Page 35 of The B-Team
“When this is all over,” Ryan said as he watched everyone else watch Julia go through her emails, “it might be a good idea to limit how many emails Elle can send.”
“Aye.” Isobel was curled up in an armchair, scouring the internet for any glimmer of information that might help Julia remember what she was looking for. Every now and then, she’d mention an article she’d found, but so far, nothing had helped. “You can add her text messages, group chats, social media messages, phone calls, and voicemails to that list too. For somebody we see every day, she sure is fond of piling on the virtual communication. From now on, I say she has to pass on all information in person. That might slow her down some.” She scowled at her phone.
“Here.” Ryan tossed a cold sausage roll at her. “Eat. You’re hangry.”
Isobel snatched it midair and, without missing a beat, tossed it straight back at him. It hit him square in the middle of his forehead. “Women don’t get hangry. We don’t have time for that crap. We’re too busy feeding everybody around us to remember that we need to eat too. So take your sausage roll and shove?—”
“Chocolate isn’t food.” Claire thrust some into Isobel’s hand. “It’s basically brown, sugary Prozac. Or, as I like to call it, Mummy’s best friend.”
“I don’t agree with eating to stifle your emotions,” Isobel said around a mouthful of chocolate.
“Think of it as keeping up your energy for the fight.”
Isobel nodded. “I can do that.”
As he watched the two Scottish women, Ryan thanked God yet again that he’d married a nice, sane English girl.
Claire’s phone pinged. “Got another update from Katy.” She sighed as she read it. “Same stuff we’ve already found, but she says she’s using a rotating IP address to quote—dip her toe—unquote in the dark web. She’s hoping to find something there.”
Ryan groaned. “She can’t go on the dark web. It’s full of sex offenders, drug dealers, and hit men. Tell her to stick to the public web.”
Claire snorted. “I thought you said you knew Katy. If you really did, you’d know she doesn’t do what anybody tells her to do.” She tossed her blonde hair. “She’s a force of nature.”
“More like a jail sentence waiting to happen.” Ryan shook his head. “And if her dad finds out she’s wandering around on the dark web, he’ll lose his mind. Which means the whole family will follow, and you’ll end up facing off against all of them. I wonder who your brother will toss in jail this time.”
“You weren’t this mean before you were shot in the head,” Claire said with a sniff.
“Perhaps I’m maturing.” Ryan folded his arms and refused to break the staring contest they had going on. “Tell Katy no more dark web.”
“I’m with Ryan,” Sarah backed him up, sounding a whole lot gentler and more reasonable. “You don’t want to put her in any danger. She’s only sixteen.”
“Fine.” Claire sighed. “I’ll warn her off.”
Of course she listened to Sarah and not to him.
The doorbell rang, and Belinda checked the camera. “It’s Rachel and Harvard. I’ll let them in.” She jogged from the room, followed closely by Beast, who never,everlet her out of his sight unless it was absolutely necessary.
Ryan was beginning to appreciate the way Beast thought. The more pregnant Sarah became, the more his need to protect her grew.
Beside him, Sarah yawned loudly. “Sorry,” she said. “I think the baby wants to nap.”
“Then go lie down in one of the guest rooms. Julia won’t mind. Will you, Jules?”
There was silence from the bed as Julia focused on her emails.
Sarah yawned again.
“Please,” Isobel said. “Go sleep before we all doze off from listening to you.”
“Okay.” Sarah got to her feet, and Ryan followed. He pressed a light kiss to her lips.
“Call out if you need anything,” he told her.
“I will.” Then, still yawning, she left the room.
Ryan heard Sarah greet Rachel before the woman stalked into the room. She wasn’t happy. “Minister Fitzwater is an odious little twat,” she announced before doing something that shocked everyone. She kicked off her stiletto heels and sighed deeply.
Ryan stared at her feet. “I’ve never seen your toes before.”
