Valentina continued, “Because it doesn’t need to. You being a mother isn’t about what someone else tells you is right. You’ll parent just like you live your life. Always looking to do the right thing, to help those who need it. To bring justice.”
Zeyla said, “Maybe you should name her Justice.”
“No.” Jax shook his head. “This child isn’t going to represent what we want or what our lives mean. She gets to choose her own path and find her own life, whatever that looks like, without us putting our ideas or expectations on her.”
Kenna squeezed his hand.
Valentina said, “I know you’ll do the right thing. That you’ll do everything you can to keep this child safe. She’ll know she’sloved and that you’re there to keep her safe. That’s the most important thing.”
Kenna swiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
“We should have dessert before Kenna starts crying into her lemonade.” Ryson grinned.
She let go of Jax’s hand, grabbed a piece of garlic bread, and tossed it at Ryson’s head.
He dodged it, laughing. Luci erupted into laughter along with her father.
Kenna gave herself a second to listen to the sweet sound of a child who felt safe and protected, and knew she was loved, and wondered what her daughter’s laughter would sound like. She rubbed a hand down the bump in her midsection, feeling the baby kick against her side. A sign of life she needed often, just to reassure herself that God was protecting them all.
She leaned her head on Jax’s shoulder, and he kissed her forehead.
“Take the day off tomorrow,” he whispered. “Zeyla and I will get out there and see if we can find Ellayna. You and Maizie can work the computers.”
“Yay.” She probably sounded tired and like she was being sarcastic. She glanced at Maizie and winked.
The young woman stood with Valentina and helped to clear the table. Ryson took the bread, and Zeyla grabbed the last piece before he headed with the empty plate to the kitchen.
Jax shifted and pulled out his phone, which was vibrating from a call. “It’s Preston.” He set the phone on the table and tapped the screen. “You’re on speaker.” He listed off everyone that could overhear.
“Having a party?”
Kenna said, “Family dinner. So where are you?”
Jax let out an amused laugh under his breath. He agreed with her.
Preston said, “Almost to Salt Lake. It’s been a long drive, but we should be at the campsite in a couple of hours.”
“Sounds good,” Jax said, then filled Preston in on the fate of the closest family member that Crystal, Ellayna, and Abe had. He also gave their friend the highlights of his conversation with Rickshire. “We have things to do tomorrow, but we don’t have much in the way of leads.”
“I’ll do what I can to help.”
“Thanks,” Jax said. “We appreciate it.”
“I had a meeting with one of the higher-ups in the Colorado State Patrol before I left. They have those guys from the SUVs in jail or in custody in the hospital. There’s no way to know if any of them escaped before they could be caught, or if there are more and we didn’t get them all, but they’re treating this group—there are seven being charged—as if this is all of the attackers.”
Kenna wasn’t so quick to assume it was done, but the police wanted someone to answer for the death of one of their officers. Those guys would also be charged with the deaths of Shawn, Gabby, the nurse, the doctor, and the janitor, along with the theft of stolen property. Plus, all the charges that came with chasing her and Jax, firing on them and the RV—putting Maizie and Zeyla’s lives in danger. There were a whole lot of things for them to answer for.
Jax asked, “Who are they?” just as Ryson, Valentina, and Maizie came back in with a tray of brownies, a tub of ice cream, and a stack of bowls.
Preston’s voice came through the phone speaker. “They had ID, but near as the police can tell, it’s all fake. Their names are all Civil War generals, and if that isn’t interesting enough, they tried to take fingerprints for these guys, and all of them have had the tips of their fingers burned until they have no discernable prints.”
“Civil War generals?” Jax shifted on the chair.
Doing so dislodged her head, but that was fine. She sat up and turned a little in her seat so she could face him. “What is it?”
Jax glanced at her. “The names of Rickshire’s visitors.”
“So, it’s connected.” She didn’t want Rickshire to be right about what he’d implied. By all rights, he shouldn’t have anything to do withDominatus. If he did…
