A Lot like Love (FBI/US Attorney #2)(48)
Jordan bit her tongue, knowing he was at least partially right. Still, for a fake boyfriend, he was awfully bossy. “Fine. You can pick me up on Saturday night and I’ll take you to dinner with my friends. I’ll tell them your work meeting was canceled or something.”
“See? Was that so hard?”
Yes, because now she had to lie to three more people she cared about, but she’d worry about that later. “Just be at my house at seven.”
WHILE DRIVING BACK to his condo—with a guy on his tail—Nick’s cell phone rang a few minutes after he finished talking to Jordan. He saw that it was Huxley, who Davis had assigned to be the liaison on the favor Nick had called in.
Finally. Nick had been expecting this call all day. “I was thinking you might’ve forgotten my number,” he said as he answered.
“Sorry for the delay,” Huxley said. “Griegs isn’t easily accessible, given the circumstances.”
True. “So what’s his assessment of the situation?” Nick asked.
“That Kyle Rhodes isn’t exactly Mr. Popularity with some of the inmates at MCC. He’s already been involved in several altercations. It doesn’t sound like he’s the instigator, but the guards have started putting him in disciplinary segregation nevertheless. Probably hoping that will pacify anyone who thinks he’s getting special treatment because of his money.”
For the first time, Nick sympathized with Kyle Rhodes. Being sentenced to prison for a crime he’d willingly committed was one thing, but being thrown in disciplinary segregation merely for defending himself was another. “But Griegs will keep an eye on him?”
“He says he’ll try. But he told me to warn you that there’s probably not much he can do. Apparently, Rhodes isn’t exactly helping the situation—he defends himself when threatened. Griegs says it’s just as likely that Rhodes will end up injuring somebody else during a fight. Either way, it’s not a good situation.”
“No, it’s not.” That wasn’t the report Nick had been hoping for. “Kyle Rhodes sounds like a ticking time bomb.”
“And if he explodes, Jordan Rhodes will pull out of this deal,” Huxley said. “You got any ideas how to keep her brother under control?”
“I always have ideas, Huxley. We’ll talk soon.”
Seventeen
“SO TELL ME about your friends.”
Jordan looked over at Nick. He’d insisted upon driving, even though she had wanted to take a cab. Given the circumstances, meaning that the evening counted as a work night for him, he said he didn’t plan to drink much. Which was a shame, because she’d brought along some great wines and had been planning to take another shot at making Nick a non-scoffer. She might not get another chance, after all. Things seemed to be progressing well with the surveillance of Xander, which meant that their dating charade wouldn’t last much longer.
“Well, you already met Melinda,” she said. “She’ll be there with her boyfriend, Pete.”
“What does he do for a living?” Nick asked.
“He writes operas. That’s how he and Melinda met—they’re both in musical theater.”
Nick eyed her skeptically. “They’re not going to burst into song or anything during dinner, are they?”
“That depends on how many bottles of wine we’ve gone through.”
Nick muttered something about men from Brooklyn not doing musical theater. “What about the other couple?”
“Corinne is a high school teacher and her husband, Charles, is a lawyer.”
This, at least, seemed to meet with his approval. “Sounds more my speed.”
“Do try to get along with everyone, sweetie,” Jordan said. “Remember that we’re in that stage of our relationship where you’re trying to impress me by getting to know my friends.”
“I’ve never been very good at that stage.” Nick thought about this. “Actually, I’ve never been at that stage.”
“I’m sure you can handle one night of it. Just do whatever it is you normally do on a date.”
Nick looked over with a devious sparkle in his eyes.
“Other than that,” Jordan said.
Charles and Corinne lived with their son in a three-bedroom bungalow in Andersonville, a quaint, charming neighborhood a few miles north of downtown Chicago. As they climbed up the steps to the front porch, Jordan saw Nick look over to their right. She heard a car approaching down the block at the same moment she felt his hand move to her waist.
She waited until they were at the front door and spoke quietly. “Are we being followed again?”
“Yes.”
She rang the doorbell and took a deep breath, preparing herself for the next episode of the Nick and Jordan show.
NICK PLASTERED ON a charming grin just as the door opened. A woman with straight, jet black hair greeted them with a cheerful smile.
“Hey, guys.” She held the door open and introduced herself. “I’m Corinne. It’s so nice to meet you, Nick. We’ve heard . . . well, honestly we’ve heard nothing about you. Jordan’s been oddly quiet about this whole thing. Melinda’s been telling everyone that you’re some kind of spy or secret agent.”
Jordan tripped over a child’s boot and would’ve fallen if Nick hadn’t caught her in his arms. He shot her a look. Stay cool.