Donovans 03 - Pearl Cove

translate for me if it’s necessary. It probably won’t be.” A gun cut across all cultural and linguistic barriers, but he didn’t think Lianne wanted to hear about it right now. With quick motions he took what he needed from the table, put in the miniature earpiece, and adjusted the throat mike. “Testing.”
    The two earpieces remaining on the table whispered hoarsely, “Testing.”
    Satisfied, Archer switched off the mike by tapping his throat.
    Lianne sighed and rubbed her back through the red silk robe whose ties kept getting shorter every month. “I’m happy to help any way I can. It’s just that I’d rather be there so if something went wrong—”
    “You’re pregnant,” Archer cut in.
    Kyle and Jake said it just as fast.
    Lianne listened to the male chorus and grimaced.
    “But Lianne’s right about one thing,” Jake said, topping off his own cup. “You need some backup inside the building.”
    “No,” Archer said.
    “Bullshit,” Kyle said flatly. He picked up his own electronic gear, stuffed in the earpiece, and put the throat mike in place. “If Jake or I tried to pull the stunt you’ve just outlined, you’d have our balls.”
    “. . . balls,” croaked the remaining earpiece. Despite Kyle’s fine electronic touch, the tonal quality of the equipment sounded like the words were being pushed through gravel.
    Archer didn’t argue with his brother or the echo. What Kyle said was the simple truth. Yet there were other simple truths. One of them was that he wasn’t going to risk Kyle’s or Jake’s life to redeem the savage mistakes made by a man they had never met. So he agreed that they would cover the exits—and him—if he had to leave on the run. He didn’t want them doing even that, but knew he couldn’t keep them at home with Lianne.
    “I’m wearing Kevlar underwear, just like Jake,” Archer pointed out.
    “Over your brain?” Kyle asked politely.
    “What brain?” Jake retorted, coldly furious. He knew Archer’s chances of going in alone and coming out alive were somewhere between lousy and awful. “Body armor is good, but not going up against the Red Phoenix Triad alone is even better.”
    “I’ll keep my mike open,” Archer said. “And the cell phone.”
    Jake hit his forehead with the heel of his hand. “Shit, why didn’t I think of that? I’ll be sure to tell Honor that you died before you fucking hung up.”
    Archer’s smile was small but real. “You do that.”
    Kyle tried another tack. “What should Lianne tell Hannah when she wakes up and finds you gone?”
    “I reset the clock in Hannah’s room when I went in to get the gun out of the safe.” Archer took another swallow of coffee. “If she wakes up at all, she’ll think it’s two hours ago. Before she knows different, I’ll be back with the pearls.”
    “Pal, you’re not coming back,” Jake said, screwing the miniaturized transceiver in his ear. He hit the voice switch. “Take it from someone who used to be in the business.”
    Archer drank more coffee.
    Kyle and Jake exchanged a look.
    Archer said softly, “Jumping me won’t work. I wouldn’t pull my punches. You would.”
    “What if I call April Joy?” Kyle asked.
    “You’d better pray I don’t come back. Yin is the quickest way to Len’s killer.”
    “So take more time,” Jake retorted.
    “No.” Last night had pushed Archer right to the edge of his self-control. Beyond it. He was afraid if Hannah asked him for sex again, he would give her what she didn’t want from a ruthless bastard like him: love.
    “Any particular reason you’re in a hurry to die this morning?” Jake asked curiously.
    “Hannah wants to get away from the man who reminds her of her husband.” One of Archer’s hands went to his key chain, where the cold weight of Len’s odd ring clanged against keys. “I feel the same way. It’s time to clean up the mess the past left and get on with our lives.” He had walked away from her once before. He could do it again.
    He had to be able to do it again.
    “But—” Kyle began.
    “No.” Archer shoved to his feet with enough force to jolt the solid table. “I’m through talking. There’s only going to be one life on the line, and that’s mine. If you hear shots, call April Joy and tell her to bury the bodies where no one will find them.”
    When Kyle would have jumped to his feet, Jake clamped his hand over the other man’s forearm. “Let it go, Kyle. You’re not going to change his