But then, a voice that I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear again has me whipping my head around.
“Oh my gods, Jo! Is that you?” Adela, in the drivers’ seat of the SUV, gapes at me.
thirty-eight
Jo
“Adela?” I can’t believe my eyes. “What are youdoin’here?”
“I live in this neighborhood with Vander and his family! What areyoudoing here?Howare you here?” Her eyes dart to Hayden and Kole, and widen comically when they land on Sam and West. “Them too?”
“Scent matches, all of ‘em.” I give a sheepish grin. “As for how we’re here…”
She doesn’t miss the look I exchange with the guys, but she shakes her head. “Nevermind, I don’t want to know.Get in.”
My brows shoot up. “What?”
“I said, get in. The Bowens are powerful people. Whatever’s happened, they can help you.”
Sirens from fire trucks sound in the distance. Her eyes shoot to the area above the house behind us, clearly noticing the smoke for the first time. “Oh my gods, what happened here?”
“Pretty sure you don’t want to know that either,” I mutter, and turn to the guys. “Well?”
“It’s not like we have much of a choice.” West looks over his shoulder, clearly concerned with the sirens growing louder.
“Let’s go.” Sam steps forward and swings the door open.
We pile into the car, me ending up on Sam’s lap and West in the front seat.
“Do you want me to drive?” West’s brows furrow in concern as he eyes Adela’s pregnant belly. Now that she’s not in ill-fitting scrubs, and instead dressed in adorable maternity clothes, it’s clear just how close she is to popping. She has to be nearing thirty-four weeks now.
“Please, West.” Adela rolls her eyes and puts the car in drive. “I’m pregnant, not helpless.”
My brows shoot up. This…this is different from the Adela I’m used to.
I look to Hayden to see if he’s thinking the same thing, but his expression is blank, his gaze fixed on his hands. I’m thrown to the side suddenly as Adela starts driving.
She handles the car like a damn NASCAR driver, going way over the speed limit, and taking turns so fast I have to brace against Sam.
“Kole, I’m so glad you’re okay. If I knew what they were going to do, I never would have…” She shakes her head, her shoulder-length brown hair swaying slightly as she cuts herself off. “You have no idea how worried I’ve been about you, Jo,” Adela scolds me. “One minute, Leslie is leading you away, then the guys told me you weren’t feeling well, and then Brooks is coming to me, saying you’re in the Cathedral, on death's doorstep. I didn’t want to leave before I knew you were okay, but Sam and West insisted I let Vander take me home when the time came.” She meets my eyes in the rearview mirror, guilt swirling in their depths. “I have to tell you Jo, about Kole, I was just trying to help—”
“I know, Addie.” I lean forward and squeeze her shoulder. “I never thought for a second you knew what was really goin’ on.”
She sniffs, and looks at Kole in the mirror. “And Kole, I’m so sorry. I should have known better.”
“It is no worry, little beta.” Kole nods once. “You were trying to protect my mate, andthat, I cannot fault you for.”
She sighs. “Well, hopefully I’m about to make up for it.”
We turn onto a smaller road that leads to a guard house next to a gate. She glances at us. “Just go with whatever I say, okay?” My friend doesn’t wait for our answer before she’s rolling down the window, and a kind-faced security guard regards her.
“Ms. Olivier, how was your appointment—” His eyes immediately go to West and then to us in the backseat. I give a little wave, which the guard returns, a dumbfounded expression on his face. “I thought you were at a prenatal appointment, Ms. Olivier. Who are these people?”
Adela pastes on a blinding smile, leaning forward like she has a juicy bit of gossip. “You wouldn’t believe it, Bertrand! My cousin from back home surprised me! She brought her pack with her, isn’t that nice? She was gonna stay at some ratty hotel, but I thought, Vander told me to treat this asmyhome, and how would it look on my fiance’s family if my relatives were caught staying at a two-star inn!?”
The guard nods dumbly, his expression staying confused as he takes us all in. “Will…will they bestaying in the guest house?”
Adela gives an enthusiastic nod. “That is an excellent idea. Any word on when Vander and his father will be home? I can’t wait for them to meet my family.”
