Page 7 of Unintended Love

“Holy fuck,” he muttered as he all but sprinted up the hill, relieved that was over. He’d make sure their accountant got her mother to their compound as soon as possible, deal with getting Theodora the insurance money, then getting Javier’s body, his pregnant wife, and his mother-in-law all back to Texas as soon as possible. Then hHis promise would be fulfilled.

Clint hadn’t made it two steps into the door of his home before he came face-to-face with his brother, Van.

“So, big brother, how did it go?”

“About as well as could be expected.” Since his brother oversaw everything dealing with the company’s aircraft, Clint asked, “How soon do we have a flight going to the United States? I need to make arrangements to get—” He still had a hard time saying his friend’s name. “His body back to Texas.”

“We don’t have any trips to the US on the schedule.” Van grinned. “But we both know that could change in the next five minutes.”

While he nodded in agreement, Clint’s private phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number. Xena was out on a solo mission and could need backup. Or his father could be stuck at a dig. He was always misplacing his phone and borrowing one from a student. There were so very few people who had his very private phone number and all of them were important to him. “Clint Riggs.”

“Clint,” the small, feminine voice squeaked out.

Nothing but silence followed for what seemed like minutes, but he knew it was only seconds. Clint looked at his phone to see if there was still a connection.

“Who is this?” he growled. Xena? Ashlin? Mom? They were the only women who had this number. Somebody was in trouble and had called him. Apprehension turned in his stomach.

Sniff. “It’s me, Theodora.”

Clint immediately let out a sigh of relief. None of the women he loved was calling. “I’m so sorry to call you so soon.” Bawling tears came through clearly. “I think there’s something wrong with the baby.”

Shit. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to the baby right after Javier’s death. He’d promised to take care of them both.

“I’ll be right there,” he promised. He looked directly at his brother. “Call Doc Barnes.”

“Who’s hurt?” Van asked as he grabbed his brother’s arm to stop him before he could run off.

Clint looked over his shoulder. “Theodora thinks something might be wrong with the baby. Send the doctor to Jav—” He still couldn’t say his name. “Send him to the Castillo house.”

“And that’s your problem?” Van’s blond eyebrows nearly reached his hairline.

“I guess it is now.” Clint’s shoulders fell in resignation.

Chapter 3

“Christ, I love our new helicopter,” Lady Cheetah claimed as she gently pushed the stick forward, rapidly descending into the African darkness.

“Language,” Lady Lion warned while she scanned the gauges required to safely drop at that speed into Juba International Airport. “Have you already forgotten we’re meeting a Catholic bishop once we’re on the ground?”

Mia shrugged from the pilot seat. “He’s not here now.”

“No fighting in the cockpit,” Ashlin chastised from the seat behind them, where she could see everything out the front windshield. She didn’t need to glimpse the gauges to know Mia was coming in fast. She could feel it. But it didn’t worry her or any of the other Ladies of the Black Swan Team 2. They had all clocked plenty of hours in their new little blackbird. Although they hadn’t named it yet, Ashlin was secretly hoping for Pen or a similar derivative since female swans were called pens.

“It’s not a cockpit,” Kira corrected from the seat across the narrow aisle. “Remember? We all decided that since our jet and this helicopter are cock-free zones, only females allowed to fly them, we would call it the box office.”

“Well, I certainly spend more time behind a stick than I do in my cubicle at Homeland,” Piper pointed out from the seat behind Kira. “It definitely feels more like an office.”

“I’ve always been partial to the ovary office,” Kayla chimed in from the copilot seat.

“The clit pit,” Mia proclaimed, nodding. “That was my first suggestion and still the best, in my ever so humble opinion.”

“I’m just glad we didn’t pick the womb room,” Kira threw in. “The only other worse suggestion than that was the hen pen.”

“That’s what we get for asking for ideas at Tailhook at one o’clock in the morning.” Kayla shook her head. “Some of the suggestions the men came up with. Ugh!”

“Are you saying you didn’t like the snatch hatch?” Mia asked facetiously. “Or the pita pocket? Or the snatch patch? Or the pussy parlor?”

“Does anybody even know what a parlor is anymore?” Piper asked in all seriousness. “Kenner and I have been looking at houses, and not a single one has a parlor.”