Page 146 of Wrecked
“I might hover.”
“This is so not you, Sis. Neither is that crazy curly ’air. Never seen you without perfect ’air before.”
Hallene touched her hair, smiling because Sam loved her curls. “You saw it in the tower when we were locked up together.”
“Yeh. I thought it was part of a disguise. Speakin’ of bein’ captured, wot do we tell Mum?” Phoebe sounded worried. “I don’t think she can take learnin’ about this just yet.”
Any other time, Hallene would have thought Phoebe was trying to pull a fast one on their mother, but she heard sincere worry in the girl’s voice.
Softening her tone, Hallene said, “Mother is going to be okay. You remember that guy on Sam’s team named Blade?” Hallene glanced around the safe house where his team had brought all of them. Phoebe had a room with clothes and personal items. They understood the need for her to feel normal and have her own space after the traumatic situation.
“Yeh, that big guy over there. That one’s a ’ottie.” Phoebe pointed.
Hallene gave Blade a quick glance, catching his bright grin at her little sister calling him hot. Good grief. “Yes, him. We talked. He said his boss had sent a team to pick up mother and take her to a medical location to run blood tests and see if they can determine what is happening to her.”
That had been over four hours ago. Would they know anything?
For the first time, Hallene saw yearning in Phoebe’s face. The girl could barely talk. “You think ... they can figure out ... uhm ... you think she’ll live?”
“I hope so, Phoebe. I suspected Kovac of poisoning her because he paid for her medical services which gave him control over who did what. I tried to take her away by saying I wanted to take her to lunch, but the medical center said Kovac wouldn’t allow it. I wanted to get her fully tested somewhere out of his reach.”
“That bastard.”
Hallene couldn’t hold back a chuckle.
“Wot?” Phoebe could be an adorable teen when her guard was down, and she smiled.
“Bastard was the code name I gave Kovac for intel gathering.” She sobered and added, “I may hover some. I don’t want to leave you alone. As for our mother, I think we will eventually tell her everything when both of us agree to do it, but not anytime soon.”
“I’ll be okay with you ’angin’ around more, but you took out the only real threat to me if I don’t make a stupid decision.”
“You are right, and I believe in you, Phoebe. You’ll do just fine with decision-making.”
Phoebe stood up straighter. “When we get ’ome, I want you to teach me to be a super spy. I’ll ’ave to learn to talk American like you, yeh?”
Hallene flinched at the word home.
She did not want to return to London right now, but she’d just said she wanted to keep an eye on Phoebe. Plus, her mother would need her soon.
“I’m not a super spy, Phoebe. I rescue children.” Then a thought hit Hallene. “You can help with that and get some experience.”
Phoebe grinned. “I’ll do it. Wot about Sam and ’is team? Can I train to be like them, too?”
Sam walked up still favoring his left arm. “Okay, the first thing you have gotta do is never talk about this team. Don’t share our names. Things like that. If you keep our secrets, then when you’re out of college and after you’ve got plenty of experience with Hallene’s operation, come talk to us.”
“Deal.” Phoebe’s eyes lit up. She put her hand out to shake.
Sam took it and held on. “You did amazing with all this, Phoebe. I told Hallene we couldn’t have broken out of that place without you. Really proud of you.”
Was that pink in Phoebe’s cheeks? She mumbled, “Thank you. I listened to wot you told me.”
“See? You’re already training to be an operative.”
Blade called over, “Phoebe, would you come here?”
“Oh, yeh, the ’ottie is talkin’ to me.” Phoebe took off without another word.
Hallene laughed.
