Page 88 of Mob Bride

“No. You need to hurry and get Carys dressed. Agents are on the way. They have a warrant for her and your place. Someone tipped them off.”

I glance back at Carrie, who’s sitting up and struggling to nudge the gag from her mouth.

“Hang on.”

I slam the door as I run to her side. I pull the gag out, then take off the blindfold, before releasing her wrists. I grab the button down from the end of the bed and shove it at her. It’s thefirst piece of clothing I could reach. I grab my boxer briefs and yank them on, followed by my trousers.

“Stay out of sight.”

She nods as she fumbles with the buttons. She abandons it and grabs the t-shirt and shorts. I step into the hallway before she finishes putting them on.

“What kind of agents?”

“DEA. Sean figured out Carys’s handlers names and hacked their email. He sent Paul over to the new safe house they set up. He got inside and dropped a bug. We don’t know who told them Carys is here, but they have a laundry list of accusations.”

“Like what?” Carys steps beside me in the hallway.

“The mildest are failure to follow supervisory instructions. It gets worse from there. Failure to secure or process evidence. Intentional, reckless, or negligent violation of rules governing searches and seizures. Improper association with convicted felon, confidential source, and/or persons connected with criminal activity. Intentional and improper discharge of a firearm. Lack of Candor, and falsification, misrepresentation, or concealment of information or facts in connection with an official government document or in any other official statement, oral or written.”

Carrie stares at Cormac, who stares at me.

“Carrie, Cor’s an attorney. He specializes in corporate law, but he went to John Jay College of Criminal Justice. While our situation is unique, you’re not the first federal agent with ties to us. We’re all well-versed on the various codes of professional conduct for federal agencies.”

“You’ve memorized the DEA one?”

“No. They just plagiarize each other, so it makes it easy to remember.”

Most women drool when he shoots them the grin he’s giving Carrie. I know he’s not flirting with her. He can’t help his charm,but it has no effect on Carrie. She’s looking up at me, waiting for me to tell her what to do.

“How long do we have, Cor?”

He glances at his watch. “Ten minutes tops.”

“Get the diluted bleach and go over the TV remotes, the kitchen counters, the doorknobs up here, and run the dishwasher. I’m taking Carrie downstairs.Cailín, grab your clothes. I have a safe room in the basement. They won’t find you.”

I don’t realize what I called her aloud until Cormac clears his throat. I glance at him before looking at Carrie. Too late now. I can’t take it back, and frankly, I don’t give a shite my family knows what I call her. If Cormac knows, then it’s the same as everyone else knowing. We gossip worse than old women. If they hadn’t already figured out what she means to me, they will now.

I open the bedroom door and sweep my gaze over everything.

“Wipe down the top of the dresser, too.” I glare at Cormac when his lips twitch, ready to grin again. Instead, he nods.

He heads into the bathroom, knowing there’s bleach under the sink. Sometimes we need a disinfectant stronger than the ones that claim to eliminate odor and kill ninety-nine percent of germs. I cringe when I think about any bleach touching the top of the dresser. Not just because it’s an expensive piece of wood furniture, but it has sentimental value now. I plan for all my furniture to have sentimental value soon.

I don’t worry about any DNA left behind. All of us know how to wipe that clean. I take Carrie’s clothes and drape them over one arm while my free hand grabs hers. I practically drag her down the stairs.

“My shoes.”

They’re still in the living room where she kicked them off. She dashes to grab them before I lead her to the basement. I’m slower on these since they’re steeper. I steer her to the waterheater. I know she’s confused, but I place my hand on the wall where the polystyrene insulation panels end, and there’s a soft puff of air. I push the panel, and the hidden door opens. I like the heat efficiency, but the ends of the two neighboring panel pieces hide the outline of the door.

“The only people with access are my immediate family. My parents, brothers, cousins, aunts, and uncles. No one else. You stay in here until either Cormac or I get you. Don’t open the door for anyone else, regardless of who they say they are. If they’re my family, they can open the door on their own. They’ll know I brought you down here.”

“You have a panic room?”

I stare at her in the dim light I flicked on as we headed down the stairs. A single fingerprint pad turns on the lights within the panic room. It illuminates a two-room space. To the unknowing eye, there’s an inviting living room and bedroom. Since someone hiding might need to be here for a while, it’s comfortable. A battery powers the lights, so there’re no electrical wires to track. Unfortunately, it means there’s no bathroom to avoid tracing the plumbing, but there is a camp toilet. Rustic but functional.

I withdraw my cell phone from my pocket and hand it to her.

“I’ve already programmed any number worth answering in here. You’ll have reception despite all the insulation down here. Only answer it if it’s a member of my family. Nobody in my family has the same name as any of our men, except for Sean. And he’s in my phone as Twin. You’ll know if it’s him. If something goes wrong and they take me, Cormac will call you or come to get you. Either way, you may be here for a little while. It won’t be very interesting since there’s no TV or computer down here. However, I have a few books that might keep you occupied.Cailín, I’m sorry, but you should be okay.”

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