Tethered Bond

“Yeah, but it also means that, if you piss me off, I can throw out the big guns.” She winks. “Don’t forget you’re helping me stalk my guy in a couple hours, so don’t run off.”

“Hey, bitch. I’m the boss here!”

She pauses at my door, turns, and blows me a kiss. “Love you.”

“Whatever.”

I think I need to bleach my eyes.

“Well, that closes that case,” Bek sputters. “They didn’t even make it into the hotel!”

“No shit.” I swipe my finger under my eye to wipe away the lingering moisture from our giggle fest. “You see that shit? It was attraction at its finest. They were like opposite poles snapping together.”

She shudders, starting her engine. Then she passes me her camera. “It’s vile! It’s his wife I feel sorry for. She’s pregnant and she’s go

I purse my lips. The pregnant wives are the worst, on account of their hormones. Thankfully, most of the time, their husbands really are faithful and just organizing a surprise—where we refuse to disclose all the details—or are working super hard to give their family a financial boost. But the times where they aren’t… Let’s just say we’ve called the paramedics more than once since Bond P.I. has been in business.

Still, I commiserate with Bekah. She’s the one who has to deliver the information, after all. I may sign off and authorize all of their cases, but when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, it’s up to them. I deal with my clients. It isn’t too much to ask them to deal with theirs.

Bek drives us back to the office, and I head straight for my car after saying goodbye. It’s better for my sanity if I get this conversation with No

Oh my fuck. I have to meet the parrot, too. Holy fuckballs. What if the colorful rat sides with her?

Oh, who am I kidding? Of course it’s go

Shit. Clearly, I can be swayed by the desperation of my future sister-in-law. I’ve really gotta get a handle on that crap. This should be Devin having this conversation, not me.

That thought hits right as I pull up behind Mom’s car on the drive. I take a deep breath, apprehension coiling in my lower stomach, and get out of my car. This feeling always hits whenever I get to my parents’ place, but today, it’s particularly strong. I know that No

I walk across the front yard, and a loud squawk rings in my ears. My heart stops for a brief second, and I bite my tongue. That thing is loud. How are Mom and Dad coping with that?

I knock on the front door twice before I push it open.

“Ye cruel wench! Ye vile wench! Cazzo! Cazzo!”

Nice to meet you, too, Gio.

“Hello,” I call hesitantly, closing the door behind me.

“Aye! Ye bloody wench!”

“Oh, shut up, you little shit!” Mom yells.

I walk into the front room in time to see her cover the offending bird’s cage with a bedsheet.

“Wench! Wench!” Gio squawks from beneath the black sheet.

Mom smacks the cage. “I’ll wench your beak real soon!”

Oy vey. Things have sure gotten violent in the Bond family home.

No

Mom snorts. “Believe me, Liliana. If I could imprison the little shit, I would! My curtains are ruined!”

I glance at the window. There’s a giant rip in one of the drapes. The ones she bought two weeks ago.

No

The concern on her face is comical. Oh, No

“Vile wench! Vile wench!” Gio shrills, violently flapping his bright-green wings. “Kellie, ye vile wench!”

I squint. Doesn’t seem like Gio’s conversational skills are up to much unless he’s going to hop on the Black Pearl.

“Hello?” I try again, stepping fully into the front room.

No

She’s mad.

“No

“He is-a no thing,” No

Yeah, whatever.

Gio’s wings flap again, and No

“Did he just—”

Gio interrupts me with a loud, unmistakable wolf whistle.

Holy shit. The parrot just wolf-whistled at me.

What the hell?

“Hot wench!” Gio shrieks, his pure-black eyes still on me. Then he flies to the corner of his cage and grabs a bar with his feet. “Hot wench!” Another wolf whistle.

“Uh. No

“He has-a good taste.” She sniffs, unaffected.

“Yeah, that’s great, but he’s looking at me like I’m a cracker and Polly wants it!” I’ve never been so scared of a bird in my life.

“Hot wench!”

Mom grabs the sheet and throws it over the cage again, much to Gio’s displeasure. “I can’t stand the damn thing,” she snaps, storming into the kitchen.

I see I came at a good time.

No

“Is-a okay, Gio,” No

My eyebrows shoot up, but Gio lovingly rubs the side of his head against her fingertip.

Ooookay. Just when I thought my family couldn’t get any crazier.

“Something-a wrong?” No

I eye the creature suspiciously and make my way to the sofa. “Actually, I need to talk to you.”

Gio whistles at me again. Wow. He really is repetitive, huh?

“About the wedding. Devin’s wedding,” I add hurriedly when her eyes light up.

She doesn’t even try to hide her disappointment. “Ah. I see-a. Well?”

Oh God. How do I put this without offending her? Wait. I don’t think I can. I could bundle this in all kinds of Bubble Wrap and it just won’t go down well. Okay. Here goes.

“Amelia came to see me this morning—”

“Aha! She has-a listened about-a the dress?”

“No…”

“She is-a okay-a with-a the menu?”

“Not exactly…”

“She want-a the—”

“She wants you to stop, No

No

“She doesn’t want you to organize it. She wants to organize it. In her own time. Like normal people with normal families do.”

Again, she waves her hand, but this time, it is dismissive. “It will-a be fine. I will-a call her and she will-a understand!”

I open my mouth to argue, but she gets up, blows Gio a kiss, and heads out of the living room, causing my words to stick in my throat. Yeah. Devin is go

Almost didn’t.

I’m about to get up when she shuffles back in. I slowly look up at her, but her eyes are focused pointedly on my left hand.

Well, I thought too soon.

With a scoff, she leaves the room once more.

“Hot wench! Whit-woo!” Gio calls, followed by a squawk and an enthusiastic flap of his wings.

I sigh and turn to him just before I walk out of the door. “You and me are never go