“No. I just wanted to give you this.” Jax slid the letter from Greyson across the table.
“What the hell?” Raze asked, reaching for the envelope.
Moe beat him to it, snatching it against her chest. “My name is on it, dumbass.”
Sami bit back a smile. She hadn’t had a chance to get to know Maureen yet, but so far, what she saw, she liked. The woman was in her twenties, had black hair, and the same odd blue eyes as her brother. She was some sort of food development expert, whatever that meant. Something about creating food sources for underdeveloped countries . . . which now included home.
“Read it,” Jax said, and then added, “Please.”
Maureen shoved back curly hair and gingerly opened the envelope to read.
“Dear Maureen,
I trust that you’re safely back with your brother, and I’m glad you’re all right after being kidnapped by the president,”Maureen read, and then snorted, looking up.
Sami smiled. “He doesn’t mention that he kidnapped you, too, or the blackmail plot?”
“No.” Maureen shook her head.
“Asshole,” Raze breathed.
Maureen cut him a look and focused back on the paper again.
“We’ve gone through all the nurseries and greenhouses in the area, and things are dismal. The water and electricity cut off before we took over the area, so I’m afraid many of the specimens are lost forever. However, there are seeds, sprouts, and even bulbs that I have no clue what to do with. I’d like to ask for you to temporarily stay in Merc territory and go through this stuff. The world needs food. I will personally guarantee your safety.
Yours, Grey.”
She looked up.
“No,” Raze said shortly.
“Bulbs and seeds,” Maureen said thoughtfully. “We need those.”
“Can you get the greenhouses going again?” Jax asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t know, but I’m not sure that’s the wisest course, anyway. We should find fertile land with freshwater resources and start planting. It’ll be back to the basics for civilization for centuries, I think.”
“You’re not going to Merc territory again,” Raze said.
“He didn’t hurt me.” She pivoted to face her brother. “Not once did anybody even threaten me while I was in Merc territory.” Maureen rubbed her chin. “I wonder if that was the plan all along. To go through the greenhouses and then see what we could use.”
“Do you want to go?” Jax asked.
She eyed her brother and then nodded. “I do. If there’s a chance to salvage any bulbs or sprouts, then I definitely want the chance to do so.”
Jax nodded. “All right. We’ll discuss it and get back to you.”
Maureen’s eyebrows rose. “I wasn’t asking your permission, Jax.”
Sami nodded. Attagirl.
Raze leaned forward. “You don’t have mine, either, little sister.”
Moe’s chin lowered. “You’re about to get punched in the face.”
Jax sighed. “Family stuff later. Work now. Maureen, please go back to work inventorying the packets of seeds the scavengers found in that drugstore on the Westside.”
“I’ll let you know when I’m ready to go.” Maureen quickly exited the room.
