THE SOUTHERNMOST STATE HAS A FEW SURPRISES IN STORE.
The woman known as Sandy-Sue “Fortune” Morrow pressed her phone to her ear and paced. Now and then she cast an anxious glance over the bayou that ran across the back of her lawn.
“So Ahmad’s men are back in New Orleans?” she asked.
“And that’s not all. We’re picking up on some chatter indicating one or possibly two of them might be headed to Sinful.”
“I can handle two. When can I expect them?”
“Don’t even think about it. We need to get you out of there.”
“But Harrison—”
“Don’t worry, it’s not a permanent relocation. We’ll just send you on vacation for a few days until we get a better handle on this.”
“Great. What forsaken backwater are you going to drop me into to this time?”
“Morrow wants to send you to Hawaii.”
“Hawaii? I’m listening.”
“We have a safe house, and someone there who can help you get settled in. You’re flying out of Lake Charles Regional Airport tomorrow morning.”
“Geez, Harrison, thanks for the advance notice. Tomorrow? What am I going to tell everyone?”
“Who do you have to tell? You’re not answerable to anyone.”
“Look, I’m doing my best to blend in. But that means I’ve become part of the community and I can’t just disappear.”
In fact, Fortune had done better than just blend in. After several weeks in Sinful, Louisiana, she was starting to feel she fit in. It was getting harder to maintain her emotional detachment. Maybe a few days away would be just what she needed to regain it.
“How about this?” Harrison suggested. “Tell whoever needs to know that your family wants you to take a look at some property out west for them. Don’t give any more details than that, and do not tell anyone you’re going to Hawaii. Keep it vague. Oh, and there’s something else. Ahmad’s guys will be looking for a young woman traveling alone, so you need to find someone to go with you.”
“Oh, that won’t be a problem—”
“Uh-uh. The Director will have an aneurism if you even think about getting those two geriatric loose cannons involved.”
“Are you saying I can’t bring Gertie and Ida Belle? They’re the only ones I don’t have to maintain cover with.”
“You should be keeping cover anyway. You have a ten-million-dollar bounty on your head, remember? Look, don’t you know any sweet, non-trigger-happy old ladies with nice manners?”
Includes Recipes
Aloha, Y’All
CIA operative Fortune Redding crossed a ruthless arms dealer. Now she's hiding out in remote Sinful, Louisiana, with a fake identity, fake hair, and a real price on her head. But just as she thinks she's safe, her handler warns that Ahmad's men are getting close. She has less than 24 hours to clear out and make it to the safe house in Hawaii. What's more, they'll be looking for a woman traveling alone, so Fortune needs a companion. A respectable, low-profile, non-trigger-happy companion. Which rules out Gertie and Ida Belle.
Mary-Alice Arceneaux just got a big surprise for her 70th birthday--a trip to Hawaii, courtesy of young Fortune Morrow. But with bounty hunters on their trail, and family secrets lurking in the unlikeliest of places, the southernmost state has a few more surprises in store.
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