A Fortune's Children's Wedding Read Free Page A

him. He’d rarely been so quickly identified on sight as an agent, even when he actually had been working for the FBI.
    â€œInstincts, honey. I operate on them,” Romina said flatly.
    Flynt attempted to study Romina a bit more covertly than the frank way she was studying him. She looked like a version of Cher, he decided. Long, dark, straight hair and bangs, piercing dark eyes. Average height, average weight. Dressed in black leggings and an extra-long, crimson University of Alabama T-shirt.
    Since his presence so far had only inspired Angelica to threaten to shoot him, he decided to address Romina instead. “I’m Flynt Corrigan, of Security Management Services, and I’d like to talk to you about your daughter, Angelica.”
    â€œWhat about my Angel?” Romina bristled, her body language as defensive as her tone.
    â€œI’ve been retained by the Fortu—” Flynt began, before Romina let out an ear-piercing scream.
    â€œMama, it’s all right,” Angelica said to calm her.
    â€œMs. Carroll, Romina, please get control of yourself,” Flynt ordered, but Romina kept screaming.
    Within seconds, a teenage girl and a younger boy came racing into the vestibule.
    â€œMama, what’s wrong?” cried the boy.
    The girl took action. She seized an umbrella from the tall ceramic stand in the corner and began to smack Flynt with it. “What did you do to our mama? Get out of here! Get out now!”
    The attack was so unexpected that the girl got in two good whacks across his back and shoulders before Flynt’s trained reflexes kicked in. He grabbed the end of the umbrella and yanked it out of the teenager’s hands.
    The boy emitted what may have been an attempt at a warrior’s whoop and charged Flynt, who easily sidestepped him. The young charger crashed into the wall instead.
    â€œOh, Casper!” Romina heaved a deep sigh.
    â€œStop right there, son!” Flynt’s voice, which had once caused criminals to halt in their tracks, proved just as effective on the boy, who was about to rush at him again. Casper froze in place. The girl shrank against Romina.
    â€œThere is no cause for alarm.” Flynt changed his tone into one of soothing reassurance.
    He directed his attention to the boy and girl. They had to be Romina’s younger children, fourteen-year-old Sarah and twelve-year-old Casper, who’d been mere footnotes in his fact-finding probe. Now here they were in the flesh. Flynt knew there was another sibling too, Daniel, a twenty-one-year-old Marine currently serving in Bosnia.
    Sarah looked wholesome and perky in her cheerleading outfit, her hair caught up in a dark ponytail. Young Casper, short and skinny with his thick-lensed eyeglassessliding down his nose, was small and scared and literally trembling. Flynt felt sorry for him.
    â€œI’m Flynt Corrigan, and I came here to talk to your mother and older sister.” He knew he’d better talk fast because Romina looked like she was gearing up to shriek again. “I think your mom must have misinterpreted what I said, because I certainly have no intention of causing trouble or harm to any of you.”
    â€œVery impressive,” Angelica said coolly. “You play both bad cop and good cop, and you segue from one to the other without missing a beat. Now, drop the umbrella or I’ll shoot it out of your hand.”
    Flynt realized that he was indeed still holding the umbrella. He let go, and it clattered to the scuffed wood floor.
    â€œPut your hands up in the air,” ordered Angelica. “The way they do on TV.”
    He reluctantly raised his hands in TV-style surrender. He had a feeling this scene was being enacted straight from a television cop show Angelica had watched. Unfortunately he’d landed the hapless role of criminal intruder.
    â€œHe did it!” Casper exclaimed, his voice squeaky with relief. “He listened to you, Angel.”
    â€œWhen