so we’re taking our time. Patricia’s seeing her daily, so when she thinks the girl is ready, she’ll come to our home rather than the orphanage. We could take her this week, but the wife wants to smooth the transition. Do you think your vixen needs more time before we take her home?”
“She hasn’t tried to lunge out of the vehicle yet, so I think we’re good whenever Dick gives you the signal.”
The limousine’s trunk slammed shut, and a moment later, someone thumped on the car three times.
“Don’t you worry about a thing, Miss Tamrin. I’m sure the boy will be along soon enough to rescue you, and that’s when we’ll spring our trap.”
“Spring your trap?” I asked.
Sandro’s mother snickered. “It’s simple, Jade. My boy doesn’t know when to quit, and he’s been after your bounty for years. Once he decides to do something, he does it. Quitting isn’t in his vocabulary, and he loves nothing more than a challenge. I haven’t seen my baby in more than two years now, and if catching you is what’s needed to bring him home, well, that’s a simple enough problem to solve. And after two years of chasing after your tail? It seemed rude to just send you on home after using you as bait.”
“You spent how much on me why?”
Theo snickered, but rather than contribute to the conversation, he drove, easing the limousine through the underground parking garage until he reached a gate, which opened at his approach.
“A million and a half to you, a million and a half to that damned buyer in the Alley, enough to cover taxes, the auction house fee, and twenty percent to charity,” Sandro’s mother reported. “And the extra fees because of the Alley contract. I would have had you home hours ago if not for that damned nuisance. And then there’s the bounty pay out. Someone else had prior bounties on you, but I overrode them to get the bounty hunters hot on your tail, and I had written in a lot of clauses for if you were hurt while bringing you in. My next move is to get the asshole who shot you. I’ll have that one’s head on a platter. I’ve already put a bounty out.”
I smiled at her words, which implied I wouldn’t have a difficult time winning her cooperation when it came time to making a move and figuring out what the hell was going on in the South and why. Instead of waiting and biding my time, I’d test the waters after I got some sleep.
“Also, just so you are aware, I respect that attack on my wallet, young missy. It was cute, it was clever, and it was absolutely appropriate for a woman who’ll one day take over the Moretti empire. I didn’t want you just because of my idiot son’s obsession with your cute ears and tail. Now, I don’t mind his obsession with foxes. You’re, frankly spoken, disgustingly adorable. All of you. The men, too. It’s those ears. They’re so expressive.” Sandro’s mother waved her hand as though her words explained everything. “The men’s fur turns silver given time, and there’s nothing nicer than a handsome silver fox. And I’ve seen your baby pictures. I’m hoping you like the boy, because if there are entire flocks of little fox children running around, I will be the happiest of grandmothers.”
A stiff drink might help me get through the next part of my life. “Why do you call your son that?”
“He has a name?” Sandro’s mother asked. “He’s the boy. The next one in line is the idiot, although he’s upset because everyone is an idiot in this family. After him is the jerk. The asshole comes next, and then there is the whiner. After the whiner is the pest. He wanted to be known as the angel, but I’m onto that rascal.”
I counted her sons in my head. “You have six sons?”
“And not a single daughter! And that damned husband of mine says I can’t marry them all off at once. The only reason I get to bring you home is because the boy won’t come home otherwise. He just won’t quit. I have to marry them off in birth order. It’s so rude. I don’t see why he’s being this way. Theo, make my husband stop being unreasonable.”
“You can’t marry the pest off because he’s five, Stephani.”
“But that little girl he keeps bringing home is so cute. I love her, and I want to keep her