Now Tessa, apparently, had teamed up with the woman she despised and trusted about as much as a black mamba. They’d tangled once before when Tessa discovered the assassin watched over her family. Only Chase’s reassurances and half-truths, promising Honey would watch after them, calmed her down enough to follow him into danger. Both women were nearly killed in the end. Ah. The good old days when he didn’t have women to mess up his orderly world. At times he thought fighting in Afghanistan was a walk in the park compared to his life with Tessa Scott the last few years.
Now, neither of the women had him to moderate their unpredictable personalities and anger issues. One had an overabundance of guilt and conscience and the other had no conscience and regretted nothing she did. These days, distinguishing between the two women became increasingly more difficult.
“What ya thinkin’ about, Chasey? Are we playing princess school or not?” Heather’s sing-song voice brought him back to reality.
“Of course. However, I think I heard the kingdom is in danger and we need to protect the castle.”
The boys straightened to their full height and puffed out their chests.
“Tell us what to do, Sir Silent Knight,” Sean Patrick demanded with a deeper voice.
“Sir Silent Knight?”
“Well, you’re the one who knows so much about the song,” Daniel said.
Chase eyed the boys like he often did a captured insurgent, the difference being these boys didn’t blink. Not a good sign. How did Tessa juggle being a mom, Enigma agent, professor at the university, and a wife of a self-centered lawyer? Did she possess superpowers he wasn’t aware of? Maybe this was true of most women, and he’d never been with one long enough to find out.
“Silent Knight it is, then,” Chase said. “Let’s make a plan for a few traps. Sound like fun?”
Their bobbing heads and Heather’s enthusiastic clapping indicated he’d hit a home run. If push came to shove, he wanted to know the kids would be safe and unharmed. If they were in for a visit from one of his enemies, he wanted to make sure he could neutralize the danger without exposing the kids to the harsh realities of what he and their mother did for a living.
~ ~ ~ ~
“You’re out of your mind.” Tessa pushed away the carrot cake Honey ordered for them to split. The other woman quickly pulled it closer and proceeded to finish it off. “How can you be so skinny and eat like a Marine?”
Honey took the last bite and moaned with delight. “My job burns up a lot of energy.”
“Speaking of burn—at least you’ll be used to it when you go to Hell.”
She pointed her fork like a gun. “Now that hurt. I’m a good Catholic girl. I’m covered in that department.”
“Did you miss the lesson on thou shalt not kill? Because I’m pretty sure to be a good Catholic you can’t have assassin as a job description.”
“It’s in the fine print.” She smiled. “Besides, I go to confession whenever I can.”
“Do you always make things up as you go along?”
Honey scraped the remaining icing onto her fork then slowly licked it from the prongs. “Usually, I have a backup plan for the plan. I didn’t count on you or your wee ones getting in the middle of this. So, I’m trying to think. Eating helps me think.”
“Based on the amount of short ribs and fries you inhaled, I’m expecting something to put the Navy SEALs to shame. What you just told me makes no sense at all.”
“Okay. Maybe I was thinking through my hunger issues. I’m clearheaded now.” She leaned back in her chair and surveyed the other patrons. “I bet between the two of us we could get a lonely Romeo to take us over the mountains to Grass Valley.”
Tessa covered her face with her palms while shaking her head. “Oh, that is a much better plan!”
A man approached their table. “We meet again, Ms. Scott. I see you found your friend.”
Tessa smiled. “Reverend Angelo. What a surprise.” She hoped the obnoxious smirk on Honey’s face wouldn’t be followed by some disrespectful comment. “Yes. This is my friend, Honey Lynch.”
The assassin jutted her hand out like it might really be a dangerous sword and grabbed his hand. “Angelo. Italian for Messenger of God. Appropriate.” She continued to hold his hand.
Tessa noticed the two locked eyes and appeared to be evaluating each other. The good reverend even tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. How many times had she seen Chase do that before…?
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Lynch.” He managed to pull his hand away.
“So, are you the good kind of messenger from God or the kind who throws sinners into the pits of Hell?”
“Honey!” Tessa growled. “Can you be any more inappropriate?”
Honey offered a thin smile toward her then stood. “Excuse me. I need to use the ladies’ room.”
“Please, Reverend Angelo, have a seat. I apologize for my—for Honey. She can be blunt and a little unfiltered.”
He pulled out a chair to face the direction Honey disappeared. When he shifted his eyes to Tessa, a wave of uncertainty washed over her. Most pastors she’d known weren’t as muscular as Angelo. She hadn’t noticed earlier the scar above his clerical collar or how his hands, now folded on the table, were calloused and tanned. When she dared return her gaze to meet his, she found him staring at her with dark, hooded eyes. They reminded her of a vampire.
“You don’t look like a priest or pastor.”
“You don’t look like the kind of woman who pals around with an assassin, either.”
Tessa jumped up, but Angelo grabbed her hand before she could slip away.
“Who are you?”
A slow smile spread across his narrow lips. “Sit down, Mrs. Scott.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Chase wondered again if he should call someone to come get the children. The neighbors were gone or they’d would be watching them for Tessa. The rest of the team were in Sacramento or on leave. Besides, getting to Grass Valley would take at least an hour in this weather. There was the cougar lady, but that seemed to pose other problems. If he tried to make a run for it, whoever was after him might be waiting to make a move. He could also have an accident on the slick roads, leaving them sitting ducks. Better to hunker down and prepare for the worst.
“We got some good stuff, Chase,” Sean Patrick, a soldier in the making, declared.
He watched the kids spread their ideas onto the table. A jar of mixed buttons. One bag of marbles in assorted sizes. A game of jacks still in an unopened package. Three slingshots and two water guns. He picked up the game of jacks.
Daniel explained, “Not sure what jacks are. My grandma said she used to play with them when she was a kid, and we should learn how to play, too. Dad never let us open them. Said we’d leave them on the floor to step on.”
Next, he fingered the slingshots. “Uncle Jake got us those.”
Chase remembered meeting the old coot, Uncle Jake, after a near disastrous encounter. He was tough and dangerous. “Does your mother let you play with these?”
“Only when we’re supervised.” Sean Patrick grinned.
“I’m guessing you boys practice unsupervised when she’s not around.”
The boys eyed him. “You aren’t going to rat us out, are you, Chase?” Daniel asked.
“No. Can you hit a target?”
“Nine times out of ten for me, and Daniel is almost as good.”
Chase looked at Heather, who snuggled her stuffed unicorn. “What about you? Can you use one of these slingshots?”
“Mommy says I’m too little. I might put an eye out.”
“Smart Mommy.” He patted her unicorn’s head then handed her the package of jacks.
Most likely, whoever showed up would be carrying guns. How would he manage to disarm them without anyone getting hurt? Exposing the kids to gunfire and dangerous men was not a scenario he’d ever had to work through.
Now here they were, looking at him like he’d asked them to design a new ride at Disneyland. Their
wide eyes and innocent grins touched him in a place he never knew existed. They were part of the same magic spell their mother continued to throw at him each time she walked into a room. These feelings of tenderness, fear, and helplessness annoyed him. How was he supposed to anticipate the unexpected with unicorns and slingshots mudding up the waters of reason?
“Okay, knights—”
“I’d rather be a Jedi if you don’t mind,” Daniel said.
“Okay. Jedi it is.”
“Not me. I think I’d like to be a plain old badass like you.” Sean Patrick’s eyebrow rose slightly as he tilted his head.
“I’m telling Mommy you have been cussing all night.” Heather pointed her unicorn at her brother.
One corner of his mouth twisted up as his eyes darted from Heather to Chase. “Women.”
“I hear ya,” Chase said offering him his fist so they could bump knuckles. “One Jedi and one badass.” Heather lowered her head and pooched out her lips. She looked up through her bangs at him, resembling a disgruntled chipmunk. He squatted and tickled her cheek until she smiled. “You are the bravest princess I’ve ever known to stand up to these two characters.” And, instantly, her temper dissolved. She grabbed him around the neck and squeezed.
“You are really Mr. Tootsie Roll Pop, Chasey.”
Chase pushed her hair out of her face and couldn’t help but grin at the cherub face. “I am? How so?”
“You are hard on the outside but soft on the inside.”
Chase sighed and rubbed his face in exasperation to hide the possibility she was getting to him. “That has to be the cutest thing I’ve ever heard. But it isn’t very scary. I think I’ll stick with Silent Knight.”
“Okay, kids. This is what we’re going to do.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Tessa sank back into her chair and took a moment to survey the people milling about the restaurant before turning her attention back to Angelo.
“Who are you? I mean really.”
“I’m Angelo. Truth.”
“A messenger from God.”
“Believe what you want.” Angelo spoke in a more sinister manner than when they’d met in the airport. “You don’t have anything to worry about, Tessa. I mean you no harm.”
“Where have I heard that before?”
“Captain Hunter, I’m guessing.” He offered a sly grin.
“How do you know him? What is going on?”
“You tell me. You’re the one hanging out with a known terrorist.”
“We’re trying to get to my house. Captain Hunter is watching my children tonight, and they are in danger.”
“I see. That might be why your face is as white as your jacket.” He stood and touched her chair, signaling she should also stand. “We should go.”
“You haven’t answered my question, and I’m waiting for Honey.”
“She left the restaurant when I joined you. She’s a tricky one.”
Tessa pulled on her coat and fumbled for a credit card to pay the bill when a waiter came to clear the table.
“No charge. The bill has been paid.”
She swallowed hard. “Honey doesn’t have any money.”
“She does now. She stole your credit card. Let me help you.” He laid a hand on her back. “Trust me.”
Chapter Eleven
Tessa stepped out of Angelo’s touch on her back. “I’m sure she is outside. Patience isn’t her strong suit. Besides, I have the car keys.” Unconcerned, she reached in her purse to the pocket where she always stored her keys.
“Everything all right?” Angelo asked as she started a frantic dig into the abyss of her purse.
“Can’t find my keys.” She dumped the contents on the crumpled napkin then explored the interior of the purse one more time. Next came the pat down of her pockets, followed by looking under the chair and table. “I don’t understand.”
Angelo lowered his head and stared up with a sinister smirk. “I think you do.”
“Honey? She even stole my car keys?” Tessa took a deep breath and growled a response. “Since my phone is also missing, I’m guessing she took that, too.” Throwing her hands in the air, she surveyed the restaurant and out into the casino area. “It was a huge mistake trusting her.”
“I have a car.” He pulled out a phone and handed it to her.
Tessa stared at the offering and felt a temptation to snatch it away from him. However, she really didn’t want her home phone or Chase’s cell phone number to be in this guy’s dialing history. Calling her husband was a waste of time since he remained stranded at O’Hare Airport in Chicago.
Her fingers began to fidget, and her heartbeat increased. Suddenly, the down jacket felt too hot and tight. She needed some fresh air. Shoving all the stuff she’d dumped on the table back into her purse, Tessa zipped it shut then turned to say goodbye to the mysterious man of God or whatever he pretended to be. But he was nowhere to be found.
Once outside, she concentrated on getting her bearings even as the snow fell faster. Should she walk out into a parking lot all alone at this time of night to find her car? Chances were good Honey had made her escape without so much as a second thought about leaving her behind. She probably thought it impossible she might search for her in a creepy parking lot where priest impersonators and other boogeymen lurked.
Outdoor speakers piped “White Christmas” loud enough that arriving guests raised their voices to talk to the valets, causing Tessa to feel another layer of chaos. After slipping her backpack purse into place, she dropped her hands to her side and inhaled the smell of freshly fallen snow.
“It’s going to be all right. It’s going to be all right,” she mumbled. It felt like she’d changed the words “There’s no place like home” in The Wizard of Oz. Instead of a scarecrow and a tinman, she had an Irish assassin and a questionable priest. That Dorothy chick had all the luck. “I can do this.”
“Do what?” It was Honey.
Tessa felt torn between gathering her in her arms for a hug and slapping the smug expression off her face.
“Where have you been?”
“The ladies’ room. Are you deaf? What’s the deal leaving me?”
“I thought, I mean, Father Angelo said you, I…”
“Father Angelo, my aunt Kathleen’s caboose,” Honey growled. “If he was a priest, then I’m the Virgin Mary.” She crossed herself, kissed her fingers, and lifted them to Heaven. “Forgive me, Lord Jesus.”
Tessa exhaled so hard it moved the bangs covering her eyes. “Oh brother. Forgive you? Talk about a full-time job. No wonder things aren’t getting done for the rest of us. You’re a piece of work. You know that?”
Honey smirked and started toward the parking lot. “Of course I do, but it warms my heart, knowing you see it, too.”
“I meant because you took my credit card and my keys. The only reason you aren’t gone is because I was on my way out here to try and stop you.” Tessa trailed after the woman, slipping and sliding as she tried to keep up. She wondered why Honey could walk across the frozen surface like she might be strolling down a runway in Paris during fashion week.
The assassin stopped in the middle of the central driveway, causing a car to slide around her, and the driver laid on the horn. Tessa grabbed her elbow and towed her into the first parking lot.
“I donna know what you’re talking about. I didn’t take your keys or card. So are ya telling me we can’t get out of here?”
“But Father Angelo said—”
“Back to him. He was playing you.” She pointed to a line of cars. “Should be over there.” Amazingly, the car remained exactly where they’d left it. “A freakin’ Christmas miracle it’s still here with you believing that smooth talker.”
Tessa found the key she’d hidden in the wheel well. Both women quickly got in the car.
“No. No. No.” Tessa pounded the steering wheel. “A key has been jammed into the ignition and bent. And it isn’t mine. Whoever took my key ring also has my house key and office key.�
��
“Probably your priest again. Don’t you have one of those cars you start up with your voice or something? Or maybe Enigma can start it remotely.” She reached over and tried to remove the key.
“This is an old car. Enigma wants me to upgrade, but my husband didn’t think I needed a new car. Instead, he bought one for himself. ‘All about the image,’ he said.”
“The image I’m getting of Robert is with a pitchfork stuck through his selfish heart. I mean, with you having the wee ones and all. He should be ashamed.”
Her voice sounded so matter-of-fact and calm, Tessa couldn’t help but stare at her before speaking. “I think that is the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
She opened the car door and pushed out. “I kinda grow on people.”
“Like a wart.” Tessa followed the woman’s example.
“You’re a funny one. Does Enigma keep you around for comic relief, or are you mostly used as bait?”
Tessa wondered about the same thing at times, considering they were the president’s special team of misfits who did things the CIA and FBI couldn’t do because of the law.
“They keep me around for my keen eye and intuitive nature.”
Honey halted long enough so she could bend over laughing. When she stopped, a tear rolled down her face. She wiped it away and finished with another half laugh.
“I got news for you, Miss Domestic Wonder Woman. You are around to keep the high and mighty Chase Hunter from going off the deep end. He’s one national security incident away from taking the law into his own hands. You’re the one thing keeping him on the straight and narrow.” The assassin started looking in car windows. Tessa figured she was about to steal her first car.
“That is ridiculous. We’re friends. Why does everyone keep thinking there is romance going on between us? I’m sick of it. Enigma needs me and not because I have Chase on a short leash.”
The Knight Before Chaos Page 7
