Page 76 of A Very Un-Shakespeare Romance
His grin was downright devilish. “Hide your credit cards. And you know what they say about men?”
“I’m a guy, Tim, so you don’t need to spell it out.”
“Oh, but it’s so much fun to dissolve into stereotypes,” Sheila bandied back. “No guys like to be a cuckold. Tim, I used that term for you.”
“You’re a lady and a scholar,” he said, blowing her a kiss, making Robbie groan.
“A woman isn’t supposed to spend a man’s money like it’s nothing,” Sheila followed up. “Especially when it’s not hers and she doesn’t have his permission.”
“I love it!”
Robbie’s head whipped toward the kitchen doorway as Tara breezed into the room, wearing jeans and a beige T-shirt she’d jauntily tied at the waist. “Where the hell did you come from?” he asked.
Tim slowly raised his hand. “I snuck her into the kitchen with Sheila’s blessing to expedite things. I figured our cousin could come to her own conclusions.”
“Tim told me your new squeeze is FBI.” Tara gave him a playful wink, her usual sass back in her smile. “And he convinced me not to look a gift horse in the mouth. We have the Feds on our side. That puts the Kellys in boiling hot water, not just warm Southie water. It also protects us from the Kelly snitches on the force.”
“Precisely!” Sheila snapped her fingers. “There’s a long list of crimes we plan to tie them to.”
Tara rubbed her hands together delightedly. “Music to my ears. I’m so ready for this to be over. Besides, all Reagan and Cassidy could talk about was their sweet friends next door, who taught them to surf and bought them princess wands. And clearly you like her, cuz. How could I not listen to her plan? Besides, I like that I’ll look like one of those idiots in your stupid criminal videos. Except the joke will be on them for believing it.”
“Stupid criminal videos?” Sheila gasped. “I love watching those. I send them to Lily all the time.”
Lily met his gaze. “Now you can send yours to me too,” she said, a soft smile taking sail across her face.
“After this nightmare is over.” He put his head in his hands after Tara cast another knowing look at him and then Lily. “So you’re totally on board with this? Tara, I was planning on taking you back to Boston and having you talk to my guys on the force informally—”
“What does that accomplish?” Tara blew a curl out of her eye. “Nothing. Just more talk-talk-talk. Plus, I believe the Kellys when they say they have a mole in your department, maybe more than one. I’m assuming you haven’t smoked them out yet.”
He breathed fire before shaking his head. “No, we haven’t.”
“I don’t know the full scope of Lily’s plan—nice to meet you with your real name, by the way—but I imagine she’s got a plan for catching the mole or moles too.”
“I do.” Lily nodded with killer confidence. “We just need you to lay a few false breadcrumbs—with Internal Affairs’ full knowledge, of course.”
He tipped his head toward the ceiling. “God, I knew this was coming. I’m going to be persona non grata.”
“No, you aren’t.” Lily leaned forward, a determined fist resting on her knee. “Robbie, you’re going to put the Kellys down so they don’t come back and hurt your family. I’m including you in our case. I told Buck I needed you to pull it off. We share the collar.”
“And that’s really big of her considering how much this case matters for the promotion she’s going after,” Sheila added, making a big boom noise afterward. “We’re talking a chance to join the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, in Boston, something she’s worked toward her whole life.”
He swallowed thickly, knowing the seeds of her motivation. “I’m humbled, and I’m on board. If I get a little grouchy, it’s only because I hate deceiving cops.”
“At least you aren’t a mole selling people out to the Kellys.” Tara crossed and cozied up next to him, punching his arm lightly. “Look, I want this done. I don’t care if I have to play kissy-face with the ugliest undercover FBI agent in history to accomplish that. I want to be free of this problem and back in Southie with my girls.Safe.”
There was a silent plea in her eyes, one that spoke of the fear and vulnerability she was pushing back to stay strong. “We’re going to take every precaution,” he promised her.
“Of course,” Lily said with assuring hands. “I’ll show you all the details. We’ll execute our plan flawlessly.”
“Down to me dressing up like your cousin here,” Sheila said, closing in on Tara and studying her like a hawk. “I’ll need to study your mannerisms. All the way down to how you like to do your makeup and nails. Oh, and by the way, you won’t have to suck face with an ugly FBI officer. The agent Lily has in mind has set records for blowing panties off.”
“Sheila Morales!” Lily cried out. “That is totally unprofessional.”
Robbie cleared his throat while Tim sputtered with laughter beside him.
Her partner only sashayed her hips. “Come on, Lily. You set running records at Quantico. Tyler Darren has set records for having women practically fling their panties at him. Everyone knows it. That’s why he’s the most wanted undercover agent out there. That guy has played everything from a male stripper to a pretty boy Ivy League Wall Street type.”
Tara made a girlish sound that had Robbie wanting to bash his head in. “Got a picture?” she asked in a sultry voice he was sure would scramble his brain.
