“She was wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, and dark clothing. I didn’t see her face. They spoke for a moment, and then the women climbed into the back with the child, and they drove away.”
“Shit!”
“Should I call the police?” the man asks, startled. My actions have started to draw a crowd.
I don’t reply. I run back to the car, put it into gear, and use the hands-free system to call Cole as I do.
“Cole. Lena and Mia are gone.”
Chapter 20
Lena
When the car first pulls up, I think nothing of it. Even when the woman emerges, I don’t immediately recognize her. A baseball cap and dark sunglasses covers her face, and she’s wearing baggy clothing, no doubt so I won’t know her straight away. I’m too close to the car to run or call out when I realize it’s Mary Beth. I’m not scared, but I am curious why she’s here. Maybe she’s come to beg me to let her see the guys, or to speak to them on her behalf about being allowed back into the Soaring Eagles orbit.
She shifts her weight between her feet, full of restless energy as she keeps looking around to see if anyone is watching. That’s the moment when I start to realize something’s wrong. I scoop Mia up into my arms, ready to flee, my fight-or-flight instinct kicking in.
“Hello, Lena,” she says, her voice void of emotion. “Get in the car.”
It’s only then that I notice the gun she has concealed under her jacket. A weapon that she’s pointing at Mia and me. My eyes dart over to Doc’s car, parked too far away. Mary Beth must sense what I’m thinking.
“There’s no point in running. Do you really want to gamble with your child’s life like that, Lena?” she says, pulling down her glasses to look me in the eye. Her eyes are wild and dark. The hair on my arms stands to attention, and I feel chilled to the bone, despite the warmth of the day.
She’s right. I’m not going to do anything, not when she has a gun pointed at my daughter. With no other choice, I get in the car. I don’t get a good look at the driver before Mary Beth shoves a blindfold in my hands and tells me to put it on.
***
We’ve been driving for a while now, though it’s hard to know for sure how long. I just pray that Doc is following us, that he isn’t far behind. I have to hope that the guys will find us. Mia senses that something is wrong and has been crying while trying to take the blindfold off me since we left.
“Shut her up before I do. Trust me, you won’t like my method,” I hear a man snarl—the driver, I presume.
“Shh, it’s okay, sweetie, it’s just a game. Mama can’t see, so we’ve gotta play I spy, tell me a clue, and Mama will try to guess what you can see.”
“Okay,” Mia sniffles, sounding placated with the promise of a game.
“Tell Mama what you see,” I encourage her. It’s a long shot, but perhaps I can figure out where they’re taking us. If they decided to blindfold me, it must be for a reason, so we can’t be driving to the Iron Vultures clubhouse—I presume Mary Beth is working for Zeke—or anywhere else I know.
“Bird!”
“Good girl, what else?”
“Trees!”
Unfortunately, Mary Beth catches on to what I’m trying to do. “Nice try. No more games.”
“She’s two, what’s she going to tell me?” I snip.
“No games.”
I sigh. “Fine, but if you want Mia to be quiet, she needs entertainment. If you give her my phone, there’s a kids’ YouTube channel on there she likes to watch.”
“I’m not giving her your phone either. How stupid do you think I am?” Mary Beth replies scathingly.
“Stupid enough to kidnap me and my daughter in broad daylight with several witnesses, and with the knowledge that I’m under the protection of the Soaring Eagles. So yeah, pretty fucking stupid,” I snap back sarcastically.
Mary Beth snorts with derision. “You think you’re so special just because you’re fucking Cole and Rex. You’re probably fucking all four of them, aren’t you?” I don’t respond, but I presume a slight twitch in my forced neutral expression gives it away. “Oh my god, you are, aren’t you?” she laughs out loud with glee. “Boy, is that gonna piss Zeke off even more! He’s gonna lay into you something special.”
So, that confirms my suspicions, Mary Beth is working for Zeke.
