Be Good Mrs. B | Spies, Lies & Butterflies Book #2

15. don't forget to call home

"Wanna plan our next mission over brunch at Bru's?" Per usual, I could hear Sadie bustling around through the phone.

We'd taken to calling each other from an extra-secure encrypted line.

"Can't. Maybe we can do dinner sometime this week, though?"

"Can't? I don't wanna do dinner. I wanna do brunch and have a mimosa and waffles with my sister. What do you even mean you can't? You're not even working. Officially."

I couldn't help my snort of laughter, "Sheesh. Kick me while I'm down, why don't ya?"

"It's true. What's more important than a tactical meeting over hashbrowns with your favorite person – No, no, Lily. We're all done with Paw Patrol, okay, honey?"

In my mind's eyes, I could see her signing all done in ASL.

"Hi, Lilypad. Tía loves you," I shouted into the phone as I opened my car door.

"I put you on speaker so you can't annihilate my ears. Did you hear Tía, Lily?"

"Hola, Tía!" Lily's excited voice boomed through the phone. I imagined she'd asked to hold the device.

Sadie spoke from another part of the room, "So why are you ditching a date with me and your niece again? I need – can you put it on the table for Mommy, baby?"

I rolled my eyes.

"I'm on my way home from a meeting. Just reorganized my budget. Not that you know who isn't monitoring."

I could see Natahan now, holed up in some luxurious part of the world staring at his four buzzing monitors with a tab open to my expenses.

Muffling preceded Sadie's voice which was clear again, "You're in SB?"

"Mhmm."

"Without me?"

"I am."

"Why?" She cried out in exaggerated upset, "I thought we were doing this thing together. At least, the non-dangerous parts."

I made a right onto Garden Street, "You just want an ocean view vacation."

Sadie whisper-yelled, "You're damn right, I do."

"You live five miles from the beach, Sadie."

"Five miles in LA is a half-an-hour drive in traffic. Why didn't you give me a heads-up? I would've gone with you. You could've dropped me off to house-sit while you do your ninja business."

I smirked.

"I'm not going back to that God-forsaken place unless I absolutely have to. Are you kidding me? He probably has cameras and booby traps all over the property," I shook my head as I made a left, merging onto the 101.

"Booby traps?! Oh my God."

"Not real ones. Gosh, Sadie. We've gone over this. If he wanted to off me, I'd be offed."

"Wait – do you think he's bugged your phone?"

"One hundred percent," I changed lanes, speeding to move over to the fast lane.

I made a mental note to ask Giuseppe if he knew someone who could secure me a new mobile device.

"So he's listening to this conversation right now? Even though we..."

"If he isn't, I'm sure he'll find a way, although I'm certain phone calls between you and I are of low-level importance."

"You little sniveling, conniving POS –."