“Must’ve been a lot of fun when you started dating their sister. Surprised you lived through it,” Connor joked.
“It wasn’t the brothers I was worried about. Those sisters-in-law are a lot tougher than you’d think,” he laughed.
They have to be. Look who they married.
“One of the nice things about being single with no attachments is the fact I don’t have any of these worries.” There was no one waiting at home for him, not even a fish. He liked it that way. “Not that I’m trying to cut this call short, Bennett, but Shaun actually gave me the day off today. Unless there’s something you need me to do, I plan on taking advantage of it.”
He heard Bennett laugh again. “I’m not sure what went on yesterday, but you do know it’s Saturday, right?”
Damn it.
Delivering a baby had really thrown him off his game. Then again, he was used to working seven days a week. He was always on call, even in his DEA days. “I guess I really do need a day off,” Connor admitted. “I’ll probably take Sunday off, too,” he chuckled.
“You might as well, because I’ll be traveling for the next couple of weeks, and I’m going to need you to pick up the slack while I’m gone.”
“Business or pleasure?” Connor asked.
“I will be in Tabiq on business.”
Tabiq seemed to be the destination lately for both families. “If you ever need my assistance there, I have no issue traveling, so you can be home with your family, too.” Connor really had no interest in going to Tabiq, but it would give him a better insight as to what was really going on there. The only thing Connor knew about Tabiq was that the government and the economy there had been very unstable until the Hendersons arrived. But the question was, were the Hendersons also the reason it had become unstable in the first place? It wasn’t an uncommon practice to weaken first what you want to conquer later. But as far as Connor was concerned, Tabiq really had nothing of any value. It was a beautiful island with exceptional sandy beaches, but getting there wasn’t easy. It was fine if you wanted to cater to the rich. If that was the case, Tabiq was the perfect place.
Bennett replied, “I’ll keep that in mind, but my team are there and are familiar with what and how things need to be handled. It’s not like how things are done here in the States. The laws aren’t always clearly defined.”
“Now my interest is piqued. I look forward to the opportunity of joining you. Maybe on your next visit,” Connor suggested.
“Maybe once you get more familiar with how things are done at the Henderson Corporation, we might consider it,” Bennett replied in a serious tone.
Connor was able to read between the lines. He needed to earn their trust before he would be allowed to join them. To Connor, that was the confirmation that his gut was right. There was more than just business going on in Tabiq. Now he wondered if Ethan knew what it was, or did Ethan only have suspicions as well? Digging into the Hendersons wasn’t going to be easy, but if Bennett wasn’t around, Connor might have better luck chatting with Roger.
The only thing Connor knew for sure was what the Lawsons, the Hendersons, and the Barringtons all had in common. They would do anything to protect their family.
And that’s what I’m doing. Protect my sister.
“I guess I’ll see you Monday,” Connor said.
“Have a good weekend. And thanks again for handling things in New York,” Bennett said.
“It’s what I get paid for,” he replied before ending the call.
Connor found it boring as hell, and for the most part, a waste of time and money. But right now, there was only one thing he needed to do - fly under the radar and not give Bennett any reason to question him further. How hard could that be?
He wasn’t one to spend a day off in bed. Reading a book sure as hell wasn’t his style either. He would hit the gym. It was a good place to work off the tension. As he grabbed his gym bag, his phone buzzed. Had Bennett changed his mind and decided he needed Connor after all? If it meant going to Tabiq, he was all in.
But instead the caller ID said it was Roland, his old partner with the DEA. He hadn’t heard from him in almost a year.
Don’t be bad news.
Usually it meant an agent had been killed in the line of duty and they were passing along the funeral arrangements. Even if you left the department, you still went to honor the loss.
He opened the text message.
CONGRATULATIONS!
He wasn’t sure what Roland was talking about, but he knew it wasn’t working for the Hendersons.
Only one way to find out. FOR WHAT? Connor asked.
THE BABY.