So far, they’d been pretty damned determined.
Given the go-ahead, Reyes would happily move on them now. Unfortunately, his dad and Cade disagreed with that plan. Madison insisted they needed more info first, just in case other women were already targeted or even imprisoned.
It wouldn’t do to kill the creeps without first knowing all the details.
Sterling, forever over-the-top, said, “We could use me for bait again.”
Reyes and Madison were already shaking their heads.
Cade stated firmly, “Fuck that.”
And Parrish gave her a long-suffering look. “By now, you should have realized there are better plans than putting yourself at risk. Haven’t you learned anything from us?”
Grumbling, Sterling sank back in her seat. “My way is more expedient.”
“Your way,” Cade growled, “will never happen again.”
She shot Parrish a glare. “I blame you for him being so bossy.”
He dipped his head in acceptance. “I’ll gladly take the credit.”
While they bickered, Reyes became distracted by Kennedy’s laugh. He turned to see her snuggling Chimera and one kitten, while Bernard held the other two.
The kittens were bigger now, but still undeniably cute. And he had to admit, with all the lavish attention Bernard gave Chimera, she was now a beauty.
Her all-white coat had gone from shabby to thick, and as soft as rabbit fur. Her googly, mismatched eyes—one pale blue, one yellow-green—often stared at Bernard with undiluted love and trust.
Bernard had been good for the cat. It was still a shock, realizing that stuffy Bernard had grown up on a farm and absolutely loved animals. He was too damned aloof, but with Chimera, he was a giant softie.
Of course Reyes wouldn’t take the cat away. Hopefully, Kennedy understood.
In the middle of his dad and Cade going over reconnaissance for the motel, Reyes asked, “How do you feel about having the cats here?”
The two men looked up, confused. Sterling smiled and Madison kept her attention on her laptop.
“What?” his father asked, thrown by the off-topic question.
“Chimera and her three kittens. They don’t bother you?”
“Bernard takes care of everything,” Parrish said dismissively.
“There has to be cat hair, though, right?”
“Bernard cleans after them,” Parrish reminded him, as if that explained it all.
Reyes started to mention the cat box, then changed his mind. Both his father and brother were looking at him as if he’d just announced a flight to Mars.
“Told you,” Sterling said. “Totally smitten.”
Now they all stared at her.
“What in the world does cat hair have to do with that?” Parrish asked.
Sterling nodded at Reyes. “He’s thinking of home, hearth and pets, that’s what. If not with Kennedy, then who?”
“Butt out,” Reyes told Sterling, then to distract everyone, he asked, “Any news on Jodi?”
“So far she hasn’t budged,” Madison said. “She ordered pizza, though, and that can be risky, too.”
Reyes hadn’t heard Kennedy approach until she stood right beside him. “If ordering food is dangerous, how is she supposed to survive?”
Without thinking about it, Reyes tugged her into his lap. She thought about it, obviously, given her very rigid posture. The rest of the family did, too, as evidenced by their alert stares.
For crying out loud, couldn’t a guy—
The buzzing of his phone saved him, or so he thought until he answered the call and Annette’s feminine, flirty voice said, “I haven’t heard from you in forever and I have a desperate need to see you.” The emphasis on need plainly meant sex.
Shit. Here he was, his entire family watching him, Kennedy on his lap, and one of his regulars on his phone. Or rather, Annette had been a regular, until Kennedy had moved in with him.
“Hey,” he said, stalling while he tried to think.
Sterling, who was always perceptive, cocked a brow and grinned at him. “It’s a woman,” she decided aloud.
Knowing he wore a deer-in-the-headlights expression, Reyes wasn’t surprised when Cade said, “Probably.”
He really wanted to blast them both, but he had Kennedy slowly twisting around to frown at him and Annette impatiently waiting.
He cleared his throat. “Just a sec, doll.”
Even Madison looked up at that point, disapproval plain in the set of her mouth.
Right. Bad choice of endearments, but damn it, it was what he always called Annette. Habit and all that.
Before he could explain anything to Kennedy, she gave him a tight smile and jolted off his lap. “I’ll give you some privacy.”
Reyes watched her stride out of the room. Where she’d go, he didn’t know. The house was big enough that she might lose her way if she wandered too far.
But then Sterling muttered, “Asshole,” in his general direction and went after Kennedy.
Well, hell.
Annette said, “Catch you at a bad time?”
“Actually, yes.” Avoiding Cade’s gaze and ignoring his father and sister, Reyes stood and, undecided where to go, headed out of the library and around to the foyer. That didn’t seem private enough, so he stepped outside and pulled the door shut behind him. “So.”
“C’mon, Reyes,” Annette urged. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
Out of the three women he generally saw for casual hookups, Annette was the most affectionate, yet none of them were demanding. Of course, he usually saw each of them a few times a month.
After he’d gotten Kennedy settled in his place...well, he hadn’t given other women a single thought. That realization made him frown.
Annette, Cathy and Lili didn’t want anything other than convenient sex, which was why they worked out so well for him.
Until Kennedy.
Damn. He’d changed without even realizing it!
Disgruntled by that realization, Reyes said, “Sorry, but tonight is out.”
“When, then?” Her voice grew a little more strident. “Or is it just that you’ve lost interest in me? If that’s the case, hey, tell me now and you won’t hear from me again.”
See, this was why he avoided relationships. This crap was awkward. He started to go the route of “it’s not you, it’s me,” but Annette was sharp and she’d see right through that.