“No, and I know you’re holding something over Clio’s head. When I find out what it is, I’ll free her from your clutches,” I spat.
“Hey Bear!” a voice called, and I jumped.
“Chief, what are you doing here?” Bear rumbled, and I turned to see a man walking towards us. He was older, mid-fifties, with white hair closely cropped in a military-style and wore a smart suit.
“Was meeting several bigwigs. You know how it goes, Bear. After the meeting, we decided to get a drink. Release some of the steam from the bullshit meeting,” the man smiled.
“Ah fuck, you need help Chief?” Bear asked as I gazed between the two of them.
“Nah, Bear, it’s just politics, as always. We had that extra detective forced on us, and now they want us to keep him but won’t expand the wage budget. So they expect us to pay for him out of overtime and cut that. Can’t patrol the city if we are cutting overtime. Same old bullshit,” the chief muttered.
“Let us know if we can help, Chief,” Bear said.
“Hey Clio, guess you don’t need to be hearing about my woes. How is the pregnancy? Hope Chance is treating you good. Last time I saw Chance so frazzled was when he won Hellfire,” the chief said, addressing me. I opened my mouth, but a good-looking Mexican man approached at speed.
“Chief, Bear,” he called, and Bear twisted his head. The man approached and drew me into a hug, and I stiffened as he dropped a kiss on my head. “Woman, I know you’re tiny, but surely that baby bump should be showing now? Don’t tell me Chance’s kid is going to be a midget?” he teased.
“I’m not Clio,” I finally said. The chief and man stared at me.
“Okay, Clio, whatever game you’re playing, we’ll play along. Don’t tell me you’re trying to be a badass bitch like Phoenix,” the Mexican man teased.
“No, I’m not Clio,” I said again.
“This is Clio’s sister,” Bear said, explaining, and both men stared at me in surprise.
“Clio has a sister?” Chief said.
“What the fuck? I never found a trace of Clio having family,” the Mexican said.
“Detective Hawthorne, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Chief muttered.
“Lio, Chief, meet Thalia. I don’t know her last name, but apparently, Clio is one of quintuplets. This is her older sister, Thalia, and they are fuckin’ identical,” Bear explained. “Thalia, meet Emilio Hawthorne, a detective with SPD and the Chief of Police, Wilson Holmes.
“Seriously, Clio has four sisters?” Emilio Hawthorne asked, staring at me with interest.
“Three sisters and a brother,” Bear replied before I could.
“Holy shit, do Staffey and Leslie know?” Emilio asked.
“Don’t think Chance has called them yet. Clio’s shocked, and she doesn’t want to call them back from their vacation,” Bear replied.
“Long vacation,” Wilson commented.
“Staffey and Leslie?” I asked, unable to help myself.
“Staffey is Clio’s adopted father and Leslie, her adopted step-mom. They’re riding the road for a few months. Leslie owns half the tearoom with Clio. They’ll be back in time for the baby’s birth, as it’s Staffey’s first grandchild,” Bear explained.
“Quintuplets? Have you found any of the others?” Emilio asked. I shook my head.
“Clio’s the first,” I said, wondering if I could tell this detective that I believed she’s being held captive.
“Called Dylan?” Emilio asked, turning to Bear.
“Chance did, Lio,” Bear said with a look in my direction.
“My cousin will find them, Thalia. Now Dylan knows what he’s looking for, Dylan will find them. He runs the best agency in South Dakota,” Lio said.
“Speaking of cousins, did I hear your women folk are heading this way this weekend?” Wilson said and shot Lio a dark look. Lio sighed, and his countenance darkened.