Run, Hide - By Carol Ericson Page 0,18
and how is that personal? These guys have to know everything isn’t going to come up roses for them all the time. He’s still in business, isn’t he?”
Cade glanced at Jenna, wrinkling her nose. “What do you mean?”
“I mean for Zendaris to want to come after you personally, you must’ve hit him on more than a business level.”
“Funny you should mention that.” Cade crossed in front of Jenna to grab his blanket rumpled on the floor. “We, my Prospero teammates and I, thought the same thing.”
“Were any of Zendaris’s people injured or killed during your mission?”
“A few.”
“Any women or children?”
Cade clenched his jaw. “We don’t attack women and children. That’s his M.O.”
“Okay, okay.” She held up her hands. “Family members, maybe?”
“Could be. We’re not sure.” He folded his blanket and reached for Jenna’s. “I told you, we don’t know much about him. Don’t know what he looks like. Don’t know anything about his family.”
“You knew enough to prevent that first deal from going down.”
“Good intelligence all around on that job, but we’d like nothing more than to nail the guy...in person. End his career.”
She sighed. “Sounds good to me, too.”
Gavin stirred and fluttered his eyelashes. He opened one eye, sleepy at first and then widening as he took in his surroundings. He bolted upright.
“Shh.” Jenna scooted into the chair beside him, nudging him with her hip. “It’s okay. Do you remember coming to this place last night?”
“In the helicopter.” He pointed a finger at Cade. “With him.”
“That’s Cade. He’s going to be with us for...a while. A little while.”
If he had anything to say about it, he’d be with them a lot longer than that. He’d left shortly after Gavin was born, so he had a lot of smiles to make up for.
Cade dug another energy bar from his pocket and waved it at Jenna. “Will he eat this?”
“Candy bar!” Gavin bounced in the chair, aiming a hopeful look at his mother.
“Not really.” She took the bar from Cade and ripped one silver-foiled corner. “Do you want to try it?”
Licking his lips, Gavin nodded.
Cade now regretted not getting the chocolate-covered ones. The kid was in for a rude surprise.
Jenna broke off a piece and held it out to Gavin. He pinched it between two small fingers and shoved it into his mouth.
Wrinkling his nose, he stuck out his tongue, half-chewed bits of energy bar clinging to it.
“Gavin, do not spit that out.”
“It’s not a candy bar. I want eggs.”
Cade sucked in a breath and cupped his hand beneath Gavin’s chin. “You can spit it in my hand.”
Gavin didn’t need an engraved invitation for that. He spat the little ball of goo into Cade’s palm, while Jenna’s brows disappeared beneath her blond bangs.
“Uh, let me get rid of this, and then we’ll find some eggs.”
When he returned to the living room after dumping the glob of food into the trash and washing his hands, Jenna had folded the rest of the blankets and was holding a bottle of water to Gavin’s mouth as he drank.
“Where are we going to get eggs?”
“A diner.”
“Where are we going to find a diner with a helicopter pad? Oh, yeah, no helicopter. How are we going to reach a diner on foot, with lugging bags and a kid?”
He dangled a keychain from his finger. “Where there’s a Prospero safe house, there’s usually a Prospero safe car.”
“There’s a car parked out here somewhere?” She dabbed Gavin’s dribbling chin with the hem of her fleece shirt.”
He swung the keys around his finger. “I found these hanging on a hook in the kitchen. There’s definitely a car key on this ring.”
“Where’s the car?”
“There’s a road on the other side of that bunch of trees. It’s probably parked there. A car couldn’t get through the trees.”
“What about the helicopter?”
“I have to get rid of it.”
“How do you get rid of a helicopter?”
“Blow it up.”
She clucked her tongue. “You Prospero agents are nothing more than a bunch of adolescent brains in men’s bodies—high speed chases, blowing things up, disguises.”
“Yeah, it would almost be fun if it weren’t deadly serious.”
“Believe me, I know how deadly serious it is.” She combed her fingers through her gleaming strands. “Do you think I have time to take a shower before we blow up anything?”
“Sure. I hope you don’t mind if I skip mine.”
She paused, digging her nails into her scalp. “Because we’re still in danger.”
His eyes darted toward Gavin. “Yeah.”
“Then I’ll skip it, too. Let’s blow this joint...not literally. Don’t get any ideas.”
“Will you and