Page 55 of Stolen Goods
“Jo Jo—”
“Thereis, isn’t there?” He could hear her impish grin in her voice. “Why else would you be at one of the most popular tourist attractions in America? What’s going on?”
“Jo—”
“If you hurt her, Thad, I swear I’ll— I’ll— Well, I don’t know what I’ll do, but something. Something terrible.”
“I’m not going to hurt her.”Am I?
“Good, because she’s not like the girls I know you get with all the time. Addy’s sweet, and funny, and one of my best friends. At least, I hope after all this she’s still one of my best friends. So I don’t need you screwing it up for a quick fling!”
“It’s not…like that.” Thad sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, roughing it up. “I’m calling because I’m trying to keep her safe.”
Jo paused. Thad imagined she was narrowing her eyes and peering suspiciously at her phone. “Go on…”
“You were right, Jo—”
“I’m sorry, I’m not sure I heard you correctly, Thaddy Bear.” He flared his nostrils and ground his teeth at her smarmy tone. “I was what?”
“For the first time in twenty-five years, you were right. Don’t let it go to your head.”
“What exactly was I right about?”
So many things.
Too many things.
You were right that I never should’ve accepted the deal with the Russians, he thought, rubbing the back of his neck.You were right that your father and I should’ve gone straight to the Feds. You were right that we were idiots for thinking if we just followed along, somehow we’d all be safe. You were right that they’re evil men who need to be stopped. You were right about all of it, except one thing. You were wrong to ever put your faith in me.
He squeezed his eyes tight, as though he could hide from the truth if he just pretended it wasn’t right there, staring him in the face. “I’ll be in Scottsdale in about four hours, and I’m prepared to hand myself over to Agent Parker on two conditions. One, I get to see Emma first. To explain…everything, before she hears it from someone else. And two, you’ve got to be there too. I don’t trust handing Addison over to anyone else.”
Jo was quiet for a moment.
His heart thundered in his chest.
“I think I can arrange that,” she said softly, then coughed under her breath. “I, um, sort of assumed you would eventually come to that decision, so Nate and I have been in Scottsdale for the past two days, waiting for you to arrive.”
“You’ve what?”
“I know,” she said, a cringe evident across the many miles between them. “I know. But a team of agents was already here surveilling the house. They’ve been watching her, been watching both of them ever since you went missing, just in case you made contact. I didn’t tell them anything, I swear, not about her. But, I mean, come on, it wasn’t that hard to figure out. And I just thought, if Nate and I got here before you, maybe we could stop you before you walked into a trap. It’s much better to hand yourself in than to let them catch you. At least, that’s what Nate said.”
He swallowed a tight block lodged in his throat. “They’ve been watching the house?”
“Secretly,” Jo said, sympathy adding weight to her quiet words. “In case the Russians did anything—which they haven’t, not yet. Nate said they’ve spotted a few suspected operatives in the area, but so far, everyone’s been waiting for, well, you.”
“It’s tough to be popular,” he said with mock moroseness.
Jo laughed, a sad, airy sound, but it was something, a little lightness in an otherwise dark conversation. “How’s Addy doing?”
“She’s, um…”
Satiated?Thad rubbed at his scruff, trying to smooth out his dimples as a satisfied smile rose to his lips.At least, I hope she is.For a while there, last night, he honestly wasn’t entirely sure he was up to the task. For a little thing, she had stamina, but the challenge was half the fun. Well, maybe nothalf, but…
He cleared his throat. “She’s good. Hanging in there.”
“Not as traumatized as the last time we spoke?”
“No, she adjusted to life on the run pretty well. We’ve sort of been pretending it’s all one big cross-country road trip to help ease her mind.”
