White-hot anger blazed at the crude insult, jolting her out of shock sufficiently to glare murderously at the detective. There were plenty of reasons to hate John Paul Caddrick, Senator from Hell. But murder wasn’t by God one of them! Then she saw the sick, anguished pain in her aunt’s eyes. Anger slithered to the floor in a puddle at her feet and Jenna was quite suddenly very cold inside.
Cassie Tyrol’s lips trembled. “When we leave here, Jenna, we’re going to the FBI. What Noah’s found, what your father’s been doing, who he’s involved with and what they’ve been doing . . . it’s got to be stopped. Noah didn’t want me to tell you, Jenna, I sneaked away to call you, asked you to meet me here . . .”
She was crying harder, voice shaking. Shocked by her collapse into violent tremors, Jenna reached out, grasped her aunt’s chilled fingers, held on tight. “Hey. It’s okay,” she said gently.
Cassie tightened her fingers around Jenna’s, shook her head. “No,” she choked out, “it isn’t. You’re his little girl. It’s going to hurt you so much when all of this comes out. I thought you deserved to know. If . . .” she hesitated. “If you want to take off for Europe for a while, I’ll pay for the tickets. Take Carl with you, if your roommate wants to go.”
Jenna had to scrape her lower jaw off the table.
Cassie tried to smile, failed utterly. “You’re going to need a friend, someone to protect you, while this is breaking loose, Jenna, and . . . well, your father and I don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. He’s never approved of either of us joining the Lady of Heaven Temple or the food I eat or the men I divorced or the way I make my living, any more than he’s ever approved of your friends or your choice of career. You’re growing up, Jenna. Who you’re friends with—or sleep with—is your business, not mine or his or anyone else’s, and frankly, a blind man could see Carl’s good for you, say what your father will. For one thing,” she said bitterly, “you’re standing up to that bastard for once in your life, insisting on a film career, and I know how much Carl’s had to do with that. And I know what’s in that bank box of yours. Frankly, I approve. It’s why I’m sending him with you. I know he’ll take care of you for me.”