“I like to believe it’s because I’m small but mighty. The marsupial has the strongest bite of any mammal its size and is quite fierce.”
“She acted like the cartoon character in high school.” Dax snorted. “She spun around like a vortex causing chaos.”
“Whatever. I didn’t run across the street to discuss some poorly thought-out moniker.”
“Do you need more man-attracting advice,” Scott asked curiously.
“No!” She stepped closer, shivering at the idea of actually diving into the dating thing. “I need a favor.”
“Does Faith know that you are crossing enemy lines?” Dax asked with a chuckle.
“Absolutely not, and I don’t plan on telling her.”
“Why does my PR doctor hate you so much, anyway?” Scott asked. “What did you do to her?”
“Nothing,” Dax bit out. “She was the bane of my existence in high school, and it’s only through sheer will that I’m able to be civil in her presence.”
“We don’t have time to unpack that old rivalry,” Tancy pronounced firmly. “I have to get my client and kids out of the house and need a distraction. The nasty ex is camped out on the street and essentially holding them hostage. Her protection order was denied, so I’m going to move them to a safe location until the trial.”
“I’m in,” Scott said firmly. “Do you need some money for a hotel or anything?”
“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.” She looked at the glossy NFL star and was impressed that he’d made the offer. “Our local tech billionaire has generously created a fund for just this sort of thing.”
“Okay,” Scott replied. “But let me know if something changes.”
Dax leaned against a bench. “What do you want us to do?”
“Can y’all pretend to have car trouble? If you could pull up behind the guy and act like you’re car pooped out, then I think the excitement of seeing you both will provide a perfect distraction.”
“That’s it?” Scott asked. “Seems kind of low-key. We should do something with more razzle-dazzle.”
Tancy shook her head. “Faith would kill me if I involved you in anything that razzled. You’re supposed to keep a low profile, not get your name splashed across the tabloids.”
Scott crossed his arms over his chest. “Trust me, giving the vultures anything else to talk about would be welcome.”
“Good to know,” Tancy commented as she put her hand out. “Dax, let me have your phone, so I can input the address.”
“Is the guy armed or anything,” Dax asked as he handed over his phone. “Because if he is, we should call my brother. Miles hates missing out on the good stuff.”
“If Miles or Teague show up, the situation will undoubtedly escalate. Let’s use low-key distraction and save the blazing guns for another day.” She returned Dax’s phone. “I’m heading over there now and will be parked in the back ally.”
Scott flipped his keys. “We’re on it. Operation Distract the Asshole is a go.”
Tancy squeezed the football player’s arm. “I owe you one.”
“What about me,” Dax asked. “Do I get a marker too?”
“No, but I will do my best to ensure that my best friend doesn’t come up with a flimsy reason to do you harm.”
“Good enough.” He saluted Tancy and began walking backward. “Let’s go. We’ve got women and children to save.”
She watched the two athletes saunter toward Scott’s SUV and told herself that the plan was fail-proof. And there was absolutely no reason to worry about the impending lecture that Teague would be sure to deliver.
“Full steam ahead,” she said firmly as she strode back to the office. “May the wind be at our sails, or was it back? Either way, she’d do everything she could to ensure that her clients made it to court.
Because she never failed twice at anything.
Several hours later, Teague leaned against his truck in a motel parking lot and waited for Tancy. To say he was ten kinds of exasperated was a massive understatement. Why would she enlist two completely unqualified men to aid and abet her escapade when she had him?