I immediately jerked my foot back as a feeling of unease washed over me. Secure phones were untraceable, and they also couldn’t be cloned. I knew for Senator Callahan to call Barrett on one meant something serious had happened, something he didn’t want anyone else to know about.
Barrett cupped the phone to his ear. “Hey Dad.” Whatever Senator Callahan said sent Barrett shooting up off the couch. “What?” he demanded. His free hand went to jerk its way through his hair.
Icy apprehension trickled down my spine. Leaning over, I peered around Barrett to give Pete a questioning look. He shook his head, which told me he didn’t know what the conversation was about.
The rigid tension in Barrett’s body loosened, sending his shoulders drooping. He hadn’t said another word. Instead, he had been listening intently to what James was saying. After what felt like an eternity, he said, “Okay. Call me the minute you know more. Give Mom my love.” He nodded. “Yeah, I love you too.”
When Barrett ended the call and turned around, his face was white as a sheet. I jumped off the couch to stand in front of him. “What happened?”
“The convoy Thorn was leading was hit by a roadside bomb. Three of his men were killed. He got hit in the leg with some shrapnel, but other than that, he’s fine.”
I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. “Thank God.”
Barrett nodded. “They’re about to release the story to the media, and Dad didn’t want me to hear it over the news since they won’t release the soldiers’ names yet.”
I couldn’t imagine how scary it had been for Barrett during those few seconds when he thought Thorn had been killed. When a shudder ran through Barrett’s body, I didn’t hesitate to pull him into me for a hug. He welcomed my embrace by wrapping his arms around me, and then he shocked the hell out of me when he said, “I need to light a candle for Thorn’s men.”
“Of course.”
“And I need some whiskey.”
I smiled into his shoulder. “After that call, I’m sure you do.” Easing back, I looked at Pete. “Can you google the closest Catholic church to us while I get Barrett a drink?”
Pete nodded and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “I’m on it.”
“Thank you.”
Ty appeared from the bedroom where he’d been catching up on some missed sleep.
“My phone just went off with a secure call alert. What’s going on?”
After squeezing Barrett tight, I turned us around and then pushed him down on the couch. “You fill in Ty, and I’ll get that whiskey.”
“Okay.”
Ty hurried down the aisle to sit by Barrett. After digging around in the liquor cabinet, I glanced over my shoulder at them. “Um, I don’t see any.”
“It’s the Glenmorangie Pride—the oval bottle.”
“Oh, okay.” I pulled it out. “I was looking for Jack Daniels with the black label.”
Ty snorted next to me. “Barrett’s palate is far too discriminating for cheap whiskey.”
Eyeing the bottle, I said, “Is this kind more expensive than Jack?”
“Try four thousand a bottle.”
“F-Four th-thousand?” I was so shocked that I fumbled the bottle and almost dropped it. Breathing a sigh of relief, I quickly sat it down on the counter. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Nope.”
Opening the top, I inhaled the amber-colored contents. “Hmm, I would’ve thought for that price you would get high just from inhaling it.”
Barrett chuckled. “Not quite.”
After a grabbing a glass out of the cabinet, I poured it half full. When I handed it to him, Barrett said, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
He brought the glass to his lips and took a long gulp then quirked his brows at me. “Aren’t you going to have any?”
“I’m not much of a whiskey girl.”
Barrett held out the glass to me. “Try it. You might change your mind.”
“I might change my mind about Jack Daniels, but there’s no way in hell I’d ever be so extravagant as to buy this stuff,” I replied as I took the whiskey. With Barrett’s eyes on me, I took a bigger gulp than he had. Instantly, I regretted the urge to one-up him. Although the liquor had a smooth feel, something about the taste was just wretched. If it had been cheap, I would’ve spit it out, but instead, I swallowed it down.
“Nope. Still not a whiskey girl.”
Barrett just laughed as I handed him back his glass.
A moment later, Pete came over with his phone. “St. Francis is ten minutes from where we are now, and it’s open until midnight.”
With a nod, Barrett said, “I can pay my respects, and then we can grab a bite to eat.”
“Good, I’m starving.”
Barrett had downed his whiskey by the time the bus turned into the church parking lot. Ty immediately got off the couch when we parked and headed to the door; I knew he was going to do a quick sweep of the parking lot on the off chance there was somebody out there who wanted to hurt Barrett.
When I remained seated, Barrett glanced over his shoulder at me. “Aren’t you coming in with me?”
“Oh, um, I didn’t know if you wanted to be alone.”
“I’d like the company if you don’t mind.”
My heart beat a little faster at his declaration. I felt the urge to argue that with Ty trailing behind him, he wouldn’t be alone, but I didn’t. “Of course I don’t mind.”