded, making eye contact with Danny and only Danny. “Sure. Anything else?”
Felix turned to Stirling, keeping his voice low so the kid wouldn’t startle. “Talk to Tabitha and see if you can get a list of some of the places and dates Artur made deliveries. I know when I make a business trip, something happens in that vicinity within a day or two. It’s only in my field—broadcasting or communications—but there’s a ripple to my visit. Take a look at the timelines and figure out what ripples these little packages are leaving. And if you’re not done by the time they leave for Vancouver, be prepared to bring your little show on the road, because I have the feeling we’ll need you in Vancouver too.”
Josh went to speak up. “But—”
Hunter could see it, but only because he was standing across from Felix. Felix raised an eyebrow at his son, and Josh nodded. Ah, Felix would be addressing the obvious hole in the plan later.
“So, what do Molly and I do?” Julia asked, coming down the stairs at a pretty good clip. She flashed a brilliant smile at Molly. “Besides shop.”
Molly grinned back, but Hunter saw the yearning in her eyes. Molly and Stirling had been foster children together until their foster parents were killed in a yachting accident. Molly missed having parents, and lo and behold, Josh brought her and her brother home to a whole new set.
Inside, Hunter wanted to sigh. He was too old and too prickly for new parents, but that didn’t mean he wanted to let his team down either.
Chuck spoke next, his Texas drawl apparent in a few words. “So, Stirling and Josh on coms, Julia and Molly on surveillance, Grace is there to steal shit, and Hunter and me on for security?”
Danny grimaced. “Could you flip for it?” he asked delicately. “I really don’t like leaving Tabitha here unprotected. If we could make you her driver, let you sleep in her grandfather’s house with her…. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I would really love it if we had something in place in case Sergei decides to do more than threaten.”
“Roger that,” Chuck agreed. “I’ll stay in the vicinity. Hunter, you go watch Grace’s ass.”
Hunter’s jaw dropped, and he stared at Chuck helplessly, scrambling for words.
“It was an expression,” Chuck told him, rolling his eyes. “I’m not accusing you of impropriety. Grace is what? Sixteen?”
“Twenty-one!” Grace shot back, obviously insulted. “I’m older than Josh because I came to the school system late.”
“And he flunked all his placement tests on purpose,” Josh muttered.
“Not on purpose. I just forgot I was taking them and snuck out the window to go buy snacks at the corner store instead.” Grace damned near licked his fingers, his amber eyes alight and glowing with mischief.
“Sure you did,” Hunter said gruffly. “And I could get dizzy watching Grace’s ass, ’cause he never stands still.”
Grace smiled with all his teeth, and Hunter’s chest gave a little burble. His mouth went dry. Augh! This was no good at all. Wasn’t he supposed to be bombproof?
But he couldn’t break eye contact, and breathing was becoming optional. Goddammit, why this kid? Why Grace, who by his own admission was easy because he couldn’t entertain the thought of a long-term lover in his pretty little head? Grace, who was endlessly trying to irritate people so they could get mad at him for doing something on purpose instead of the stuff he did by accident?
Grace, who could probably climb Hunter like a tree, swallow his cock in one thrust of his ass, and bob up and down there for a few minutes before he got bored and catapulted off, leaving Hunter boinging like a diving board and yearning for Grace’s full attention?
“I’d stand still for you,” Grace said, that nuclear smile not dimming for an instant, and now Hunter knew how a cat toy felt.
“Does that mean you want me to go be the muscle?” Chuck asked, but he sounded like he didn’t believe it.
“Hunter will go,” Danny said mildly, and Hunter broke eye contact with Grace to look at Danny.
Danny was regarding him shrewdly, with a little bit of gentleness. “Chuck’s good with people,” he said. “He’ll fit more easily into Tabitha’s life. We need somebody to keep an eye out for Julia and Molly as well as Grace and Artur. Coms will help, but Hunter, I think your particular skills will be more in need. Of course, Felix