Hollace held out the phone to him. “It’s Kenna.”
Given what Amara and Bruce had explained that these people could do with voices, he said, “Am I supposed to take your word for it?”
“Unless you want to miss your chance to speak with her.”
Ramon grabbed the phone. “Hello?”
“Is it really you?” The soft alto of her voice drifted over him. Sounding so much like Zeyla that, for a second, he didn’t know which woman was speaking.
“I could say the same thing.” He swallowed against the lump in his throat. “Things didn’t go exactly as planned.” Nowhewas a part of the plan, but he didn’t think these guys would let him explain it to her.
He’d questioned Hollace about how wise it was to bring him on their big operation—the wedding and whatever else was going on. Hollace had told him that Ramon’s presence meant that Kenna herself was advocating for the president and Lief Holmberg to be the newDominatusleaders.
As if she could vote by proxy, using Ramon as her spokesperson.
No way was he going to just go along with whatever they told him to do. Not if he didn’t agree.
“Same here,” Kenna said. “We’ve been talking with Bear about everything. Some of it was a surprise, given that we thought he was the one who had Maizie removed from the back of my car. But he says it wasn’t his people. It was a faction of their group who broke away after Earl Jonas was killed.”
“We’re supposed to believe that?” Ramon’s gut clenched. “Where is she?”
“Jax got a message from an online message board, and we think it’s from her. She just landed in Chicago.”
“Guess where I am,” Ramon said, aware that everyone in the vehicle was listening to what he said.
“Preston and Stairns are on their way with Bear and his people, headed to the same place. Jax is staying with me, but I get the impression he’s torn. He wants to be there to get her back.”
“We’ll get her back.” That was a promise Ramon would always make.
“You’ll have help. You won’t be doing this on your own,” she said. “Even Bear is livid that they took her, though he thinks he knows why.”
“Do I want to know?”
“It isn’t abouther. Though, that might be part of the reason. Bear thinks it’s also about how she had all the files from the software company on her computer. They took that as well as her.”
Ramon clenched down on his back teeth. “They want the tech?”
“So did Bear. He’s in for a battle if he wants to sway the vote by every means he can manage. But your only focus is Maizie. They can do whatever they want, destroy each other, I don’t care. I told Bear that.”
“Understood.”
“They want you to throw in with them?”
“On your behalf. But if I know where you stand on it, I can take that route. I’ll get her back for you.”
“I know you will.”
“Are you safe where you are?”
Kenna said, “I have Jax, and Preston’s security team—including protection dogs. Elizabeth will be here for the delivery.”
“You could go into town to the medical center.” Ramon shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. A little normalcy in the middle of an intense operation to manipulateDominatusand allthe worry about Maizie. At least, as much normalcy as Kenna was capable of having.
The woman was turning downright domestic.
Ramon couldn’t wait to see the big, bad investigator melt when she was holding her baby.
“We’ll see.” Kenna chuckled.
