Champagne Brunch: The Stiletto Sisters Series Ainsley Claire (primary phonics books .TXT) 📖

Jackson arrives downstairs, also looking ready for the day.

“Where are you guys off to?” I ask, trying to get the conversation to move beyond self-love.

“We have a tee time in less than an hour,” Jackson says.

Suddenly most of the guys I play poker with come in through the sliding glass doors, looking disheveled.

“Why do they all look like they’re hungover?” I ask.

“Because they are,” Caroline reports. “They sat by the pool drinking bourbon all night, and when Mason got back to our room, I jumped him.”

“I did the same thing,” Tinsley admits.

Before I can respond, the wedding planner appears with a list of the ladies’ tasks for today, which include lunch and an afternoon of treatments at a local spa.

I think that’s an agenda I can manage.

Later that afternoon, I’m one of the last six poker players left, and I still have the highest chip count. During a break in the game, we sit around the tables talking, and Marci pulls Nate and me aside. Lilly joins us.

“I just received notice from Viviana’s counsel,” Marci says.

My stress levels, which were bottoming out nicely, are now sky high again. “What did she want?”

“When someone drops shit in your lap on a Friday—particularly when she knows you’re out of town—it’s intended to piss you off,” Marci says. “But we already know Tatyana likes to poke the bear.”

“She still wants to meet with Katrina?” Nate asks.

Marci nods. “Yes, on Tuesday morning.”

Nate takes a deep breath. “At least it’s after the wedding. I guess I won’t be traveling with the team.”

Marci nods. “I’d like to meet with Katrina on Monday after we land to go through her testimony and prepare her.”

“I can’t watch her terrorize my sixteen-year-old daughter,” Nate grinds out.

“She won’t. I won’t let her. But I also think she’s doing this to get at you.”

I turn to Nate. “The final thing she said to me was that Viviana wanted me to visit her in Colorado. That parting shot was a kick in the gut. This is your kick in the gut.”

Nate rubs his hands over his face. “What do we do?”

“Would you be okay if Lilly sat with Katrina?” Marci asks. “Not only would it prevent you from walking into, at minimum, an assault charge, it would likely throw Tatyana off.”

“Absolutely,” Lilly says.

After a moment, Nate nods as well.

“Then let’s make that happen,” Marci says. “Both of you can be there for the prep, but Lilly will go to the deposition as her legal guardian.”

Lilly reaches for Nate’s hand. I see how it calms and seems to center him. They’re so sweet and suited for each other. I like to watch them—the way they look at each other when they think no one else is looking, and the way his hands steals hers when she least expects it. It makes my heart hurt because the closest I’ve ever come to feeling like that was with Axel, and it seems that’s over before it really began.

Marci turns to me. “And on Wednesday, they want you in Portland.”

My eyes pop wide. “Why?”

“The federal government is getting pressure about Viviana. She’s a Russian citizen, so the Russians are asking to trade her for an American or two they have in custody. As part of sorting this out, the State Department wants to meet with you and Nate, but they’re starting with you.”

Nate opens and closes his fists.

“I’m not supportive of any kind of trade,” I tell her. “I will get on the phone to every single representative and senator to make sure that doesn’t happen. It can’t. She needs to stand trial.”

Nate shakes his head. “No way.”

Marci nods. “We’re going to fight this, and I’m pulling Walker in to work it with President Bolden from his side, but we still need to jump through the hoops.”

“That’s fine,” I say. “Whatever gets this over with. I’m anxious to get back to working and living my life.”

Chapter 24

Axel

There’s a knock at my front door on Friday afternoon, and I answer to find Bash with a dark-haired, petite woman.

“This is Fiona McPhee,” he says.

“Great to meet you.” I motion them in and to the living room, which is strewn with toys and game controllers. “On second thought, let’s talk in the kitchen.” I walk them past the living room to the back of the condo. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“I’m good,” Fiona says.

“I’m good, too,” Bash says.

I watch him hold the chair out for Fiona, and for a moment I wonder if they’re together. But it’s a passing thought—this is an unscheduled meeting, and they obviously have something for me.

Fiona begins. “We were unable to serve Marco with the restraining order.”

My knee bounces nervously.

My worry must show on my face as well, because Bash holds his hand up. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. Marco arrived this morning and was moved to an interview room as we’d planned. They spoke to him about his arrest and used that as an excuse to search his bags. Inside they found five thousand pills of Oxy and a brick of heroin.”

My mouth falls open. “That’s more than for personal use. What does that mean?”

“He’s going to be in jail for a while.”

I nod. “Good. I hope Marco called my parents to bail him out, because no one here is going to be helping his sorry ass.”

Bash chuckles. “Funny you should say that. When I swapped out Alana’s SIM card, I transferred the data. I removed his information from her new phone and kept her old phone number live in our system. It will allow us to track him and his mental state.”

“Has he called her?”

“He has.” Bash looks at the table. “He didn’t