Yager’s eyes didn’t stray from the computer screen in front of him as Tye came up behind him.
“What?” Yager learned long ago how to do more than one thing at a time. He had to…it was the only way to manage his life and the Ravens. So he kept working while Tye talked to the back of his head.
“There’s a call for you.”
“I’m busy. Take a message.” He worked code because for him it was mindless and he needed to focus on bigger issues. Like Neecy. Crazy, annoying, sadistic Neecy.
Christ, I am so in love with her.
“It’s Didi.”
Yager spun his chair around to face his friend and next in command. Crow leaders didn’t call Raven leaders unless something was wrong.
“What? Why?”
“Don’t worry. Nothing’s wrong. She just wants to meet with you. Tonight.”
And they didn’t meet unless something was wrong.
“Then what does she want?”
“She wouldn’t say. She just asked that you come to the Bird House tonight…I told her you probably wouldn’t mind.” Tye grinned. “But that I’d checked with you just in case.”
Yager turned his chair back around. “Tell her I’ll be there.”
“Wow. Amazing how I knew that.”
Waldgrave walked through his house. An old Westchester, Connecticut, mansion that had been in his family for generations. His Hunters, Her disciples, currently lived with him and his many trophies.
Trophies he’d soon be adding to.
He passed the converted family room. Converted into a communications center.
They’d been taping the Crow chatter for months. Not hard, they never changed their cell phones. Stupid, stupid females.
Stopping in front of the room filled with top-‐of-‐the-‐line electronics, Waldgrave motioned to the Hunter handling the next phase of this hunt.
“How’s it going?”
“Great. I think we almost have what we need. It might even be too easy.”
Shaking his head, “Don’t get cocky. That’ll get you killed faster than anything.”
He walked away, heading back to his office. If they were getting close, then he had much work left to do.
Destroying a large group of freaks was a much more time-‐consuming task than Waldgrave ever imagined.
Arri squealed and ducked.
“Oh, come on! I haven’t even touched you yet!”
Arri peeked around her boxing gloves at Janelle. “I was anticipating the worst?”
Janelle took a deep breath and turned to Neecy. “I’m done, Neece. She’s driving me nuts.”
“Wait!” Arri grabbed Janelle’s arm with her gloved hands. “I’m sorry. I just…”
Neecy didn’t even look up from her sparring with Katie. “Keep trying you two.”
She blocked Katie’s fist. “We’ve got serious hunting coming up and Little Girl needs the training.”
Sighing, Janelle turned back to Arri. The girl was practically cowering. She’d seen whipped dogs that looked less frightened.
“Okay, Arri. We’re going to take it real slow.” Janelle forced a smile, but that seemed to scare her even more, so she stopped. “Now put your fists up again and plant your feet. Good.”
Janelle slowly brought her own fists up. “Now, I’m going to swing at you, but real slow. Okay? You’ll definitely see me coming. And all I want you to do is to just push my hand out of the way. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Great.” Moving in movie-‐style slow motion, Janelle swung her fist forward. Arri kept her eyes on it, until it was about five inches from her, then she squealed and dropped to the ground covering her head.
“That is it!”
“Calm down, Janelle.” Neecy and Katie were still at it. Katie was trying her best to get to Neece, but their team leader had some great defensive moves and she was wicked fast. You didn’t get to her easily.
“You gotta give her some time.”
“Time we don’t have.”
“I’m sorry,” Arri offered from her place on the ground. “Your fist just looks awfully imposing from where I’m standing. Can’t we get someone more my size…or just smaller than you?”
Janelle gritted her teeth. She didn’t need little Ms. “I can wear tank tops and tiny jeans” commenting on her size. All it did was piss her off. “I’m not sure we can find anything that small without following the Yellow Brick Road,” Janelle snapped.
“Hey! I’m not that small!”
“That’s it, you two. Take a break.”
“Fine.” Janelle reached down and yanked Arri to her feet. For a few moments, they silently watched Neecy and Katie sparring while Janelle seethed.
How come she had to train Arri? The girl was absolutely terrified of her, and Janelle was damn tired of it. She didn’t need Minny Mouse making her feel like the Jolly Green Giant.
Katie tried another attack and Neecy completely blocked her. Nah. Katie didn’t have a chance. Neecy was way on. She’d shown up that morning sporting a little attitude. It must be all that Yager love. Janelle couldn’t blame her. The man was fine. And he actually made the two of them look small and delicate. She liked that in a man.
The question now was how far would Neecy let their little “thing” go? She’d known Neecy a long time. And Katie was right, Neecy was still trying to make up for something she did years and years ago. And she still hadn’t really gotten over what that boyfriend of hers did to her.
Whether Yager was patient enough to wait all that emotional bullshit out, however, was anyone’s guess.
Neecy easily blocked another punch from Katie, pushing her arm out of the way.
Katie used the momentum to try one of her roundhouse kicks. Neecy saw it coming and prepared herself to block the blow.
At that moment, Delia pushed open the door to the training room. “Hey, Neece.
Did you know Yager was here?”
Neecy’s head snapped around, allowing Katie to land that kick right at her head.
Most likely because she thought Neecy would block it, Katie put a lot of
“Ooomph” into that one move.
Their team leader went down like a ton of bricks.
Didi stared at the man across the desk from her. Like Neecy, Yager was more than ten years younger than her, and a stone-‐cold fox. She didn’t know what Neecy’s problem was, but she needed to get over it. Or some little filly was going to come along and snatch her a Viking stallion.
Yager shook his head. “I can’t believe it.”
“It’s true. I’m done. I’ve been done for awhile now.”
“I guess I never thought you’d retire.”
“Now, Yager, you know we can’t do this forever.”
He lifted one big muscled leg and rested his foot on the opposite thigh. “Have you told, Neecy?”
“No. I’m informing all the leaders now. And, of course, Skuld knows. My husband’s real excited.” Yager frowned and she held her hand up. “Yes! I’m married! Why does everybody keep forgetting?”
“Probably because we never see him…do you ever see him?”
“Don’t be a smart ass.”
Yager smiled. “Okay. Okay.” Restlessly, his fingers tapped against the arm of his chair. “So, any idea who’s going to take over?”
She knew what worried him. Didi didn’t hound her girls. She didn’t worry what they were up to when they weren’t Hunting. But that was her. Some leaders were not nearly as relaxed as she was. Yager wanted to make sure he didn’t lose any of his precious Neecy time.
But Didi wouldn’t let that happen. The bottom line was, Didi wanted her second in command happy before she walked off. It would make her a better, less uptight leader. And she knew Yager was the key. Actually, all the Jersey Crows knew that. Only Neecy insisted on playing this “only sex” bullshit. And it was bullshit. The girl floated into the house earlier in the day. The man had fucked the cranky right out of her.