Page 7 of Her Tempting Traitor
The root of his worry, to hear him tell it.
And where Gus was likely to be.
With a grunt of thanks, Cassian limped from the room, off to find his son and prove that while Gus had every right to hate him, hedidlove the lad and would do anything he could to build a future for the two of them.
In America.
CHAPTER 2
Gabby ignored her twin brother’s chortles as he held open the door into the office of the Lindsay Detective Group’s office, and instead sailed through with her head high. “Thank you.”
“Ye’re welcome,” he snickered. “Protrusible copulatory organ? That’s really what I’m supposed to call a cock from now on?”
Oh Lord, he was still harping on this? “How is it we are the same age, and you clearly have the emotional maturity of a child?”
“Ye’rethe one who wants me to go around talking about animal cock,” he shot right back, still smirking.
From behind his desk, Bull cleared his throat. “I realize this might be a silly question, but…what?”
Heaving a put-upon sigh, one of her specialties, Gabby settled herself in one of the leather chairs in the same position she’d been in last week when she’d accepted this casefrom Bull. “I explained the mission to Hunter, and thathewould have to play the role of the veterinarian. This will allow me more freedom to poke about for answers?—”
“I’ll be poking too,” Hunter interrupted, leaning his hip on the desk and crossing his arms. “I’m an excellent poker—I cannae believe ye didnae come to me first.”
Bull’s brow rose. “And ye ken enough about animal husbandry to travel to Inverlochy on yer own to care for a pregnant elephant?”
“I ken all about how the thinggotpregnant,” he smirked. “Ask me about theprotrusible copulatory organ.” He stretched his open palms about two feet apart. “Apparently male elephants’ cocks get so big?—”
“Oh for goodness’ sake, remind me not to teach you anything ever again,ever.”
“Anything about copulatory organs, certainly,” Bull quipped dryly. “Are ye aware of the facts of the case?”
Hunter, who was still measuring out the size of an elephant’s penis with his hands, turned the move into a dismissive gesture. “Secret service, traitor, missing evidence, explosion, dead spies.” He ticked the points off his fingers. “Hiding at Inverlochy Castle—I havenae had decent trout in months, looking forward to being up there?—”
“Hunter,” Gabby interrupted sternly. “Focus.”
She loved her twin dearly, but the nincompoop definitely had different talents than hers. It was what made him a much better agent for Bull than she was…although his deductive reasoning skills were weaker, he always said his muscles were stronger than his brain, and there were times Gabby might agree.
Luckily, he was good-natured about it, and nodded once in her direction before ticking off the last points. “Host has a sick elephant—I’d hate to see her if she’s vomiting, can ye imagine?—and asked for a veterinarian. Gabby is qualified, but he willnae believe her—so she says—because of her lack of a copulatory organ?—”
“Hunter!”
“—so I’m going along to pretend to ken about animals, and check the big girly’s pulse while Gabs’ll be whispering in my ear, presumably stuff about elephant fetuses and whatnot.” He swung suddenly horrified midnight blue eyes on his sister. “I’m no’ going to have to stick my arm up anyplace unpleasant, am I?”
Gabby rolled her eyes dramatically, her hands fluttering in a dismissive wave as if shooing away a fly. “Not if you follow my directions.”
Bull hid his smile as he shuffled through the papers on his desk. “And what, exactly, do ye ken about caring for animals, Hunter?”
“Sweet fook-all,” the other man replied cheerfully. “I’ll be following Gabs’ directions.”
Gabby leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with determination. “I will pass you notes, or—as you say—whisper what you need to know. It will be simple to convince our host that you are the veterinarian, something he will undoubtedly be more than happy to believe.”
This last was laced with just a touch of bitterness.
Bull noticed the change in her tone and raised an eyebrow, concern etched momentarily on his face before it was replaced by his usual charming smile. “Because of course Sir Richard Biggenpans would be more likely to believe a gregarious, well-dressed man like Hunter would be the scientific expert, rather than Gabby.”
Gabby shot a mocking smile at her brother, who was now preening slightly at the mention of being well-dressed. “Gabby, who not only has years of experience, but actual schooling in London and America, on how to care for animals…but also the unfortunate luck of not having been born with a?—"
Hunter interjected with a smirk, “A dashing smile and a charming personality?”
