Deborah Brown - Madison Westin 07 - Kidnapped in Paradise by Deborah Brown Page B

shoved his phone in his pocket and raced over to us, turning me around so that he could make sure I ’ d made it through my latest job in one piece.
    He snapped his fingers at Fab. “Turn around,” he growled at her. “It does give me some comfort when you two get into trouble together.”
    Fab gave him the finger and walked away.
    “Local police just picked up the old lady and your SUV. Do you want her arrested?” Creole asked.
    “Any chance that local law will give her a free ride to her criminal son ’ s house? What about my Hummer?”
    “We’ll take Mrs. Ricci,” Fab said, “when we pick up the SUV.”
    “She ’ s a handful, full of colorful language,” Creole said, and opened his truck door. He picked me up and kissed me. Hop in, ladies. You ’ re going to lose your job with Brick Ass, because I ’ m going to beat the holy hell him out of him and let him know if I ever hear his name again, I’ll give a fisherman a fifty to give him a one-way ride out into the Gulf.”
    “Did you forget about his brother, one of your co-workers? That will start a war.”
    “I’ll give that bald bastard the same free ride as his brother. I could probably get a discount for two,” he growled.
    Creole wasn’t completely wrong about that. There were certain parts of the docks where a person could hire most any job done for a few bucks.
    Fab vaulted herself into the truck, making me look bad since I needed the foot rail. She stuck her head out the window and hollered at us.
    “Kissy time is over. Let ’ s get moving.” She seated herself between me and Creole.
    I tried to climb over her, but she crossed her arms and wouldn’t budge.
    “Do you tell Didier to hurry up?”
    She returned my dirty look.
    “Of course not. But do I need to point out that you ’ re not him?”
    I looked around Fab to see Creole.
    “How did you find the SUV so fast?”
    “Activated the GPS,” he said matter-of-factly.
    Uh-oh! Busted. Thank goodness I looked shocked, because Fab didn’t need to know that I knew he ’ d replaced it after she rendered it useless once again.
    “You planted another tracker without telling us?” Fab hissed at Creole as she looked at me, eyebrows arched.
    I shrugged, wide-eyed. Let them do combat. I was fairly certain Creole would survive unscathed.
    Creole slowed.
    “Listen to me good. If you tamper with this unit in any fashion, I’ll narc on you to Didier in a hot second. It ’ s a small thing to ask and it ’ s for your safety.”
    “Stop with the Didier threat. It ’ s old and it doesn’t work anymore.” Fab sat rigid, eyes straight ahead.
    “Ha! Didier looks like an easygoing pretty boy, but I know him; and if there ’ s one man who can control your wild streak, it ’ s him. In fact, let ’ s test your theory. How about the three of us have a sit down, where I explain what I ’ m doing to keep you safe and how your response is to tell me to ‘shove it ’? See what he has to say?”
    I knew Didier. He ’ d be livid if he were to find out that she'd disconnected the GPS, especially when it had to do with her safety.
    “You say one word and I’ll maim you.” She glared at him.
    Creole chuckled.

  
    Chapter 10
     
    A big neon arrow that Mac found at a yard sale hung on the office door at The Cottages. The sign pointed down the walkway, which meant she had escaped to the pool.
    In addition to the property, I also inherited two half-dead tenants, both suffering from cancer: Miss January and Joseph. The doctors continued to insist that one day soon, my tenants would suck their last breath. Their response: the middle finger. Followed by a cigarette and vodka for Miss January and beer for Joseph, as they both insisted on maintaining their 'healthy' lifestyle.
    Brad ’ s girlfriend, Julie, and her teenage son hadn’t moved out yet, much to her brother, Kevin’s disgust, and lately he had begun to ratchet up the pressure. Kevin let me know that he thought my managerial skills sucked, as