Master No (Masters and Mercenaries, #9)(38)

“Tell him. He’ll understand.” She hesitated to bring anyone into her weird family, too. It had been easy up to this point.

“No, he’ll get nosy. Theo’s sticky. He’s everywhere. He won’t just have sex. He’s gotta get all involved and stuff. I’ve gone along with it, but I don’t want to talk about this. I got over it a long time ago. Theo’s not going to let it sit so I should break it off now. Well, soon. I don’t know. I shouldn’t be talking about it anyway.” She frowned. “I think someone’s following us.”

Faith turned in her seat, but all she saw was another car, driving sedately down the street. At that moment, Faith’s cell phone trilled. Her sister. “Why do you think we’re being followed?”

“Because that car turned when I did. It’s a Benz. We don’t have those on this street. I think it’s been following us since we left the drugstore.”

Faith slid her finger across the screen. Her stomach knotted. Was she putting them in danger again? It was so easy to sit back and let Ten handle all the nasty stuff, but she had to seriously consider that she was endangering everyone she cared about. “Hey, Hope. I’m going to have to call you back.”

“Or you could stop the car and say hello. Hey, I think you’re speeding, sis. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Faith turned in her seat. Sure enough, she could see her sister’s blonde hair through the windshield. She let out a long breath. At least no one was trying to kill her at the moment. “We’re being followed by my sister. I think it’s safe enough to go home.” She put the phone to her ear again. “Hope, why are you behind me?”

One hand came up and waved vigorously. “I have a seminar at Presbyterian on Monday and I thought I’d say hi.”

“How did you know where I was?”

“Oh, I totally track your cell phone.”

“You what?” She shouldn’t be surprised, but there it was.

“Hey, I once lost you to a rebel army in Ghana. I track your damn cell phone. If I could put one of those pet scanner things under your skin, I would. So let’s get to wherever you’re staying so I can hug you.”

She put her hand over the phone. “It’s my sister. Is it all right for her to come in? If not, I can go with her.”

Erin pulled into her driveway. “No, you can’t. Unless your sister is a trained bodyguard, you won’t be going anywhere alone with her, or have you forgotten?”

She had kind of forgotten. The morning had been more about kisses than someone shooting at her. She hadn’t thought twice about leaving with Erin. Now she wondered. “Are you carrying a gun?”

Erin put the car in park. “Of course. I’ve got one on me and another in my bag. A knife, too. A girl’s gotta accessorize. So you’re sure that’s your sister pulling up in front of my house?”

Hope was already out of the car. It was a Saturday but she was dressed to the nines in a sheath that showed off her slender body and what looked to be five-inch heels. Likely straight from a fashion label’s trunk show. She was carrying her Chanel bag and smiling brightly. “My baby sister! I had to track you down, but I found you.”

She couldn’t help but smile back. When Faith started forward, Erin reached for her elbow.

“Not here. Let her come up. We’ve got cover up here but none in the yard.”

Had Erin really been scoping every place they’d been this morning for assassins? Faith shivered at the thought but did as Erin asked. Her sister strode up the walk. “Hope, I’m surprised, but it’s good to see you.”

“Well, you weren’t coming to me,” her sister complained. “I had to come to you.” She threw open her arms and enveloped Faith in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re home and safe. Tell me you’re never going back there.”

Her sister smelled like money. It wasn’t bad. She smelled really good, but it reminded Faith of everything she’d left behind. She loved her dad and her sister and she didn’t doubt that they loved her, too. But they were all right with the world the way it was. They kind of approved since they were the ruling class. Faith couldn’t live that way. Faith pulled back. “It’s good to see you, too. But of course I’m going back. I’m here through my birthday. I’ll be going home after that. Hope, please meet my friend, Erin Argent. Erin, this is my sister, Hope.”

Erin nodded. “Nice to meet you.”

Hope stared at her for a moment. “You were my sister’s bodyguard?”

“She’s still kind of my bodyguard.” Faith didn’t want to explain Tennessee, but she was probably going to have to.

Erin simply smiled. “I’m watching out for her while she’s here. You know with your dad being who he is, I think it’s important that Faith has someone looking out for her.”

Hope reached out, putting her hand on Erin’s shoulder. “You have no idea how long I’ve tried to explain this to her. Daddy’s got some pull. It places her in a bad position. My god, the girl got kidnapped. You would think she knew this. It’s so nice to meet a woman who gets it. So you’re Erin? She talked about you in her e-mails.”

“Really? God, I can’t imagine what she said.” Erin started moving toward the entry. “Why don’t you come inside? Faith’s staying with me until we head out to the islands.”