Dakota frowned. “Why are you laughing?”
“The pair of you got the waitress in trouble,” Calian said.
“How? We’ve just arrived,” Dakota said. Kansas appeared equally mystified.
Renee took pity and enlightened them. “The women were busy staring at you when you made your entrance. The waitress poured coffee over Mr. Bannerman.”
“What women?” Kansas glanced over his shoulder. “Oh. We didn’t take any notice of anyone but you, honey. You look tired. Didn’t you sleep?”
Renee stared from Kansas to Dakota and back. They meant every word.
“Sugar.” Dakota leaned closer. “Are you okay to fly today?”
Their concern tightened her chest, made it difficult to draw air. She’d been alone for so long now, and since Hunter’s death, cut off from her other friends. An ache sprang to life at the back of her eyes, and she blinked hard and fast, astonished at her reaction.
She never cried.
When her father had been around, weeping set him off, so she’d learned to remain stoic and to lock down her emotions. Her stepfather had never made her want to cry, and she’d loved the man who’d given her and her mother stability and unstinted love.
“I’ll be fine,” she murmured, puzzled how these four men had dug their claws into her frozen heart. Despite her anger, she liked them. She liked them a lot.
“We have good news,” Dakota whispered.
“Those two men got on a plane this morning,” Kansas stated. “We watched them board. They’ve gone.”
“Renee, who do you think is behind this?” Calian asked.
“The murder we saw—the guy who killed the young woman was a drug boss’s son. One of the other inmates murdered him while he was in jail. I heard his father was off his head with grief. Susan, the detective in charge, reckoned the father was the most likely to order a hit, but they couldn’t rule out Hunter being the victim of a chance killing.”
Calian leaned back in his chair. “They told Misty—or rather, she overheard the cops talking. They thought he’d been plain unlucky getting in the middle of a turf war between two local gangs.”
“The gang members they scooped up denied a war. Every one of them,” Renee said. “Susan didn’t believe that theory.”
Matto glanced at Calian. “What do we do?”
Renee gaped. “What do you mean?”
“We have contacts,” Calian said. “Tonight, at dinner, you tell us everything you know about the drug boss. What is his name?”
“Jason Vega.” Renee checked the clock hanging on the wall behind the counter. “I need to leave or I’ll be late.”
A waitress bustled over with a tray. “Here’s one to go. Who does that belong to?”
Calian jerked his chin in Renee’s direction. “The food to go is hers too.”
“Renee, we’ll walk you to work,” Dakota said.
Before she knew it, she was out the door with Dakota and Kansas escorting her. Kansas carried a bag of food while she cradled the large coffee Calian had ordered for her.
“What time do you finish?” Dakota asked.
“After five. It won’t all be flying. The paperwork takes time.”
“One or more of us will be here to walk you home,” Kansas said.
“They’ve truly gone?” Renee blurted.
“Honestly,” Kansas said.
