“I have to go,” I said, handing the phone to Klara.
Mama Hen grabbed me. “Hey, you can’t go alone.”
“Go where?” Lacy asked.
“To Jeannie’s. You stayed there, right?” I asked her. “Youcan tell me how to get there.”
Lacy’s eyes were like saucers. “We can’t leave here.”
“I can leave. I just can’t go to the strip club, if you wanna get technical,” Mama Hen said. “And I won’t let you go alone.”
“Wait. What is even happening?” Lacy said.
Daisy and Kristie came to the kitchen. “You gonna cook all day, or want to go binge watch something? It’s my turn to choose,” Daisy said.
“I need your help,” I told them. “I have to go. But even if they let her go, they’ll be suspicious. I need a decoy.”
Klara raised her hand. “I volunteer as tribute. They’re all hooked up. I’m free as a bird.”
We all looked over.
She held her hands up. “I assume you meant to use my body to distract them.”
“I mean, maybe. Or you know, just say I’m sick at home if anyone asks,” I said.
“You seriously cannot leave, Katya.” Lacy had her hands on her hips. “I’m sorry, but no.”
Daisy grabbed Lacy’s shoulder. “I’m fairly certain she outranks us, or something.”
“I outrank all of you,” Mama Hen said. “I wanna speak to her, too. Woman to woman. This is bullshit.”
Kristie put her hands up. “Wait. What did we miss?”
After Klara gave the run down of Jeannie not being whoshe said she was, the energy of the room changed.
Kristie sighed. “Shiv isn’t here.”
We all looked at her and I said, “That’s correct. But why is that important?”
“She’s the doctor.”
Daisy cut in. “Not to be the voice of reason because that’s Lacy not me, but what will you do? Are you just gonna roll up there and beat her ass? Because I’d love to see that.”
Mama Hen banged her closed fist on the counter. “No. We aren’t taking the caravan. This is First Lady business.”
My breath hitched. But I couldn’t think about that too much right now. “No. She’s right. We can’t put you all in danger just in case, but we do need a plan.”
“I know what we need to do.” Mama Hen opened the oven then grabbed a potholder and pulled the trays out. “Act sick. I’ll walk you to your house. That way if someone asks, they can say you’re lying down. My car is over there. I’ll smuggle you out. But I gotta grab something from the house first. Ladies, you keep your mouths shut. Lacy, finish these cookies. I’ll send an SOS to Keys if we need help.”
Lacy worried her lip, shaking her head. “I don’t like this. Every time they tell us to stay put and we don’t, something bad happens.”
I stroked Lacy’s arm. “It’s still broad daylight. We’re just going to her house to confront her on her bullshit. Just like the men handle club business, we have to handle it, too. Plus, I can take care of myself and Mama Hen. I just don’t think we should all go. It would be harder to leave, anyway.”
Mama Hen scoffed. “I appreciate your Kung Fu, hon, but I’ve been in this club longer than you’ve been alive. I can take care of us both. Especially against Jeannie.”
Rolling my eyes, I didn’t correct her. We didn’t have time to discuss the detailed history of various fighting disciplines. Plus, Mama Hen always left early on the weekends for her grocery haul, so it wouldn’t seem suspicious if she was leaving soon.
I started to leave, but Daisy stopped me. “They track our phones.”
