Page 93

“Well, as long as you’re alright.” There was a silence before her mum whispered, “Is she there with you?”

“Uh huh.”

Her mum chuckled. “And how’s that going?”

“Surprisingly well, I suppose. But Mum, listen, I need to go. I have to call Zoe and check on Knight.”

“Alright, call me when you can talk.”

“Bye, Mum.” Morgan smiled into the phone. “Love you.”

“Love you too, bye darling.”

She disconnected the call and turned to find Alex and Francine both looking at her. “What?”

“Nothing, it was sweet,” Francine answered, fidgeting in her seat and readjusting the seatbelt across her chest.

“You don’t tell your mother you love her?” Morgan asked.

Both women looked nonplussed.

“You’ve not met my mother,” Alex finally said. “I’m not sure love is something she is able to admit to quite so easily.”

“Yeah, she’s a peach,” Francine agreed before adding, “Mine’s dead.”

“Oh. I’m sorry about that,” Morgan responded, feeling more than a little awkward.

“My mom was a hard ass. You might see that reflected in me.” She winked. “But yes, we did tell each other we loved one another. In fact, it was the last thing we said to one another before she passed.”

Morgan wondered how long she could keep them talking before they descended back into the stand-off from earlier. She could see it from both sides. Francine was scared, and she knew Morgan and Alex were too. If pushed though, she would side with Alex.

Alex was right. Nothing had actually happened that was a real threat. Yes, it was an issue that anyone had gotten close enough to leave a device. That opportunity had to be eliminated moving forward, but the device had been meant to scare, not wound.

“What do you think would happen if ‘you’ said I love you to the Tsarina?” Francine mused and smirked at the use of the nickname they had for Alex’s mother.

Thinking about it a moment, Alex then said in a perfectly Russian accent, “Darling, why are you wasting air on words that mean so little without effort.”

“Effort?” Morgan quizzed while Francine laughed heartedly.

“My mother believes that the only way to show love is through art, through dance, and through music, otherwise it is just language wasted on deaf ears. The only time she accepted love is when my music is for her.” She thought about the piece she’d written for Morgan.

“Okay, she sounds scary.”

“Uh huh.” Francine grinned. “That’s a word for it.”

Chapter Forty-Seven

Durham

“We’re here,” Alex said, but Morgan only understood with lip reading. Pulling the buds from her ears, she switched off the music and thrust everything into her pocket. Francine was already out of the car and bossing everyone around.

“Everything alright?”

Alex smiled. “It will be.” Her fingertips stroked Morgan’s thigh, out of sight. “We’ve been instructed to wait in the car.”

“Okay,” Morgan answered, her hand moving to land on top of Alex’s, fingers entwining. “What are we waiting for?”

“Apparently, I have a new security detail. His name is Mack, and he is organising everything with Francine.” She jutted her chin towards the window and the two people in black suits standing guard. “Those two are on guard.”