I stood with Mama Hen as we waited and when Jeannie returned to the living room, she didn’t hesitate to sit in an oversized chair, pulling her legs onto the cushion neatly tucked underneath her as she sipped what looked and smelled like coffee.
Mama Hen nodded to the sofa, so we stepped over and took a seat.
It was quiet for a few beats, then Jeannie reached down into the cushion. My heart sped up and Mama Hen put her arm over me like we were stopping short at a red light.
Jeannie grinned and pulled out a remote, aiming it at the television. “It’s too quiet. So, to what do I owe the honor?”
“Who are you?” I asked bluntly. I didn’t know her well enough to make small talk, and we had limited time before someone figured out I was gone.
She sipped her coffee slowly, then gave a slight nod. “Well, I guess that depends on who’s asking.”
“So it’s true?” Mama Hen asked.
“Is what true?” Jeannie asked, casually sipping again.
“You’re a Martinelli.”
Jeannie shook her head. “No. Well, sort of I guess.”
“So you don’t deny it?” Mama Hen asked, the tension in her body getting palpable.
“Nobody ever asked.”
“That’s not the name you gave me to start working at the club.”
“Oh, wellthat. Yeah, you got me there.” She shrugged.
It was quiet again. She didn’t deny it. Now what?
“Is that all you came for?” she asked.
“Why hide it?” I asked. “And why were you all over my husband?”
She smirked. “Aww. Is someone feeling a little insecure?”
“Cut the shit, Jeannie. What the fuck are you up to?” Mama Hen asked.
She set her mug down. “I think it’s time we go for a ride.”
Mama Hen gave a humorless laugh. “We’re not going anywhere with you.”
I heard something move behind me. Before I could even turn, my head was covered by a dark sack. It was pulled tight against my throat. My hands went there to pull it away, unable to free it. Not being able to see was disorienting, and I didn’t even know what was happening to Mama Hen.
She struggled next to me, her feet kicking as I fought the floor for purchase.
I struggled to say, “Let her go!” I couldn’t let anything happen to her.
I squirmed, trying to kick but my body was slipping from the cushion as I tried to get the sack loose around my throat. My heart pounded out of control as I struggled.
“You may want to knock them out,” Jeannie said, no hint of the slightly southern accent anymore, just as the lights went out.
Chapter 33
Hawk
The ride took us about an hour south. What started off as a beautiful day became overcast and cool quickly. But the chill on my skin was welcome since it helped keep me alert. Sleeping on the floor wasn’t the best way to get shut-eye, even though I’d had to do it plenty of times. Honestly, the tension between us was far worse than my makeshift bed. Even though we didn’t really talk it out, or fuck it out, the air seemed clear between Kat and me, leaving me free to worry about the task at hand.
We stopped at Destiny’s Desires before we got too far off the highway because I didn’t want the whole caravan too tight-knit. If we did stumble onto Leo and his crew we’d need themclose, but couldn’t be obvious until we were ready to move in. The homes were all close enough that I decided to split into three groups for recon to save time and keep us spread out. Coop kept the truck close to my group and was on alert for any inbound calls or texts. Petrov was hanging back with him in his Escalade.
