Chapter 12: Agents and Rangers

Thursday morning I woke up at five, as usual, slipped on my gym shorts and a pair of sneakers, and went for my morning run. I paid careful attention to our family’s surroundings, and my run allowed me to inspect our Gold Canyon property with an eye towards security.

Our property is located on the eastern edge of the Great Plains, a six hundred acre lot. That might sound big to some folks, but in Texas terms, it’s a medium-sized farm. (The developers had somewhat grandiosely termed it a ‘private ranch.’) The house is very remote, our nearest neighbor over two miles away. From where I was, I could see all the way to the edges of our property, as the only trees on the place were cottonwoods planted around the house to provide shade and a windbreak, and on the property lines. The rest was all tall prairie grass.

My military experience told me that isolation has some big advantages for security, but some major drawbacks as well. It was a good thing that we could see any trouble coming from a long way off, and we could pretty well do whatever we thought appropriate to discourage aggressors. The bad side was that any potential help would take a long time to arrive.

I decided that we needed a more secure gate at the end of our driveway. There was an unmanned gate with an automatic camera at the entrance to the development, but that’s not what I would call safe. An enemy could hack the system or just drive off road and go around it. Another, more secure gate would slow them down a bit. An infrared laser alarm around the perimeter of our place would help as well, to warn us of somebody that wasn’t using the road. I made a mental note to bring it up with Pop and Sarah.

When I got back to the house, Pop and Miles were pumping iron in the gym, while Sarah was puffing away on her Peloton. I dove into the pool outside and swam under the glass wall to climb out inside the house. I grabbed a towel from the rack and walked over to the guys. They were discussing my late mother.

“Yeah, I knew,” Pop was telling his best friend. “Jeannie told me that she was going to have sex with you a couple of weeks before she did. She said you were so lonely it was a miracle that you weren’t psychotic. I didn’t mind, pal, I really didn’t.” Pop glanced at me and pointed at a nearby weight bench, indicating that I was welcome to sit down and become part of the conversation.

Miles looked at me and grinned in an embarrassed sort of way. “I was telling your old man about a fling I had with your mom. All this time I thought I had betrayed our friendship, and it turns out he knew about it all along.”

“I don’t blame you, Uncle Miles,” I told him gently. “Everybody loved mom. Even when I was small, I knew how special she was. If she said she loved you, she meant it.”

“Jeannie did love you, Miles,” Pop said. “I do, too. That’s why we both thought she should sleep with you. She knew how desperate you were, and that she was probably the only woman you would touch. For myself, I was confident enough in her love for me that I could let her express her love for you, the same way I am with Sarah.”

“Just like Sandy and I, too,” Miles replied. “How could I doubt her love for me, even after all this time? She’s never had a real relationship since we were separated, either. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the only other men she’s ever trusted are the two men I love and trust most in the world, too!”

He looked at me. “I have to confess that while the concept of the whole family fucking each other is strange to me, it also excites the hell out of me! Every last one of the women in this family would give the Pope a woody, and I can’t wait to get my hands on them! How do you feel about me boning Kryssie, Ken?”

I laughed out loud. “To tell you the truth, I’m damned grateful for the break, Uncle Miles!” Pop and Miles both busted up. “I thought being a Marine was tough! These girls will wear you out!”

When they quit laughing, I soberly reassured my uncle. “Seriously, Uncle Miles, like you said, the men I love most in the world are sitting right here. There’s nobody else I’d rather share her with. It’s not really up to me, though, Kryssie makes up her own mind about whom she fucks. Like Pop, I believe in our relationship enough to trust her choices.”

Miles just nodded and looked at the floor, his emotions overwhelming him. Finally, he said, “Your mother gave us all everything she had to give. I can only be grateful for her gift of her love, and the grace and courage she taught me. I miss her horribly, and I know you guys do, too.”

Pop nodded. “She was one of a kind, and I miss her more every day, Miles,” he said. “I’m happy she made you happy. I think Ken is, too.”

“You bet,” I agreed. “I’m even happier you found Sandy again, Uncle Miles. Are you guys still planning on getting hitched today?”

Mile smiled broadly in answer to my question. “We’ve decided to wait a few weeks, until the FBI thing gets a little more settled, but it’ll be soon. We’ve waited for eighteen years, and we don’t want to wait any longer than we have to.”

“Good! I’m glad I caught you two alone,” I said. “I’ve been thinking, and I need some advice. Do you two think Kryssie and I should wait a year? Are we jumping too soon? We’ve only known each other for a week, after all.”

“That’s up to you two,” my father replied. “But anyone that’s seen you two together can’t doubt that you’re made for each other. Sarah would say the same thing.”

“Ditto, Ken,” said Miles. “Take a lesson from Sandy and I. Anything can happen on any given day. This family might be facing some real bad trouble, real soon. Danger and difficulty is a lot less lonely and a lot less scary if you have a partner you trust by your side. Especially if she’s the sweetest and finest looking girl in Texas! Sandy and I both would love to have a double ceremony, though.”

Pop said gently. “I still have your mother’s wedding set, Ken, both the engagement ring and the wedding band. I could never bring myself to part with it, and I know she’d be thrilled for Krys to have it. Why don’t you give her the engagement ring today? The wedding can wait a bit.”

I almost broke down, but simply hugged my Pop instead. “That’s amazing, Pop. Mom will be thrilled, wherever she is. She’ll still be a part of our wedding! You and mom will be with Krys and I every day of our lives. Thank you. Thank you for both of us!”

“I’d say you two were already married emotionally, Kenny,” Miles said. “Just like Sandy and I. All you need is a piece of paper to make it legal.”

“That’s true, Uncle Miles,” I grinned at him. “Looking at it that way, the whole family is already married, in the biblical sense anyway.”

Pop stroked his chin thoughtfully. “You know, you’re right on target there, son. All of us are essentially married to everybody else emotionally, but we should find a way to make it legal. Marriage gives people certain legal protections and privileges that can be invaluable. Plural marriage is illegal in Texas, though.”

“We could incorporate,” said Miles. “Somebody told me once that a company is a lot like a marriage, except the members were still fucking each other.”

Pop chuckled. “That’s not a bad idea, Wrenches. I’ll have to get a more educated opinion on it, though.”

“Ask Sarah,” Miles and I said in unison. We all laughed at that.

The three of us finished our workouts with a few laps in the pool, then headed upstairs to start breakfast. Sandy was having a cup of coffee in the kitchen with Sarah, and Pop waved them off when they got up to help cook.

“You two gals continue on with your discussion, and Wrenches and I’ll get breakfast. Then we can decide what we’re gonna do with our day off.”

He turned to me. “Ken, why don’t you go wake the girls up? By the time they can muster up enough energy to actually get out of bed, breakfast will be ready.”

“On it, Skipper.” The old Marine acknowledgment to orders slipped out unconsciously. I laughed at myself, then decided to wake up Jackie and Amy in the same spirit. When a Drill Instructor wakes somebody up, they’re awake, by God!

I didn’t have a trash can lid to beat with a baton, so when I entered the girls’ bedroom and found the two teens slumbering peacefully in each others’ arms, I contented myself with yanking the bedclothes off of them. They squealed as the cold morning air blasted their naked bodies!

“RISE AND SHINE, CUPCAKES! TIME TO GET THE FUCK UP! CHOW IN TWENTY MINUTES!” I bellowed, startling the pair of lovers wide awake. I could tell Amy was pissed, and when I started laughing and pointing at the two of them, they jumped me!

I tossed them one at a time back onto the mattress, still laughing as I gave each of their lovely little tushies a swat. Amy still had some fire in her eyes, but Jackie just looked horny!

“Seriously, girls, get dressed and come to breakfast,” I said. “Pop’s orders. We gotta make some plans.” I left the room without waiting for an answer, laughing as the two teens cussed me roundly.

I licked my lips in anticipation as I entered the bedroom I shared with Krys. My beautiful stepsister wasn’t in a very flattering pose, sprawled out on the bed, her long blonde hair in wild disarray, her mouth open as she snored like a freight train. I got my phone off the dresser and took some video of her before I woke her up the way she likes best!

I stripped off my shorts and knelt beside her on the bed. I reached down and grabbed a handful of her hair. She let out a scream, which I promptly muffled by cramming my half-erect cock into her mouth!

“Get up, you fucking whore!” I roared. “Overslept again! Suck your daddy’s fat cock while I spank your lazy fat ass!”

Krys tried to protest, but her complaints were silenced by the thick shaft of man-meat I stuffed in her mouth! Her little fists beat against my legs in a vain attempt to escape for a few seconds, but then her struggles ceased and she eagerly started sucking for all she was worth! She clawed at my ass as I fucked her face, giving little muffled yelps as I slapped her reddening butt cheeks!

Miles burst through the doorway, stopping abruptly and almost backpedaling into Sandy, who was right behind him. I continued spanking Kryssie’s wriggling ass, and gave the couple an inquiring look.

“I-I heard a scream...” Miles began weakly, but forgot what he was saying as he watched my blonde fiance deep throat my rigid tool. A tent began to rise in his gym shorts!

Sandy giggled and said, “I tried to catch you, baby. I was gonna tell you that it was just Kryssie’s morning rape.” Miles gulped and nodded, his eyes glued to Kryssie’s cherry-red ass cheeks. Sandy yanked his shorts down and jacked his hard dick.

“Care to stick that long prick into a nice tight hole, Uncle Miles?” I invited. “This slut still has a couple of them available, no waiting! Don’t worry about her cooperation, she knows she’s gonna be fucked! Isn’t that right, you fucking whore?”

Kryssie nodded as best she could, my prick buried to the hilt in her flushed face! Sandy climbed into bed and spread Kryssie’s cherry red globes wide for her fiancee’s convenience!

“Stick that big dick right here, baby,” the blonde mom leered, indicating Kryssie’s tiny anus. “Here, I’ll slick it up for ya.” She spat a big gobbet of saliva on Kryssie’s teenage sphincter and worked it in with her finger. Krys moaned loudly as Sandy finger-fucked her ass, then arched her back like a cat when Sandy removed the plunging digit and replaced it with her tongue!

Miles groaned at the incredibly erotic sight of his future wife giving a hot rim job to mine! I saw a glistening drop of pre-cum ooze from his urethra, and his face grew as flushed and red as Kryssie’s butt cheeks! He jumped up next to Sandy and shoved his dick right up the teenager’s poop chute!

I clasped Kryssie’s head firmly and fucked my cock in and out of her face as she writhed and thrashed, muffled noises of utter bliss emanating from her throat! Sandy wiggled between Miles’ legs on her back to slurp and lick at his swinging nuts and Kryssie’s gash!

Krys came quickly, her body convulsing with electric jerks. I said to Miles, “This one’s shot her wad, dude. Time to change sluts.”

We rolled Kryssie’s limp, gasping body over and grabbed Sandy! We spit roasted her the same way, me fucking her face and Miles impaling her shapely ass! Sandy had the time of her life, her hands smacking my ass and caressing my nuts as Miles reamed out her shitter!

“This slut needs a firm hand too!” my uncle exclaimed, and began to spank Sandy’s ass with enthusiasm! Sandy tried to reach behind herself to fend off his hard swats, but I held her head firmly and fucked her face with gusto! Hot damn, it was fun!

Sandy rose to her knees and I plastered my mouth to hers for a tongue duel. I grabbed handfuls of her fat tits, pinching her hard nips between my fingers! She reached down to guide my iron prick into her sopping cunt, and groaned into my mouth as I fucked it deep!

Miles’ big prick was steadily hammering his fiance’s asshole, I could feel it sliding in and out next to mine, our testicles rubbing together as we double-fucked the former whore. Out of her mind with lust, Sandy shouted and cussed the giant cocks stuffing her sluttish holes!

“Fuck! You! God! Damn! Fucking! Cocks!” she yelled, her nails raking my back! I felt her climax flood into her twat, and she began licking the side of my face!

Kryssie knelt next to Sandy and kissed her passionately, reaching behind both Miles and I to shove a finger up each of our assholes! Both of us came explosively, each of us spewing steaming loads of sticky white choad into Sandy’s writhing body! The little blonde shouted with joy when she felt our loads hosing into her simultaneously!

“Oh yeah, boys, cum in me! Squirt that hot juice! Cum all over me!” she cried lustfully! “I wanna lick it up!”

Kryssie immediately started lapping the fuck juices from my belly and balls, while Sandy did the same for Miles. My uncle and I exchanged a broad grin as the horny women serviced out genitalia.

“I can get used to this,” he said. “Nothing like a little morning rape to get the old juices flowing!”

Kryssie giggled, “I’ve been saying that for years! Thank you for fucking my ass, Uncle Miles, you’ve really got the cock for it!”

“And you’ve sure as hell got the butt for it, little girl!” he replied, giving her red fanny a hearty smack!

We showered off in the big master bathroom, with lots of petting and playful fun. Everybody thought getting dressed would be a waste of time, since we’d all be fucking somebody else before long, so we all trooped downstairs starkers.

Pop and Sarah were cooking breakfast. They wore aprons, because it’s never a good idea to cook naked, and their bare tushies looked cute underneath them. Pop was frying bacon and sausage, while his beautiful wife flipped pancakes. Sandy and Krys went over to help set up the buffet, and Miles and I made OJ and coffee.

Amy and Jackie finally joined us, each wearing a pair of lacy panties. Since they were the last and didn’t help prepare anything, Pop told them they could wash dishes and clean up the kitchen afterwards.

“From now on, my darlings, there will be no more sleeping in,” he said sternly, after the teens started grousing. “If you don’t get your butts out of bed in the morning, KP is the least of what you can expect.”

“We ought to make up some kind of chore list,” Jackie whined, “so nobody has to do the same things over and over. We’re always stuck with doing the dishes.”

“Yeah,” Amy said, “It’s not fair for us to do the cleaning up all the time.”

“I make up a chore list right here, every morning,” Pop growled, tapping his forehead, “and it’s not up for debate. You kids do what I say, and we’ll all get along. Keep bitching and see what happens.”

“Y-yes, daddy!” Jackie stuttered, her eyes wide. She wasn’t used to Pop speaking to her that way. Amy looked a bit rebellious, but Sarah and Sandy looked pleased.

We all got breakfast and sat down to eat. Sarah got things rolling.

“So, Sandy,” she asked, “you and Miles decided to put off the wedding?”

“We thought it would be best, things are just too hectic right now,” Sandy replied, “Besides, we want to to the double ceremony with Ken and Kryssie. That way we can sneak off to our honeymoon while everybody’s paying attention to them.”

“Whaddaya mean ‘everybody?” Kryssie asked. “Aren’t we gonna do it nice and quiet-like, here at the house? Ken and I don’t want Walt to be at our wedding, daddy,” she told my father severely.

“Understood,” Pop said, “Listen, kids, nothing’s been planned, not yet. You guys are in charge of your wedding. But just so you know, Wrenches and I talked things over, and we think removing the Walt situation from our family equation entirely should be our priority. It may take another year, but this deal needs to be concluded one way or the other before we risk exposing ourselves to any other plans that thug might hatch. All you guys deserve to have whatever kind of wedding you want, without worrying about Walt’s bullshit.”

“And I want to hear from the FBI before we do anything,” Sandy said. “Waiting a while makes sense. After all we’ve waited almost two decades, a few more months won’t hurt.”

“That’s not what you guys were saying last night,” Krys pointed out.

“It’s the smart move, baby,” I told my fiance. “When you’re involved in any kind of conflict, it always pays to keep things as simple as possible. Pop and Uncle Miles are right, Walt might get wind of some of our family situation and weaponize it against us.”

Kryssie looked puzzled. “I don’t understand,” she said.

Sarah spoke up. “Krys, we’re playing a dangerous game. This deal is worth millions, to both sides. Right now, we’re using whatever resources we can muster to keep an eye on what the Giancosimos are doing, and you can bet they’re doing the same for us.”

“What does Kenny mean by ‘weaponize?”

“If Walt finds out about our lifestyle, he’ll get the word out to the church gang. While we see nothing wrong with our whole family fucking each other, the bible thumpers of Center City would crucify us for it,” Sarah explained.

Krys looked at her mom strangely. I recognized the expression, it was one she used when she was thinking hard. Pop recognized it, too.

“What’s on your mind, Krys?” he prodded.

“Time’s not on our side,” she answered. “Kenny, we need to start training right away.”

Everybody was looking at Krys now. “Saturday,” I said. “I was going to discuss a course with Trini tomorrow night. Why do you think it’s so urgent?”

“There are too many things we can’t control,” she said. “The longer Walt has, the greater the chance he’ll spring something unexpected. Manipulating public opinion might not be all he can come up with. Right now we’re preparing for a kidnapping, but the longer we wait, the greater the chance he’ll come up with something we haven’t anticipated. We need to make him commit to a course of action before he’s ready. We need to scare him into an abduction.”

You could have heard a pin drop. She was right. My eighteen year old fiance had more brains than all the rest of us put together.

“Sound thinking,” Miles observed. “It’s always better to attack. Defense limits your options.”

“And here I was worried about security systems, and the mob spying on the house,” I said. “Kryssie’s right, we can’t assume that they’re only going to stick to the one plan. We need to catch them red-handed and remove them the playing field. Then the car lot acquisition will take care of itself.”

“A trap?” Sarah asked. “That’s a great idea, but how do we do it?”

“Whatever we do, we’ll need to run it by the feds,” Pop said, “and Krys, I want you there when we do. Ken, what are the security system concerns you mentioned?”

“We need a radio-controlled gate on the driveway,” I said, “a good one, that will respond to our vehicles only, not something that uses a generic frequency.”

“Sounds do-able,” Pop nodded. “Anything else?”

“I’d like to put a couple of infrared security lasers around the property line, in the trees,” I said. “That way we’ll know if somebody’s approaching the house across country.”

“Hmm. How much are we talking about?”

“About three grand,” I answered. “I can probably save half of that if I install everything myself. We wouldn’t have a bunch of strange workers around the place, either.”

“I think we can manage that, can’t we Sarah?”

She nodded and gave him a thumbs up. “The sooner the better,” she said.

“I can buy everything in Dallas,” I said. “Walt might have ears or eyes watching us locally. I’ll go today, and try to have everything installed by Monday morning at the latest.”

“Excellent!” Pop said. “Make it happen, son. Use the company card, we’ll deduct it. What else do we need to talk about, guys? Since we’re not doing weddings today, what’s everybody going to do?”

“I’m going to Dallas with Kenny,” Krys volunteered.

“You two make sure to get back home tonight,” Sarah teased, “Don’t get sidetracked by that hot tub at the Marriot! Kenny has to be at work tomorrow.”

I gave her the finger while Kryssie pouted. Pop and Sarah cracked up.

“I’ll take Miles over to meet Sanjhi, and explain our Angel Love plans,” said Sandy.

“That’s a great idea, Sandy,” I said. “I have a feeling the lingerie shop is gonna take off like a rocket, especially when the website goes up.”

“I’m gonna pick out proofs for Sandy to approve for the website,” Jackie said, “and Amy’s going to organize all the inventory we haven’t modeled and photographed yet.” Amy nodded happily, her mouth full of pancakes.

“Excellent, troops!” Pop declared. “My lovely wife and I will head down to the car lot and tend to business. That is, if she’s able to after I take her upstairs and fuck her till she can’t walk.”

Sarah stood up and wiggled her apron-clad fanny at my father while everybody laughed and applauded.

I turned to Krys. “Let’s get on the road, baby. We have a lot to do, so no miniskirts!”

Krys laughed and said mischievously, “Okay, Kenny. Nothing too sexy. Jeans and a tee shirt?”

I should have known she would take my restriction as a challenge. When I met her in the hallway, she was wearing a pair of front-to-back zippered denim Capri shorts that looked like she had poured herself into them, her lack of panties obvious!

She smiled at the big lump that formed in the crotch of my jeans. “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll cover everything up with a tee shirt. Do you like ‘em? I wanted to keep everything nice and convenient for that big dick of yours, but you said no skirt, so...”

I unzipped her and fucked her right there in the hallway!

My phone rang just as we were on the outskirts of Fort Worth. “Hi, Ken – Bill Crawford here. Can you get free this afternoon?”

“Hey Bill – as a matter of fact, my fiance Krys and I are on our way to Dallas, to pick up some security hardware. What’s up?”

“We have an opportunity to expedite your Texas Ranger badge. Where are you now?”

“Just getting into Fort Worth.”

“Great. The Governor has gotten word through the grapevine that an Afghan vet with a Purple Heart is applying for a Ranger badge, and he wants to make a photo op out of it. If you can meet me at the DFW Air Cargo terminal, the Governor’s office will have a chopper waiting to fly us all to Austin. With him pushing it, you can take your exam, have it approved, and receive your badge from the Governor himself. Your picture in the papers will help us out on the Giancosimo angle, as well. We’ll be back at DFW about six or seven tonight. Can you handle it?”

I looked at Krys. “Anything for the Feds, Bill! Krys and I can get a hotel tonight and run our errands in the morning. Is it okay for her to come with?”

“Sure! We’ll get her in the picture, too. Governor Babbit likes pretty young girls as much as he like war heroes.”

“Sweet. I’m driving a white Chevy Siverado pickup with dealer tags. I’ll look for you at DFW in about an hour or so?”

“Use the Air Cargo entrance, Ken, I’ll have the gate guards on the lookout for you and they’ll wave you back to the hangars. Look for the white chopper with the Texas National Guard emblem on it. Bye.”

I put the phone down. Krys had heard the whole conversation, and was bouncing up and down with excitement. “I gotta call momma,” she bubbled. “They’re not gonna believe this. In the Governor’s helicopter, no less! Have we got time to stop and buy some clothes?”

“You can take care of that in Austin, baby, while I’m taking the test. You might need to pick me up some clothes, too.”

Kryssie called her mom, with much squealing and shrieking, while I put the pedal to the metal towards DFW. We arrived in about forty minutes, and the gate guard at the Cargo terminal waved us through. The helicopter was warming up, and it was easy to spot Bill’s six-foot three frame waving at us. A national Guardsman pointed where to park, and we barely stepped onto the tarmac before they hustled us on board.

The aircraft was a luxury Airbus H160 that had been converted for VIP passengers. A privacy bulkhead separated the cockpit from the passenger compartment, which had been modified for noise reduction. There was a big leather-upholstered bench seat in the rear of the cabin that could hold five passengers, a fold-out desktop on the side of the cabin opposite the door, a cupboard with a satellite phone attached, and a small refrigerator. Two more leather seats folded up from the floor facing the rear bench seat, and Bill occupied one of those while Krys and I buckled up in the rear seat.

“Welcome aboard,” came the pilot’s voice over an intercom, “We’ll arrive in Austin in forty-five minutes or so.” The muted noise of the rotors grew a bit louder.

“Good to see you, Ken,” Bill said, shaking my hand. He smile broadened as he turned to Krys. “And you must be the fiance, Miss...?”

“Krystal Davis, Agent Crawford,” Krys murmured, coyly flashing her brilliant smile. I could tell Krys was interested, and like every man that meets Krys for the first time, Bill was enchanted. “Everybody calls me Krys.”

“You’re every bit as beautiful as your mother, Krys,” he said warmly, “And my name’s Bill. I’m so glad you two were able to help me take advantage of this offer from the Governor’s office. Not only will it speed up your peace officer’s certification, Ken, it’s a spectacular stroke of luck for us on the Giancosimo business.”

“How so?”

“We took advantage of the day off your father gave everyone today. A search warrant is being served as we speak on both of the used car lots your family is acquiring, looking for more evidence of the odometer tampering scam. I spoke with your father earlier, and he gave permission for us to enter and search the premises. I’ll tell him the results when I come down tomorrow. Hopefully, we’ll find evidence that Walt is involved, but even if we don’t find anything, today ought to worry him.”

“Governor Babbit is going to appoint you to the Rangers himself, Special Ranger for the investigation of Public Corruption and Racketeering, Liaison to the FBI. Your gonna be in newspapers and TV all over Texas, shaking his hand while he hands you your badge. I’ll be extremely surprised if you don’t get asked to speak with every Rotary Club and Masonic Lodge in Center City, because of you being a war hero, a Ranger, and your connection to the Governor.”

“What’s all that got to do with Walt?” I asked.

“He’s going to be scared. What’s going to worry him is the search raids, and the ‘racketeering’ part of your job title. Once he hears about these searches, he’s gonna start feeling the heat.”

“He’ll speed up his plan, just like we wanted!” Krys exclaimed. “He’ll be scared you’re gonna queer up his plans for daddy, baby,” Her expression darkened. “He’ll be so worried about you and the FBI that he won’t be able to think of anything else. He’ll think he has to move now.”

Bill raised his eyebrows. “Very perceptive, young lady,” he said approvingly. “You’ve got your mom’s brains, too.”

“More,” I said. “She’s smarter than the rest of the family put together. Say, if Krys is in the photos with me, won’t that make her a target? I mean, if Walt knows she’s my fiance, won’t he try to grab her to gain leverage over me?”

“That’s a distinct probability. That’s what we want to do, though, isn’t it? We want to make him move before he’s ready, and the women in your family are already at risk, remember? I don’t think this gambit will increase Krys’ jeopardy any more than what she’s already in, it’s just going to make it happen sooner, rather than later.”

“Another thing we’re counting on is Walt’s contempt for women. A major factor in your family’s protection is going to be his underestimation of Krys and Sarah.”

“Jackie and Amy, too,” I added. “Trini’s still moving in with us tomorrow night, right?”

“Affirmative. She should be there late tomorrow afternoon.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting her,” Krys said with a slow smile. “If she’s spent any time at all with Kenny, she’s bound to be a lot of fun.” Bill looked startled.