Page 53 of No Bed Of Roses

It took a few seconds, but finally, Duggan nodded. “Fine. I’ll let him know I’m disappointed by his lack of results.”

That would light a fire under Hicks. If it was all about money, he wouldn’t want to piss off Isla’s father. That could escalate things, which was a good way to cause mistakes.

It was also a good way for people to get hurt.

They chatted for a few more minutes and gave general directions to Phail. Which gave them a few lighter moments. How do I get to Phail? Sounded ridiculous.

When they hung up, Isla sat back and leaned into Levi. “I can’t believe he’s coming up here. I’m nervous, and I shouldn’t be nervous to see my own father.”

“I think it’s perfectly natural to be nervous. You’ve had a major change in your relationship, but it’s a good one. He wants to see you for yourself and help keep you safe.”

She smiled up at him. “I could have avoided all of this if I’d contacted him a few months ago. None of this would have happened.”

Levi kissed her forehead. “Don’t let regrets eat you up. I’m glad some of this happened.”

She grinned and kissed him. “Me too. Okay, I guess we should call Kimi and get her to check out Hopper. And then Marcus to get him up to date. Find out if he thinks our theory is possible.”

Levi nodded. Time to get back to reality and catch these bastards.

CHAPTER 18

Dig Up Some Dirt

Isla was embarrassed about her behavior earlier in the field. She’d gone into complete panic mode and had stomped away from the people trying to help her. It was close to lunchtime, so she figured she could at least feed the men while she apologized.

Cooking wasn’t her forte, but she could handle sandwiches and fresh veggies. The three men had been over at the farmhouse and would be here in moments. Hopper had left his sunbeam to come and lean into her side, probably sensing her high emotions. Again.

Kimi had rushed over to check on the dog. The knot on his head wasn’t dangerous and he would be fine, but Isla had given him extra treats and cuddles.

A knock sounded on the back door, and she heard Marcus call through, “It’s us.”

Levi moved to unlock it. They kicked off their boots and moved into the kitchen, where she put the food on the table. Once they were in, she blurted out her words. “I’m sorry for being such a scaredy-cat this morning. I should have controlled my emotions better, and I’ll try not to let it happen again.”

Marcus smiled, and the other two laughed. Troy moved across the room and took her shoulders. “Nothing at all to be sorry about, Isla. You were great.”

She rolled her eyes, and he squeezed her arms lightly. “Seriously. You’d just been shot at, your dog was hurt, and you didn’t know where the shooter was hiding. You didn’t scream or try to run when it was important to stay still.”

Sean pulled out a chair and sat. “Agreed. We’re trained for this shit, and it’s still unnerving. You followed Marcus’ instructions and didn’t put anyone in danger by your actions.”

Troy kissed the top of her head and sat as well. Marcus was studying her with those calm, serious eyes. “Definitely nothing to be sorry about. You didn’t get overwhelmed while the situation was happening. That’s the key.”

She managed a smile. “Having a panic attack after the fact is okay?”

Marcus nodded seriously. “Absolutely. No one keeps it together all the time. Certainly not us. If you don’t let the emotions out, they eat you alive. Now, Oz tells us you’ve got an update and a theory. Care to share?”

She glanced at Levi, who was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his face and an I told you so grin on his face.

Isla crossed the room and poked him in his rock-hard belly, then reached up to kiss him lightly. “You have really great friends.”

He returned the light kiss, then took her hand to sit at the table.

When Marcus prompted again, she told them she thought there might be a connection between Glen and Ed. Then she filled him in on the phone call with her father and his arrival.

Sean looked around. “You don’t have room for him to stay here. He could stay at the farmhouse, but most of the rooms aren’t fully finished. Do you want me to book him in at Jim and Carl’s B&B?”

Isla realized she hadn’t even thought that far ahead. The cottage was too small for him to stay with them. “I think the B&B would be best.”

Sean nodded and fired off a text. It was only a minute before they had confirmation of a room for her father. Not only were these guys not irritated by her stalking off this morning, they were treating her like one of the team and helping her take care of things.

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