“You’ve got a point,” he said nodding. “What was his name?”
“Mills. Professor Shawn Mills. Mid-fifties, five-ten, silver hair thinning on top. He wears very thick glasses and when he’s nervous he stutters.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound like he’ll be difficult to find. Let me text the others,” he said.
Marissa nodded, rising to start something for dinner. She chose the canned beef stew and placed some refrigerated biscuit dough in the oven. By the time it was all heating up, Joey had notified the others.
“River is going to see if he can find him.”
“River? When did he arrive?” she asked.
“He was undercover with the FBI. Apparently he left the Navy to work for the feds, at least temporarily. He didn’t know you were one of the women. He was primarily at the house with the other men of Giamanco.”
“Wow, that’s crazy. I would have definitely screamed if I’d seen him in the audience.”
“You wouldn’t have had to. You and River are like the other triplets. You all look alike. Tall, lean, blue eyes, blonde hair. It would have been hard to hide.”
“That’s true,” she frowned.
Joey plated their stew and served the hot biscuits with honey and butter. The food was so good, they hadn’t realized how hungry they were. When the lights began to flicker, Joey looked around the room.
“I’ll get the kerosene lanterns ready. It’s going to be a long cold night.” Marissa grabbed his hand as he stood.
“Joey? It doesn’t have to be a long, cold night. I mean, we’re in agreement about us, aren’t we?”
“We are,” he smiled. “But I need for you to be really, really sure Marissa. No going back. When we finish this, you go back home and finish your masters. I’ll finish my time with the Rangers and we get married. Happily ever after and all that wonderful stuff.”
“I agree,” she smiled. “Happily ever after forever.”
“Let me get the lanterns. Finish eating. You’re going to need your strength.”
Marissa could only smile as he gathered the lanterns, pouring kerosene into the bellies. When his phone rang, face up on the table, he told her to answer it. She stared at the screen, shaking her head.
“Nope.”
“Nope? Answer it, Marissa. It’s fine.”
“Nope. It’s mom.” He laughed, picking up the phone.
“Hi, Miss Ramey,” he smiled.
“Joey Dougall, I know you’re with my daughter and I want to know why she hasn’t called me in the last twenty-four hours when I know damn good and well she’s had the opportunity and she’s spoken to her father.”
“Um, let me give the phone to her,” he said softly. He pushed it toward Marissa and she shook her head. He pushed it again and she let out a long slow breath.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, mom? Hi, mom? That’s what you’re going to lead with?”
“Sorry.”
“That’s a little better. Marissa, why wouldn’t you have called me or your father or anyone here? Why? We would have helped, we could have helped.”
“You are helping. Now. Mom, I was scared and embarrassed and all the things I shouldn’t have been. It was immature and I regret every second of it. But I’m okay. Really, I am. I’m with Joey and Dad and the others are working to stop the man that wants to take me.”
“I’m well aware. Will you come home?” she asked hopefully.
“As soon as they can get to us. I won’t ever leave again, I can promise you that.” Her mother laughed and Marissa let out a sigh of relief. “I knew someone there could help me, Mom. I just, I just panicked I think. I didn’t want anyone to know that I couldn’t handle things for myself.”
