Spies in Sandals [Book Four]

Chapter Twelve: What Happens In Texas Stays In Texas

Hello! Sorry that this upload took forever again. I just had no idea where this chapter was going, as you'll probably figure out from it's very boring and action-less material. Sorry! Track has started. Trying to be happy about that. Nah I love hanging out with my friends and running with them again...I just hate the 40 min drive home. Also Easter break starts tomorrow whoop whoop! Heading to Toronto so I'm excited. Hope you all have a great Easter weekend even if you don't celebrate. 

Gracias! <3 vb123321

Chapter Twelve

What Happens In Texas Stays In Texas

Ten minutes later, I huddled in the shotgun seat of Jer's car with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders and heat blasting in my face despite the humidity outside. My newly freed hands shook as I clutched the edges of the blanket, my whole side still ached, and my teeth chattered. Shock, it seemed, had finally decided to make an appearance.

Jer sat in the driver's seat next to me, his hair unruly from the rain. He'd parked the car down a quiet side street, away from the busy road that I'd jumped out onto. I expected him to be all badass-angry and out to get Costa, but instead he just stared at the backseat like a kid at Disney. Meeting your hero does that to you, I guess. Or in this case, your heroine.

"You need to eat something."

Mary O'Malley spoke calmly, like it was perfectly natural to be sitting in the backseat of a CIA car when she was one of their most wanted. She held something out to me, and I extracted one quivering hand to take some protein bar she'd conjured up. Using my teeth to tear it open, I took a bite and allowed the sugar to work through my system, calming the panic that leapt up whenever I thought about Zach or Angelo.

"S-so you called J-Jer in the end?" I asked after a few more awkward minutes of Jer acting tongue-tied in her presence. "Th-thank you."

"Actually –" She looked at my brother with some wariness. "I didn't. He was already on your trail by the time I was going to, tracking your phone. So I followed him."

That explained why Jer looked so shell-shocked, anyway.

"How did you follow me?" He sounded more admiring than outraged. "This is a government-issued car that can't be tracked."

Mary O'Malley raised an eyebrow. "Never assume anything." She studied him for a moment with serious brown eyes. "So you're Jer Grimm, Midwest branch? University of Chicago before the agency, right?"

"Yes ma'am, that's me." Jer tried to contain how thrilled he was. "I know who you are, of course. Always wanted to meet you."

"I don't give out autographs, I'm afraid."

She said it completely straight-faced, and I choked out a laugh from beneath my blanket, causing Jer to shoot me a suspicious glare. I smiled at him and said, "Don't be jealous that I got to meet her first."

"Your sister is a good agent, Mr. Grimm," said Mary O'Malley, which was probably the best compliment I'd ever received.

Jer started. "Oh no, she's not one of my agents. She's not with CIA, she just happened to – get involved with us. It's a long story."

"I've heard it." She shrugged as he blinked in surprise. "News gets around. Everyone knows of Natalie Grimm who took down the Alley Cat and Pazzini. You're insane to take her to a place like Boston – Costa was bound to get to her."

Looking ill, Jer glanced over at me. "I know. But she wasn't going to stay behind."

"Because of Zach."