Page 53 of Her Silver Fox Mountain Men

“Roger that, boss.”

I still can’t shake the subtle uneasiness I felt around Kara Konstantinova. Without fully understanding how deep her Bratva blood runs, I can’t ascertain how big of a potential threat she is. She came to us for protection, stating she would be sending her Chicago goons home once her security detail is assigned.

And so I’m curious as to what it is that really brought her here.

20

Elise

“I’ve never understood people’s fascination with pumpkin spice lattes,” Janice mutters as we stop outside the girls’ favorite café. “I don’t care for it. It’s like drinking a pumpkin pie. Who the heck thought that would be a good idea?”

“I don’t know, Jan, but it sells like hot cakes every fall,” I reply with a shrug. “And whoever came up with the idea is a multimillionaire by now.”

There’s a line extending all the way out to the sidewalk from the café’s counter inside. With Halloween just around the corner, the drink’s popularity is at its peak, which makes our original mission a tad more difficult than we had anticipated.

Tricia looks up, gently holding my hand, while Janice has Ainsley.

“Ellie, why are there so many people out here?” Tricia asks me.

“Because of the pumpkin spice latte frenzy, I’m afraid.”

“Does that mean we’re not gonna get our cinnamon cookies and little lady cappuccinos?” Ainsley questions, her ginger browsfurrowed with concern.

Janice thinks about it for a moment. “It’s quite the line, Elise.”

“Yeah, but we promised them,” I remind her. “They waited for us to get our hair and nails done, knowing they were going to get cinnamon cookies and… what did you call your drinks again, honey?” I ask Ainsley.

The girls reply in unison. “Little lady cappuccinos!”

“Right, little lady cappuccinos. They need to get their fix,” I laugh lightly.

“We still have a couple of shops to hit just down the road,” Janice says.

“Tell you what,” I propose. “You run to the other shops and pick up what we need from our list, and I’ll hold the line here with the girls. We’ll probably still be here by the time you’re done.”

“I might as well hit the hardware store, too,” Janice replies. “Knock a few more items out while these little ladies get their sugar rush.”

“Sounds good. You do what you need to do, and we’ll be right here.”

She goes ahead while Tricia and Ainsley stay close to me. I find a strange comfort in the murmurs of the people around us. Fractured pieces of conversations reach my ears while the girls have a back and forth of their own. I begin tuning it all out, however, when a quiet queasiness begins to settle in the pit of my stomach.

“I want vanilla this time,” I hear Tricia tell Ainsley, breaking me out of my reverie.

“Na-ah. You had the vanilla last time. I’m getting the vanilla, and you’re getting the chocolate syrup.”

“You said you were going to get the hazelnut one.”

“Oh, right.”

Next thing I know, they’re both looking up at me with those big green eyes as they smile with sweet, pink round cheeks. “Ellie,” they say at the same time.

“Fine, I’ll get the hazelnut,” I giggle. “As long as Ainsley gets the vanilla, which means you’re getting the chocolate cappuccino, Tricia.”

“Deal!” Tricia agrees.

I glance up and I see a familiar face across the street. “Kara?” I whisper to myself as the queasiness quickly grows into something more powerful, more all-consuming. Dread grips me tightly by the throat. “No.”

I’ve seen no other icy blonde walk around like she owns the town, certainly not one accompanied by two gentlemen dressed in dark suits and grey overcoats. All wear black shades, and I can’t tell if they’re looking at me. As I hold the girls’ hands tightly, my boots start moving backward in a cautious set of steps.

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