Page 13 of Laying Low

Anthony found himself smiling.“Sounds promising,” he said.Not that he cared about Frida Kahlo one way or the other—butRegwould care, and when Reg cared about something, well, you never knew where you could end up.Could be Frida Kahlo, could be running from a Russian Bratva with Romeo and Julian in the back of your hybrid.

“Another day,” Reg said, swallowing.

Anthony made a hum of assent, pleased, and in the back, one of the boys—probably Ilia, who seemed like the most forward—snorted in disgust.

Anthony half-turned in his seat to send the boy a killing look.

“Seriously?”Ilia mouthed, uncowed.

“He’sshy,” Anthony retorted, thinking this could be a teachable moment.

Ilia rolled his eyes heavenward and threw himself against the back seat of the vehicle like his biggest imposition all day was dealing with stupid adults and their stupid love lives.

“Oh shit,” Reg murmured, pulling Anthony’s attention to the front of the car.“See that?”

The valley was flat enough that the dust being kicked up was a long way off—ten miles at least—but the massive quantities of dust indicated alotof big vehicles.

“Plan?”Anthony asked.

“Text Dean,” Reg said.“Tell him and Marcus I’m pulling up behind the cottage, and we’re going to have to invade Connor’s privacy for a minute.”

“I don’t think he’ll mind,” Anthony replied.“You got the keys?”

“Yeah, in case they need me to swing by and walk Catherine.”

Bailey and his father had needed to make a couple of trips back to Texas to wrap up their business, and caring for Catherine the Great had been a family project.

“Where is she now?”Anthony asked apprehensively.“With the folks?”

“Yeah.Park time is everybody time.Get ready.”

Reg swung the car left in front of the gated driveway of his parents’ ranch house.In front of the gate was a wide flat spot—usually visitors parked here and went in through the gate—but through the gate lay a long driveway, part of it going to the garage in front of the house and part of it swinging around to a more private drive in front of the pool and the mother-in-law cottage on the other side of the yard.

The mother-in-law driveway was newer and paved, so using it had the double bonus of not kicking up dust or leaving a trail, as well as providing a rather hidden carport in which to park.

Anthony hopped out of the passenger seat and swung open the gate, then closed it behind the car before jogging to the back entrance of the cottage.

By the time he got there, Reg was fitting the key in the lock and leading the boys through.“The kitchen,” he said.“Into the pantry.”He closed the door after them and ushered everybody through a neat little apartment.

Connor Dodge favored Old West paintings—lots of cowboys, butrealcowboys, not John Wayne clones.Real cowboys were African American and Mexican and Native American, with a few wizened white faces thrown in, and Anthony approved.He also liked the battered leather furniture and authentic Native and Mexican blankets thrown across the backs of the couches and chairs.But no time for decorating tips now!

Through the back door into the small, neat kitchen, and there—there was the pantry.“Open the door and grab the ring on the floor,” Reg said.“It opens up into a stairway into a hidey hole under the houses.”

“Houses?”Reynaldo asked, before Ilia opened up the stairway and turned on the light so he could see his way down.

“Oh Jesus,” Anthony muttered.He’d seen the passageway from where it endedup, which was inside the ranch house proper, in Ed and Julie Royal’s den.He’d even crawled through it toward the swimming pool and back, but to say he’d enjoyed the experience would be an overstatement.

“I’m sorry,” Reg told him sincerely.“I know this isn’t your favorite.”

Anthony pulled himself out of his mild claustrophobia enough to grin at Reg.“I just can’t believe this ever came in handy,” he said, telling the absolute truth.“Now you go first while I text Dean and Marcus.”

Anthony: Under the house now.Saw lots of big black vehicles on the way.

Marcus: Yeah, I know, somebody called actual ICE on us.I’m in the kitchen enjoying lemonade until they knock.The car hidden?

Anthony: Smaller carport.You got backup?These guys aren’t… good people.

Marcus: Dean’s on the way.Probably quickly, which is why he’s not replying.Don’t worry about me.I’ll be safe.You guys stay quiet.